<p>For those who have been following the Iraqi situation closely - what scenario would you envision if all U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq?</p>
<p>My understanding is that U.S. troops are living well fortified from the Iraqi population, venturing out only on heavily armed patrols where they are liable to attack.</p>
<p>Thus, their ability to protect Iraqis is severely compromised.</p>
<p>Would the situation in Iraq worsen if US troops withdrew? Or would the withdrawal remove a source of provocation which is adding to the violence?</p>
<p>[My musing generated by the following reading list: Night Draws Near, by Anthony Shadid, Prince of the Marshes by Rory Steward, Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, article on the Haditha massacre in Vanity Fair by William Langewiesche.]</p>