Really? Well let’s go.

While the story about the Iraqi Prime Minister [link] saying the U.S. could feel free to leave “anytime they want” is making its rounds among some circles, do we really think it will affect anything?

Al-Maliki has made “we’re doing fine” comments before, much to the ire of analysts and generals in the U.S. military, who paint a much less rosy picture of “progress” in Iraq.

Take the recent report [link] published last week, outlining 18 benchmarks that the U.S. apparently decided to gauge the Iraqi’s on. Half were marked as having “satisfactory” progress, while the remainder had no to little progress.

But my point is not on if there is or isn’t progress to be made in Iraq. It’s not to argue who is correct—whether it be the Iraqis or Americans. My point, dear friends, is that if the Iraqis themselves, as made apparent through reports [link], polls [link], protests [link], bombings [link], and now the prime minister himself, feel that they’d rather rebuild on their own, then let’s go the &#*^ home!

Honestly, we’re always saying how we have to stay, how we have no choice, how they can’t do anything without us, how we have to train them.

Milestone after milestone is reached, passed, exceeded and forgotten, and nothing changes. Years ago, we had tens of thousands of Iraqi troops ready to take over. Remember all that unit level 1/2/3 readiness crap? Iraqi troops will be ready by this date, then this date, then this.

We used to constantly run stories in the Army about transfer of responsibility ceremonies, where whole regions were given over to the Iraqis. Was that just for show? Did we re-take them once the cameras turned off?

If you believe all the stuff that is put out; how morale is high, how we’re winning, how dozens of top enemy leaders (terrorist and insurgent) are neutralized every week (it seems), how schools are open, how the security situation is improving everyday…if every moment is an absolute success thanks to the competence and professionalism of the U.S. forces and fledgling Iraqi army…then why can’t we go home?

And if it isn’t all fine (which it isn’t, go over there and see for yourself), then what’s with all the lies? Are things getting better? Will they ever? It seems so strange that we’re so damned hard-on about staying there forever.

There are several good documentaries out that touch on the Iraqi perspective of this conflict. Not from the insurgents viewpoint (not directly), but of the civilians who feel so utterly exasperated at the ruin of their country and the occupation of their homes by brutish foreign armies. I’m sure some of them are “slanted” (i.e. “liberal, i.e. “evil”), but one does have to wonder how the everyday worker/husband/wife/whomever feels about these invaders babysitting them.

I mean, how well would we have responded if France or England invaded during our civil war to ensure we “knew what we were doing”? I know it’s an illustration that’s used a lot; but seriously, would we have welcomed an occupying army during our time of instability? Even if it was for the sake of “democracy”?

Can we bring our friends home? The Iraqis want to get through this tough time on their own. Why is that so unreasonable?

And don’t feed me the “they’ll be flooding our country with bombs tomorrow if we leave today” reasoning. What and more Hadithas and Abu Ghraibs will help?

The world has never been safe. It never will be. I don’t think forcing foreign governments at gunpoint to accept our merchants, drive our cars and watch our television shows will make it any safer, if turns out to be why we’re there after all.

We’re there (supposedly) to help and that’s noble. That’s great and well intentioned, I’m sure. But do the Iraqi’s have any say in how to rebuild their country?

If there’s no hard feelings if we scoot back to the states, then I’m for it. Lets start letting military families heal, help our wounded warriors and reinforce our National Guard and Reserves, before things fall apart here at home.

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