Iraq and the US - The View from Singapore

Lee Kuan Yew wrote an op-ed piece, The Cost Of Retreat In Iraq, awhile ago in The Washington Post. Considering how Iraqis seem to ignore the Prince of Crawford, Texas' pronouncements that things are getting quieter and his surge is working, I think this piece still has something to say.

Iraq is a key issue in the U.S. presidential campaign. Whether to maintain the U.S. presence in Iraq is for Americans to decide. But the general assumption has been that the only question to be resolved is the timing and manner of the withdrawal of American forces.

The costs of leaving Iraq unstable would be high. Jihadists everywhere would be emboldened. I have met many Gulf leaders and know that their deep fear is that a precipitate U.S. withdrawal would gravely jeopardize their security.

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"The United States clearly cannot stay in Iraq alone. America needs a coalition. This will require a more multilateral approach, which in turn requires clarity and a close examination of the strategic stakes. The domestic American debate on Iraq affects world public opinion and thus the political viability and sustainability of any multinational coalition."