Published on Tuesday, July 26, 2005 by the Inter Press Service
Civil War Specter Spurs New Iraq Exit Plans
by Jim Lobe

WASHINGTON - Growing pessimism about averting civil war in Iraq, as well as mounting concerns that the U.S. military presence there may itself be fueling the insurgency and Islamist extremism worldwide, has spurred a spate of new calls for the United States to withdraw its 140,000 troops sooner rather than later.

Although resolutions to establish at least a timeline for withdrawal have so far gained the support of only about a quarter of the members of Congress, the absence of tangible progress in turning back the insurgency is adding to fears on Capitol Hill that the administration's hopes of stabilizing the situation, let alone giving birth to a pro-western democracy in the heart of the Arab world, are delusory.

”In January, we had Congressional staff hanging up on us when we called to say that we want to discuss shifting U.S. policy from more guns and more troops towards withdrawal,” said Jim Cason, communications director of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a lobby group. ”Now they want to talk about it.”


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From CP