Ethical Exit Strategies from Iraq

On Thursday, April 2, Intersections concluded its conversation
series, “The Cost of War at Home & Abroad,” with a panel
discussion, After the Surge: Ethical Exit Strategies From Iraq.

Panelists included Cynthia P. Schneider, former U.S. Ambassador to The
Netherlands and Georgetown University faculty member; U.S. Army Col.
Michael J. Meese, Ph.D.; and Kirk W. Johnson, The List Project founder
and director. The conversation explored American strategies of
withdrawing from Iraq while fulfilling political, military and
humanitarian obligations.

“From the military perspective, the importance of the ethical
withdrawal is to turn over security in a way that minimizes the chances
of a return to sectarianism,” said Meese. For that reason, the military
method is to “thin forces and continue to maintain transition teams.”

Johnson noted that some 3,000 Iraqis have contacted him in fear for
their safety because they aided U.S. efforts. “I am praying and hoping
that the people [developing the exit strategy] are taking into
consideration what happens to these Iraqis who have helped us, because
if we abandon them, I don’t see how we can ever claim any mantle of an
ethical withdrawal,” he said.

“I think it’s so important that we define this beyond military
security, that we define it in terms of a viable life for people in
Iraq,” said Schneider. This means “economic development, education,
adequate health care, water, power grid, electricity [and] restoration
of their cultural institutions.”

The “Cost of War” series “raised awareness about how the global war
on terror has impacted different sectors of our society in ways that
people are unaware of,” said Eduardo Vargas, Intersections’ project
manager.

To hear an audio recording of the presentation or to see a highlight video from this discussion, please visit www.intersectionsinternational.org/costofwarlectures.