Iraq: Troop Withdrawal an Important Milestone

Dec 19, 2011

The withdrawal of U.S. military troops from Iraq as of December 31, 2011 ends a chapter in one of the most costly and divisive wars in this century.

At FCNL, we are pleased this withdrawal milestone has now been reached and that U.S. soldiers are coming home. At the same time, we acknowledge that, for too many Iraqis and U.S. veterans, the devastating impact of the war will persist long after this phase of the war has ended.

Here we reflect on what the troop withdrawal means for all of those affected by this war and what changes it should bring to U.S. foreign policy in the region.

FCNL Statement on Iraq Withdrawal

As the war in Iraq ends, we urge the administration and Congress to shape a new U.S. policy in the Middle East region that focuses on preventing wars rather than fighting them. Read more.

Why the War in Iraq Isn’t Really Over

By Matt Southworth, FCNL Legislative Associate for Foreign Policy and an Iraq war veteran

The U.S. war in Iraq will not end with troop withdrawals—it will only end with the abandonment of the mindset that led us into this war in the first place. One of the ironies of my experience as a civilian working to lobby Congress to end war is that many people tell me of the necessity of military force to solve conflicts. It is often the soldiers and the military who are most reluctant to use military force and most wary of the unintended consequences of military action. Read more.

How Do You End a War?

By Bridget Moix, FCNL Senior Legislative Secretary for Foreign Policy

For those of us who worked hard to prevent this tragic, illegal, dishonest war - and then so hard to limit its damage and bring it to an end - it is a great relief to see this deplorable chapter of U.S. policy coming to an end. But I find it hard to celebrate. More than eight years of organized killing, a country devastated, a region destabilized, a world inflamed against the U.S. and its ceaseless appetite for war. One horrible policy choice has come to an end, but too many others continue. After all, it was a war that never should have happened - that had international law, moral right, and sound policy arguments all stacked against it. Read more.

Timeline of FCNL's Work on the Iraq War

The closing of the last U.S. military base in Iraq on December 31, 2011 ends a chapter in one of the most costly and divisive wars in this century. FCNL’s work over the past 8 years to focus attention on the war through our War Is Not the Answer campaign, to build congressional opposition to a long-term U.S. presence through permanent bases, and to support a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq played a role in ending this war. Read more.

More on FCNL's work to end the war in Iraq.

How Do You Mark the End of a War?

By Diane Randall, Executive Secretary

When the U.S. pulled its last soldiers from Iraq this week, it almost went unmarked here at FCNL. Despite the fact that the U.S. march toward war 10 years ago spawned the well-known “war is not the answer” slogan found on bumper stickers and yard signs across the country, and despite the fact that FCNL’s lobbying Congress over the last 9 years helped create the timetable for withdrawing troops by December 2011 through the creation of the Iraq Study Group, we held no party. The uncertainty of the results we got for the price we paid for the war in Iraq should give everyone pause.  Read more.