Troops may withdraw from Iraq, but issues will remain

[unhappycamper]

Troops may withdraw from Iraq, but issues will remain
By James Warden, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, March 19, 2009

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi provincial elections passed in January with minimal violence. A withdrawal plan has been outlined. American troops will begin to leave Iraq this summer.

Others are headed for Afghanistan.

The trend seems clear: The Iraq war is destined to fade into the background, to the relief of many Americans.

But as the sixth year of the war comes to a close, Iraq still faces many hurdles, and the war’s place in history is far from clear. Before attention shifts completely to Afghanistan, it’s worth asking questions that many take for granted: Is Iraq really less important? What is being left behind?

Iraq’s regional role

Iraq is at the center of a precarious regional balance. The country marks the border between Shiite countries like Iran and Sunni countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Iraq itself is dominated by Shiites, although it has long been ruled by its Sunni minority.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=61435