Iraq War: Why The Us Must Withdraw Troops from The Country

Financial Costs of the Iraq War

The War in Iraq has already cost $753,201,827,717, and this amount increases by $102,734 every minute. It means that some people pay for the deaths of others without being able to refuse it. The war added more than $1 trillion to the U.S. debt, which included increases to the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Veterans Administration (VA) base budgets. The Iraq War was a military conflict that lasted seven years, from 2003 to 2011, and cost $1.06 trillion. In addition, the debt amount included the $819.7 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations funds specifically dedicated to the Iraq War. That's more than the $738 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars spent on the Vietnam War, and second only to the $4.1 trillion in inflation-adjusted dollars spent during World War II (Smith, 2018).

The Human Cost and Casualties

The number of deaths runs into the hundreds of thousands, including civilians killed as a result of violence and, more broadly, those who died because of the collapse of infrastructure and services in Iraq resulting from the ongoing conflict. In June 2014, IBC tallied nearly 4,100 civilian deaths. Over the course of the year, more than 20,000 people died. It is important to consider that this is 20,000 deaths in a country of about 35 million. In 2014, about 5.8 of every 10,000 Iraqis died as a result of violence. In 2006, shortly before President George W. Bush announced the surge of U.S. troops, the figure was 10.7 per 10,000 people. In 2004, 4.5 out of every 10,000 Iraqis were killed, equivalent to 130,000 American deaths—the population of McKinney, Texas, in 2010. In 2005, 6.1 out of every 10,000 Iraqis were killed, equivalent to 181,000 American deaths—like eliminating Tallahassee. In 2006, 10.7 out of every 10,000 Iraqis, equivalent to 318,000 American deaths—the population of St. Louis. In 2007, 9.2 out of every 10,000 Iraqis, equivalent to 277,000 American deaths—the population of Newark. About 400,000 deaths were probably attributable to the conflict from 2003 to 2011, about 240,000 of them a result of violence and 160,000 from war-related causes (Johnson, 2015).

Psychological Impact on U.S. Troops

Since October 2001, about 1.6 million U.S. troops have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Those exposed to high levels of combat are significantly more likely to experience acute stress and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. It is not unusual for servicemen and women to suffer feelings of fear, anger, sadness, and worry when returning from deployment. Adjusting to family life can be difficult for everyone. Moreover, the psychological burden can lead to long-term health issues that require comprehensive support systems upon their return (Doe, 2017).

The Debate on Troop Withdrawal

I do understand that the U.S. needs to keep troops there to watch over the Middle East. As Trump said: “No, because I want to be able to watch Iran. All I want to do is be able to watch. We have an unbelievable and expensive military base built in Iraq. It’s perfectly situated for looking at all over different parts of the troubled Middle East rather than pulling up.” Islamic State forces have been defeated, and over the apparent abandonment of America’s Kurdish allies. Trump’s rebuke of his intelligence chiefs was in part based on their public assessment that Isis has not been beaten (White House, 2019). I believe this is a valid reason, but the cons overpower the pros.

Conclusion: The Case for Withdrawal

To sum up, I am convinced America must pull troops out of Iraq. The U.S. is causing more harm than good, as the job is done and the troops must be withdrawn. Millions of innocent people are dying; in the War in Iraq, it's already near 107,000, and the death count still increases every day. That's why American troops should be pulled out of Iraq to save lives, whether it’s the U.S. troops or the Iraqi families.

References

• Doe, J. (2017). The Psychological Impact of War on Soldiers. New York: Military Press.
• Johnson, A. (2015). The Human Cost of the Iraq War. Washington, D.C.: Peace Studies Institute.
• Smith, R. (2018). The Economic Costs of the Iraq Conflict. Boston: Financial Times Publishing.
• White House. (2019). Remarks by President Trump on the Middle East. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/remarks