Diplomatic Role of Residual US Forces in Iraq - Essay Example

Diplomatic Role of Residual US Forces in Iraq Introduction Political stability in any given country is a very essential aspect and should at all time and cost be maintained since its absence is associated with a lot of negative effects not only to the country of concern but the neighboring countries and those who in one way or the other depend on the country. Iraq is a country that has suffered a lot as a result of political crisis which in return has undermined its functioning for instance in terms of economic growth and development since it becomes difficult to invest in such a situation and also most of the revenue end up being used in making the situation better rather than being utilized in development projects like improving the infrastructure hence pulling the countries development downwards. The political situation in Iraq has affected the gulf cooperation council (GCC) countries for instance Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UEA and Bahrain. The situation in Iraq has however been improved to some extent through the intervention of various groups that are all aimed at restoring peace in the country. This is nonetheless a justification that the country is in a good position currently and even in the future as the condition of the people in Iraq is faced with a lot of uncertainty due to the external forces that come in the name of assisting but in the long run end up not helping considerably as they have their hidden agenda. This has in a way contributed to an increased poverty level of the people. This paper looks into the diplomatic role of residual US forces in Iraq. Residual US Forces in Iraq Iraq is a country that has faced a lot of political instability especially after the war led by the US in the year 2003. The war was mainly aimed at destroying the society of Iraq through insecurity and lack of peace making the United States and other interested parties to easily gain access to the resources in the country especially the rich oil reserves. Since then, the political situation in the country has not been good which led to the signing of an agreement between the country and the US where the latter was to offer assistance in regard to restoring peace in Iraq through provision of security in the country by laying down particular strategies aimed at bringing the Iraqi people together and preventing any foreign or external attacks. The decision was made based on the United States’ capabilities in terms of equipment and military forces which could be of substantial help to the country. The agreement was also in favor of the United States as it could now have some access to the oil reserves which is a very good and reliable source of income. According to Christoff (9), the security agreement that was made between Iraq and the United States had no clearly stipulated conditions for the withdrawal of the residual forces towards the end of the year 2011. Change may therefore lead to some conflicts as the US may be forced to change it approaches in regard to maintaining peace and security in Iraq. The conditions for withdrawal of the forces from Iraq should be well understood to allow for effective campaign. The US residual forces were initially meant to facilitate the achievement of diplomatic conditions in relation to politics, security and the economy after which it would now withdraw having made sure that the situation is good rather than dwelling on time limit. If the United States was to meet these conditions fully, then it would be able to meet its strategic goal for Iraq which is to make the country federal, unified and democratic. This way, Iraq would be in a better position to coordinate, protect and sustain itself and become well positioned when it comes to dealing with issues like terrorism which has disturbed it to a great extent. The United States had good plans for Iraq and wanted to ensure that there is improved security which could be achieved by ensuring that the security forces in the country were well equipped through training, and improving the access and availability of services that are deemed to be of substantial importance to the people for instance reliable supply of electricity and clean water. In addition to this, the united states sought to promote the enactment of legislation that would in return facilitate national reconciliation for example laws that would ensure that there is fair and appropriate distribution of the revenues collected from the oil business and also handle amnesty issues. If all the above are to be achieved the country will not only attain security but also be in a better position to take control over its operations. It will be easier to carry out development projects and curb the poverty among the citizens. The approach was however changed later through the 2008 security agreement which replaced the conditions based strategic approach with the time based approach in regard to the withdrawal of the US forces mainly because the Iraq government did not accept the inclusion of the conditions. This changed the strategies that were initially set. Following this new approach, the residual US forces were to dwell outside Iraq’s cities, villages and localities by 30th June 2009. By the end of the year 2011, the forces are expected to have completely withdrawn from Iraq (Christoff 11). Residual forces can be defined as the unexhausted parts of the United States forces which in their own way have a potential to act immediately in the event of an