美国在伊拉克的持久利益[20070320].pdf

p o l i c y b r i e fenduring U.S.interests in iraq:The Three NosBy Michele Flournoy,President and Shawn Brimley,Associate FellowM A R C H 2 0,2 0 0 7 After four years of war,the U.S.debate on Iraq has of late been dominated by argu-ments over surges,benchmarks,timelines,and deadlines.Lost in this partisan debate is a largely accepted but often unarticulated truth shared by many Republicans and Democrats,including most leading presidential can-didates:Even as forces in Iraq are drawn down,the U.S.has enduring interests in that besieged country and the surround-ing region,and these interests will require a significant military presence therefor the foreseeable future.These vital long-term U.S.interests in Iraq can be boiled down to Three Nos:no regional war;no al Qaeda safe havens;and no genocide.No Regional War:The United States has an enduring interest in Iraqs internal chaos not triggering regional conflict,and in external actors not further exacerbating Iraqs civil war.No Al Qaeda Safe Havens:The U.S.has an enduring interest in preventing Iraq from resembling Afghanistan on September 10th,2001.No Genocide:The U.S.has an enduring interest in preventing genocide in Iraq.To secure