WI: The Democrats pull the plug on the Iraq war in 2006

What if after they retook congress the Democrats cut off funding to the Iraq war (minus whatever expenses required for exfil)
 
So in other words, a repeat of what they did to 'Nam under Ford? That would undo Clinton's work in undoing that legacy.
 
Well, at the time although the war was very unpopular, I don't think a full pullout on short notice was considered a popular option even then. Even today I still am not sure that a majority of Americans would support just pulling the plug vietnam style.

that being said, if such a thing happened, you would probably be looking at Iraq turning into another middle eastern shithole within a few years, probably something akin to how Yemen looks today. The central government will probably sink further and further into corruption, and the iraqi military and police forces will be horribly deficient to deal with insurgency in the country (not entirely sure if they are even up to the task today). The Kurds will probably start a seperatist movement once it becomes clear that Bagdad will be unable to handle the job of running the country even on the basic level. If things get bad enough you may even see some of Iraq's neighbors launching military actions into the country to deal with instability, though that would probably require a really bad worst case scenario to develope.
 
I very seriously doubt the Dems would have the will, even knowing that the same tactic was what successfully pushed Nixon to leave Vietnam and that the public supported that, just as they'd support an early end to the war.

Fox and co would throw a fit, using the same "stab in the back" narrative first used by certain Germans to explain away the end of WWI. A lot would depend on how Bush and Cheney try to deal with the cuts. Do they use the issue to score points in 08? Or do they go ahead and buy off the Iraqi militias to stop fighting as they did IOTL?

Iraq would actually have been far better off with US troops gone but the militias bought off. The people and govt haven't wanted US troops there for several years, because if anything they destabilize the country.
 
I wonder if Obama vs McCain emerges under this scenario... if the manifest troubles in Iraq have allready been delt with an no more funding is being allowed to the enterprise other issues would be far more previlent than foriegn policy and overseas deployments

might it instead go to a Romney vs Clinton or Romney Obama type situation
 
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