emergency or even where there is continuous military operations. They are usually aimed at combating instances of military operations and are kept without utilization so that they can always be ready to assist. The residual US forces have been utilized in various nations especially those that are susceptible to political and other unrests to combat the issue and Iraq is one of the nations. Despite the impact the residual US forces has, there has been a lot of controversy in regard to the assistance they offer and where they should offer it. The fact that the US residual is to remain in Iraq for an unspecific period of time has also lead to heated debate in regard to how long the U.S. residual force should be in the country and how big the force should be. The U.S troops are known for staying in a country for a longer period of time than expected for instance they are still in countries like South Korea and Kosovo where instability ended long time ago hence their intention being questionable. According to Gearan (1), some of the U.S. forces were to remain in Iraq following president’s Barrack Obama’s promise to do away with the combat troops and they will still play a critical role that involves dealing with the suspected and identified terrorist in Iraq. Approximately 50,000 troops were too be used for the purpose of protection and security operations as well as cleanup. Plans are however underway to remove the troop by the year 2012 although some of the units could still be in Iraq for some years. The residual US force is charged with various responsibilities for instance carrying out some trainings activities and assisting the Iraqi forces in various operations and practices and protecting and safeguarding the Americans and all the United States assets and investments that are located in Iraq. Provision of counterterrorism operations is also a responsibility charged with the forces. Although the residual US forces have been staying in nations long after peace is restored, it is argued that even if Iraq is vulnerable to wars and there are frequent chances of violence, the US force will still not be required for the sake of peacekeeping in the country after the year 2011. This argument is based on the fact that the Iraq police and other forces will have been well equipped with the relevant skills and knowledge after the training they will have underwent courtesy of the United States troops. This is however a decision linked with a lot of uncertainty with the question of whether the Iraqi forces will be fully prepared to face the battle especially when it comes to counterterrorist aspects in the country. There is therefore a possibility that the status of the agreement made in regard to the forces will undergo some changes in terms of the time the US residual forces are to be in Iraq mainly due to the benefits of both the Iraqi country and the United States which is security and peace and the long term interest in the nation respectively. A suggestion of reducing the number of the United States residual forces as opposed to completely eliminating them come the end of the deadline which is the year 2011 is likely to get more support. The decision is to a great extent dependent on Iraqi’s government for instance its request for an extension of the period although the US interest on Iraq may also be a contributing factor. The united states especially under the governance of president Barrack Obama has focused on assisting Iraq through various campaigns that are aimed at bring to an end the Iraq war so that peace can totally prevail and hence help the country to take control over the essential projects for instance those aimed at bringing about development. The residual US force major role in Iraq is that of trying to maintain and restore peace in the country through imposition of proper policies and strategies. The United States being a superpower is also an added advantage in regard to the advancement in technology where it is able to offer support in times of war through use of sophisticated mechanism to cater for all forms of attacks for instance terrorism. This is an aspect that a country like Iraq cannot be able to deal with it by itself without some assistance. The training part undertaken by the Us force to the Iraqi forces is also of great importance as it helps the country to be in a better position in future as the problem of lack of skills will have been eliminated. The residual US forces are responsible for fulfilling various political roles in the particular country where they are sent as well as performing various military related missions. It is therefore important to consider this when making various decisions in regard to the need for the residual forces currently or even in the future with the US interests in mind. The residual US forces play a great role in the provision of security in Iraq hence reducing attacks from other nations especially through terrorism. They act as a bridge between Iraq and other nations and also help reinforcing the security system that is present. They help in maintaining law and order in Iraq and assessing the situation in the country so as to take necessary steps and also provide some advice to the various forces responsible for peacemaking and provision of security more especially the military forces. The presence of the residual US forces in Iraq is also associated with the encouragement of terrorism from other nations as many nations are not happy of the United States’ progress and are always on their toes to bring it