American troops are in the middle of a geopolitical power struggle that's incubated since the end of World War I when the Ottoman Empire was dismantled. Oblivious to ethnic boundary delineations that have existed for over a thousand years, Allied powers drew lines randomly in the sand, dividing clans and corraling mixed bags of ideologies, ethnicities, and religious beliefs into a common holding pen that today we call "Iraq".  

In the wake of Hussein's fall, clans rival for control and expansion of ancient borders; religious factions fight (in the name of God) for control of religious sites; governments vie for control of oil-rich lands. These are not OUR ancient borders. These are not OUR religious sites. These are not OUR oil-laden lands. Yet, ironically, the United States's troops have become the single buffer between the Arab, Persian, and Kurdish factions who opportunistically want to rip each other apart in the power vacuum that WE created! Why is it in our best interest to stop THEIR war that is destined to happen? Why is it the job of American men and women to force peace in a region that doesn't want peace? This region needs to duke it out and we need to let them!  

There are moments in history when diplomacy is not a sustainable solution. There are moments in history when we need to stand back and let the most passionate and strongest group win! The United States cannot command permanent law and order in this chaotic region. IT'S NOT OUR LAND and we have absolutely no appreciation for the passions and emotions driving these people. By staying entrenched on their soil, embroiled in battles we don't fully understand, we continue to demonstrate our ignorance as a nation and exacerbate hatred towards America that LEADS to events like 9/11. Our presence as "peace keepers" in this region -- after lighting the powder keg! -- is NOT securing America's future safety. It's threatening it.  

At this moment, the United States should be building relationships with the rest of the world in a proactive effort to prevent the inevitable Middle East war from spilling over into WW III. As we defiantly stand like child monkies in the middle of this mess, the rest of the world has turned their backs on us, shaking their heads and clucking their tongues. NOW is the time to "let go", withdraw, and let events unfold as they will.
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A tirade against the Democratic party's surrender to the President on war funding by MSNBC's Keith Olbermann

Fight for Iraq: A Regional Powerplay by NBC News correspondent Richard Engel