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LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.

Article Excerpt
Byline: The Register-Guard

U.S. must not cut and run in Iraq

Regarding a timetable for leaving Iraq, the United States has a well-deserved reputation for abandoning allies, ignoring the suffering of others and failing to respond to significant attacks.

During the Cold War, a few examples were crises in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Guatemala, Cuba and Lebanon. More recently, our apathetic boredom affected Somalia, Rwanda, Uganda and Sudan. The Muslims of the Salafi-Wahhabi heresy take encouragement from our failure to defend our Iranian embassy and our subsequent lethargic responses to 15 major terrorist attacks under four presidents.

They are well acquainted with our affection for debating elegant foreign policy models until we find meanings for necessity, proportional response, multilateralism and exit strategy. Such debates shelter us from meaningful confrontation with an empty, self-congratulatory righteousness and sponsor accurate perceptions by those relying on us of turning a blind eye, agonizing over their losses from afar or cutting and running.

We cannot use the words "timeline," "deadline" or "exit strategy" when those are code for actions identifying us as a dysfunctional ally. The plan for withdrawal must be keyed to a pragmatic evaluation of events.

All statements must emphasize that when Iraqi and U.S. governments agree that certain conditions exist, the disengagement proceeds to the next step. Only in this way can the Salafi-Wahhabi jihadists understand we...

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