Flashback: Iraqi Referendum on U.S. Presence

US Army (USA) Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 3rd Infantry Division, board USA CH-47 Chinook helicopters at Forward Operation Base (FOB) Loyalty, Baghdad, Iraq, in preparation for a redeployment, after conducting missions during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Flickr photo by US Army Korea - INCOM. Iraq's parliament passed a law last week requiring a July 2009 referendum on the recently signed security pact outlining a timetable for a U.S. exit. The PCR Project was an early advocate of putting the decision over the future of the U.S. presence in Iraqi hands. In January 2005, Rick Barton, Bathsheba Crocker, and Craig Cohen suggested in a New York Times op-ed, "Should We Stay or Should We Go?", that the Iraqis hold a referendum on the issue:

When is the proper time, then, to withdraw the bulk of our 150,000 troops from Iraq? The answer does not lie in the corridors of Washington, but on the streets of Baghdad, Tikrit, Mosul and Falluja. The answer lies with the people of Iraq. As it now stands, there are three situations under which American forces could withdraw: we achieve our goals and depart in triumph; we are asked to leave by the Iraqi government; or we leave Iraq in chaos but spin it as a win. There are obstacles or drawbacks to all three. Achieving our goals may be impossible now with the current levels of insurgency and distrust. Iraqi leaders may be slow to show us the door if we are guaranteeing their security. Lowering our standard of success is unlikely to increase American credibility either at home or abroad. Why not let the Iraqis themselves decide? Ask Iraqi voters in a referendum six weeks after the national elections if they think foreign soldiers should withdraw immediately. Let the Iraqis debate what the absence of American forces will mean for their families and nation. Tell them we'll hold the referendum every nine months until they vote us out or we determine it's time to leave.