Time for Withdrawal?

I have always been one to worry about a premature withdrawal from Iraq. While I have strong negative feelings about how and why the Bush Administration took us to war, I feel that we have to remain long enough to ensure that a power vacuum isn't created that would be filled by another dictatorial leader or an absence of all power, leading to an Afghanistan-style non-state (or quasi-state) that provides an open training ground for terrorists. Thus, Congressman Murtha's (D-Pa) recent call for a timetable for troop withdrawals left me torn. Murtha is a hawk and a big military supporter in Congress, who was a decorated Marine veteran of Vietnam. He has always supported the President on Iraq. But that has changed. If Murtha is calling for withdrawal, might there be some merit to it? I was especially interested in his idea that by not providing a timetable, we give the Iraqis no incentive to "do for themselves". Why do the fighting and dying if someone else will do it for you?

Now, the Bush Administration responded by attacking Murtha, even going so far as to have their surrogates call him a coward. That's right, they called a decorated Marine who received a Purple Heart in Vietnam a coward. One surrogate did it on the floor of the House of Representatives. I was, and am, disgusted by how low the Bush Administration and its surrogate attack dogs will sink to attack a political opponent. (Of course, responding the resulting outrage, the Vice President quickly gave a speech in which he praised Murtha's service and bravery, stated that there is always room for debate on the critical issues of our time - and then savaged all the Admin's opponents as trying to rewrite history).

That aside, my worries about a premature withdrawal and the potential nightmares it could bring about persisted to a point where I was forced to admit to myself that I still disagreed with Congressman Murtha and many within the Democratic Party. However, today a story came out in the Washington Post stating that Iraqi leaders themselves have joined forces and called for a withdrawal timetable.

If the Iraqis themselves, Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds, all want a withdrawal by the end of next year, isn't it something we should strongly consider? They obviously think they will be ready and this is the elected government now. If the very people who will "be at the mercy" of insurgent forces and the potential resulting chaos or dictatorial/terrorist takeover, think they will be ready to proceed and withstand those forces on their own, shouldn't we work towards the withdrawal they are requesting?

I think so.