We should withdraw from Iraq.

I negate: We should withdraw from Iraq. [Definitions] Withdraw: to set up an immediate timetable for departure from Iraq. E.g. Obama wants to leave within 16 months of his possible presidency. Observation: The resolution is in the present tense. Therefore, my opponent must prove why we should withdraw right now. ================================================================================= I will present my own case, then refute my opponents. Contention I: Humanitarian Reasons/Moral Reasons A) According to the US State Department. Withdrawing from Iraq right now could potentially end up in the slaughtering of innocent Iraqis. Numbers can reach up to 1,000,000 civilians killed by militias, terrorists, and other regional countries. Leaving from Iraq would cause these massive amounts of death, who would be on our hands. E.g. When we left Vietnam, millions of innocent Vietnamese were killed by the communists. B) The US got into this mess, and thus we ought to be the ones to fix it. Withdrawing without eradicating the problem only puts a moral stain on us. We need to take responsibility for the action we took by invading. C) Our soldiers and the Iraqi force has seen casualties. Leaving now only puts their work in vain. The dead, would have died for nothing. We must finish what we have done. Contention II: Success of the Surge The Surge has worked. Sectarian violence has gone down 70% (NY TIMES, FOX NEWS, and CNN). This new adopted plan is creating victory within Iraq. Leaving now would destroy the success that this plan has made. Why should we leave when we are winning? We have the terrorists on the run, violence is down. NOW is the time to make the final push. NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO WITHDRAW. Contention III: The Iranian Threat Iran has numerous times called for domination over the middle east. Iraq, however always stood in that way. With Saddam Hussein down, only the US and the newly established government is blocking Iran's ambitions. If we leave, then Iran and her terrorist allies would easily take Iraq and stop all the progressive that has been made. If this happens, then the next President would have to send troops back in. Both McCain and Obama understand this. More people would die if we had to go back in and fight Iran, then if we would just stay there as protectors and force Iran to keep still. According to Politic.com: Leaving Iraq would lead to Iranian domination of the region, which would lead to above $7 gas prices, and more then 1,000,000 Iraqi civilian dead. If we go back, according to politico, American casualties could go into the tens of thousands. Therefore, we must stay and deter an Iranian move until we have made the country self-sufficient. Even then, according to both Presidential candidates, we will keep military basis there just in case. =============================================================================== I'll attack my opponents case 1. This argument is flawed because according to one poll 82% of Iraqis are "strongly opposed" to the coalition's presence. www.USliberals.about.com\od\homelandsecurit1\a\iraqnumbers.com. My Response: I concede this point, a majority of Iraqis want us out. However, what the majority wants isn't always whats necessary and isn't always whats right. According to General Petraeus, he and the other Iraqi commanders believe that at this time American presence is necessary for the continuing progression of Iraqi stability. The Iraqi people know what's best for their own self interests, and if both parties (Iraq and the U.S.) think that withdrawall is in their best interests, we should withdraw. My Response: Keen point, however you have negated the resolution right here. Both the military parties of both states believe that now is not the time to withdraw. Therefore, it is now impossible to affirm the resolution. 2. According to cnn.com, less than half of Americans say the Iraq War is winnable, and over seven out of ten think it's hurting the economy. 600 billion tax dollars have been spent on this war and, including post war costs, were at about 3 trillion. My Response: Ok, at one point the majority of Americans thought slavery was morally permissible. However we know it as not. The majority inst always right in it's decisions. We should listen to the generals on the field, who are actually there. And according to the generals, and 80% of the soldiers (According to a Qunnipiac Poll), we should stay for the time being. Now, you bring up cost. Cost is an issue, I agree. However, soft partition, the strategy I am advocating actually will end by cheaper then immediate timetable withdrawal. Why? Because soft partition helps end possible future regional conflicts, terrorist attacks, etc. So essentially cost helps my side. 3.Right after 9\11 it seemed as if the world was completely behind us.For example,memorial candles were being lit in Tehran,Iran. Then, we went to Iraq, and America lost it's international standing around the Globe. While we have allies, other countries are fervently Anti American, including Iran. Withdrawing from Iraq will help America regain it's international standing around the globe. My Response: International standing at what cost? Should we sacrifice helping a country in need, pulling out of a war, and probably costing the lives of millions of people in the future? No. International standing should come second. We must do what is right, not what the world wants us to do. Also,l why should we appease countries like Iran, Cuba, and Venezuala. That is just appeasement. And as history teaches us, from WW2, appeasement is a failed and inefficient strategy, that only causes worse things to occur then the present problem you are trying to appease. 4. But international standing, or money lost is not nearly as costly as our troops. 4,124 American troops have died in Iraq. That number will continue to rise as we fight a war, that, according to cbs.com, 64% of Americans say wasn't worth starting. My Response: Should we have let them die in vain, for a cause 80% of the military thinks we should continue? We, here on American soil don't understand what they go through. We try to, and we come to false conclusions like Code Pink. They think immediate withdrawal is what will help our troops. The majority of troops want to stay fighting. If that is what they believe is right, who are we to well them, the military that they are wrong. Also, more people died in one battle of WW2, then what they have died for 5 years in Iraq. Fighting for a good cause, is worth those that want to die for it. When people sign up for the military they know the consequences. And they risk it, for a safer America, and to uphold something greater then themselves. Thank you ladies and gentlemen.