Opinion (Ben Connable): Don't let Iraq collapse

WASHINGTON: Whatever the final prescription for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, the debate must include a sober look at the street-level impact. What will become of Iraqi villages, towns and cities as American forces pull out? Recent experience in Anbar Province may be instructive.

U.S. units have already withdrawn from the western Euphrates River valley — twice, in fact. As the insurgency heated up in early 2004, the 7th Marine Regiment pulled up stakes and went to fight insurgents in eastern Anbar, leaving the rest of the province in the hands of a battalion of troops. The Marines balanced obvious risk against the possible reward of overwhelming some of the insurgent groups in the east.

The consequences were immediate and bloody. Insurgents assumed control of several towns and villages. They tortured and executed police officers, local politicians, friendly tribal leaders and informants. They murdered contractors who had worked with the Americans or the Iraqi government. They tore down American-financed reconstruction projects and in a few cases imposed an extreme version of Islamic law. Many Iraqi military units collapsed in the absence of U.S. support.

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