Some experts argue the United States intends to establish a long-term military foothold in Iraq to increase its influence in the region. The construction of a new $592 million embassy and four “enduring” military facilities confirm their suspicions. Yet others say the White House is merely responding to present security concerns and will pull out once the stability is achieved and some form of national-unity government is established. Lawrence Korb, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and Steven Metz, chairman of the regional strategy and planning department at the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute, debate the merits of keeping a longer-term military presence in Iraq.
Read the full debate here.