Although official U.S. combat operations ended in Iraq in August 2010, up to 50,000 U.S. troops continue to occupy the country. As the end of 2011 approaches, so do the final days of the occupation.

On Oct. 21, President Barack Obama announced a total withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year. The decision was preceded by a Status of Forces Agreement between the United States and Iraq, which established that U.S. forces would evacuate Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011. The agreement was signed by President George W. Bush in 2008, according to an Al Jazeera article published in October.

One cause for Obama’s decision was the concern that U.S. troops would not be granted immunity from Iraqi courts if they were to remain past the deadline.

‘This withdrawal has been imminent for months,’ said Jeffrey Treistman, a former State Department policy adviser to the deputy prime minister of Iraq. ‘Anyone familiar with Iraqi politics will tell you that immunity was not going to be passed or granted.’

Withdrawing U.S. troops signifies the end of an eight-year war, which took the lives of 4,484 Americans as of Nov. 28. More than 150,000 Iraqi citizens and soldiers have also been killed, according to the Iraq Body Count project.

The war in Iraq drew heavy criticism due to the legitimacy of the U.S. invasion, namely the inaccurate assumption that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. A CNN/ORC poll taken this month showed that 68 percent of Americans oppose the war in Iraq. Thirty-eight percent of those who now oppose the war said they believe the initial decision to invade was a mistake.

The withdrawal also fulfills a campaign promise Obama made to the American people while running for the presidency in 2008. Though some feel as though it is a large foreign policy accomplishment for Obama, others feel as though the withdrawal was inevitable.

Jeffrey Stonecash, professor of political science, said Iraq is no longer on the forefront of America’s consciousness, citing domestic problems as the people’s priority.

‘I think this is going to have some minor positive benefit for (Obama),’ Stonecash said. ‘He can claim he really brought this to an end, but it is dramatically overshadowed by the state of the economy and the health care bill.’

For many Syracuse University students, the repercussions of the policy will hardly alter daily life. Lt. Col. Michael Kubala, professor of military science, commented on the withdrawal’s influence on SU’s ROTC program.

‘The president’s foreign policy decisions, with respect to the drawdown in Iraq, will have very little impact on the Syracuse Army ROTC program or our activities to train future army officers and develop citizens,’ Kubala said.

Emily Magram, a sophomore political science and Middle Eastern studies major, has a personal connection to the war in Iraq. Though she said she believes the withdrawal will not have much of an effect on campus life, it has significant meaning for those who knew soldiers who served in the war.

‘I think it’s time the troops leave Iraq,’ Magram said. ‘My father served a tour in Iraq from 2009-10. He is home safe, but no more American lives should be lost there.’

The process of withdrawal involves the removal of 50,000 U.S. troops who occupied Iraq after combat operations ended last year. It is estimated that a couple hundred marines will remain to guard the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and two consulates, as is common across the world, said Treistman, former State Department policy adviser to the deputy prime minister of Iraq.

A further 4,000 to 5,000 defense contractors will be stationed in Iraq by the State Department to train Iraqi security forces. These contractors, who fall under the category of diplomatic staff, will receive immunity, said Peg Hermann, professor of political science and director of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs.

‘I think really critically important is that not only is it withdrawal of troops, but it’s a transfer of power so that the State Department now will be in charge,’ Hermann said.

The State Department will begin to play a bigger role, which will be more diplomatic and less occupational.

Along with the relocation of power in Iraq, the withdrawal is symbolic of a shift in the focus of U.S. foreign policy.

‘My recommendation to SU students is to focus on what will be the future of U.S. national security policy, and that is no longer the Middle East as evidenced by the withdrawal,’ said Treistman, now a doctorate student in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs’ political science department. ‘Students would be wise to instead redirect their studies and coursework to the Asian Pacific region.’

The withdrawal is regarded by some students as a major accomplishment for both Iraq and the United States.

Gabe Altieri, a junior broadcast and digital journalism major, said the withdrawal benefits Iraqis because it gives them the opportunity to see what they can do with their new government without the constraint of the United States’ support. He said he believes it is also an achievement for the United States, as the withdrawal indicates the final phase of U.S. efforts to leave Iraq with what appears to be a stable democracy.

‘A lot of soldiers probably feel like they’ve given their service to the situation, and they’ve in some way improved the lives of the people over there,’ Altieri said.

Others are not so optimistic about the effects of the withdrawal from Iraq.

Hermann said some Americans, Republicans in particular, worry the void created by U.S. evacuation will be filled by Iran, a country that has had a historically violent relationship with Iraq. They believe that Iranian dominance in Iraq would be detrimental to the progress that has been made by the United States. Hermann also cited a relapse of sectarian violence as a problem that could occur post-withdrawal.

In his Oct. 21 address, Obama also indicated that he hopes to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by 2014.

‘Now, even as we remove our last troops from Iraq, we’re beginning to bring our troops home from Afghanistan,’ Obama said. ‘I would note that the end of war in Iraq reflects a larger transition. The tide of war is receding.’

ebianchi@syr.edu 

Published on November 28, 2011 at 12:00 pm