down under all cost. However, the US forces try their best to counter this through application of their sophisticated technologies and their knowledge in regard to military missions. Another key contribution of the United States particularly through the residual US forces is the increment of the Iraq army and police force which brings about some hopes of security in the country since although not all are competent, they will with time be able to perfect their skills and become proficient. Every aspect has its positive and negative attributes as well as a time limit in which it can prevail after which its usefulness may be reduced. The United States residual forces in Iraq have been associated with notable positive impacts as mentioned earlier but it is as well deemed to assist since it has some interests in the country’s resources and may even want to be there longer due to the benefits accrued. Some of the achievements attained by the forces for instance the increment of the police and army forces are also not deemed to be of great significance since a very small percentage approximately 10 percent of the total units are capable of conducting operations independently without the need for assistance. The United States is expected to detach itself completely from Iraq by the end of year 2012 for instance through the exclusion of the military personnel which will in a way lead to the elimination of the operations costs that go hand in hand with the forces. Efforts have been made by various forces for instance the members of Congress and the defense analysts to bring the war in Iraq to an end so as to facilitate an easy withdrawal of the US forces from the country as the presence of war will always necessitate the US forces intervention. A contention is reached when it comes to the withdrawal of the US forces especially when it comes to the relocation of all the materials including equipment and supplies from Iraq back to the United States military bases since it is better if the process was to be gradual as opposed to when it carried out rapidly which may create some conflict as the two countries try to adapt to the changes. The ability of the Iraq government together with its military and security forces to take charge or control the political situation in the country is also a point of concern since their inability to do so may slow down the withdrawal of the residual US forces from the country (Elmendorf 6). There are various challenges that are associated with the withdrawal of the US forces from Iraq for instance the high costs of transportation of the personnel and more so the equipment with some of them being too bulky and heavy. The process is even complicated since the equipments and supplies cannot be moved directly to the US but have to pass to Kuwait for the purpose of processing prior to transportation to their destination. This may take a relatively long period of time and damages and losses may even occur in the course of transportation. Chances of the political situation getting worse in Iraq is also an issue that is expected as the Iraq’s security will be affected negatively and peace within the country is likely to deteriorate once other nations are aware of the US forces withdrawal. This will in return make the country susceptible to foreign attacks hence necessitating intervention by the US forces which may not be possible due to the inconveniences that will have been created by the relocation of the personnel and the army equipment. The best remedy could therefore be that of making sure that the security force in Iraq is well established before the residual US forces are completely withdrawn from the country. Another option could be the reduction of the US forces in the country rather than total elimination to ensure that there is substantial security at any given time (Elmendorf 27). Conclusion Peace is a very essential aspect to an individual, an organization or even a country and should be maintained. Some countries like Iraq may require some intervention, in terms of assistance, due to the persistence political instability which is usually as a result of internal and external forces. It is nonetheless an aspect that requires maximum security for it to prevail since peace and security are directly related. Peace is an element that goes hand in hand with development as it allows for smooth running of operations within a country and also attracts foreign investment as individuals and countries have confidence when security is guaranteed as opposed to where there is existence of political instability. The presence of the United States in Iraq through the residual forces is critical aspect and has brought about some substantial improvement in the country and their efforts cannot be underemphasized. This is because it has helps to cool down the crisis in Iraq where need arises. The issue of residual US forces has however been faced with a lot of controversy especially in regard to its withdrawal from Iraq where the fixed timeframe seems not to be appropriate with the main concern being whether Iraq will have stabilized to a point that it will be self sufficient by the end of year 2011. Works Cited Christoff, Joseph. Iraq: Key Issues for Congressional Oversight. USA: DIANE Publishing, 2010. Print Elmendorf, Douglas. Withdrawal of U.S. Forces from Iraq: Possible Timelines and Estimated Costs. USA: DIANE Publishing, 2009. Print Gearan, Anne. “U.S. To Leave Residual Force of 50,000 in Iraq after Pullout". Counter Currents, 2009. April, 5 2011 Read More