The Iraq Study Group Report

Last month, I read a newspaper article about the death of Sgt. Michael Tayaotao who was serving his third tour of duty in Iraq. He was a local boy, graduating high school the same year I did from the school across town.

Reading about Tayaotao's death made me remember that thousands of families have lost family members. As of today, there have been 3,754 confirmed US deaths in Iraq and 44,729 Iraqi deaths (the number of Iraqi deaths reflects only those deaths reported by news agencies, so the actual number is much higher). Also, 27,186 US soldiers have been wounded so far.

This weekend, I read The Iraq Study Group Report in an effort to gain a better understanding of the situation. The Report gives an overview of what's going on and also includes 79 specific recommendations for "moving forward." I feel more informed, although I know that this 96-page report is simple and just the tip of the iceberg. It made me realize that it's not just a black and white choice between "staying the course" or withdrawing troops.

I encourage you to read this. There's no way you could read this and not come away better informed.

An excerpt:

"While it is clear that the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq is moderating the violence, there is little evidence that the long-term deployment of U.S. troops by itself has led or will lead to fundamental improvements in the security situation. It is important to recognize that there are no risk-free alternatives available to the United States at this time. Reducing our combat troop commitments in Iraq, whenever that occurs, undeniably creates risks, but leaving those forces tied down in Iraq indefinitely creates its own set of security risks" (Baker, 2006).