What if violence were to escalate after coalition troops are withdrawn?
According to former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and many other military experts, Iraq is already experiencing an internal war, and ethnic cleansing has already occurred in several areas.12 Nonetheless, it is always possible for the fighting to intensify even further. In the event of a worst-case scenario such as genocide, the expansion of al Qaeda in Iraq, or a conflagration in Iraqi Kurdistan, the best option would be to engage Iraq’s neighbors and allies in a coordinated political and economic effort to end the conflict. Failing that, it may be necessary to deploy an international peacekeeping force under the auspices of the United Nations, Arab League, or another multilateral party.
