Calm
I don't think the choice is up to them.
I think it is up to Sistani how long they stay. Once the government he controls asks the US to leave they pretty much are forced to.
Though he will have them there as a stabilizing force and the visible target as long as he needs them.
Though I don't see it beyond the realm of possibility that once asked to leave that the Americans would move to "PROTECT AND LIBERATE" the Sunnis and/or Kurds from the "tyranny of the majority".
If one thing is learned by this outing into the Middle East it is that the US military really does not have an understanding of what the effects of their actions are going to be.
They look at military victory without understanding the social-economic-religious victory necessary to accompany it. IN this case Sistani took a US military victory and turned it into his social-religious victory,. And two out of three ain't bad.
I don't think the choice is up to them.
I think it is up to Sistani how long they stay. Once the government he controls asks the US to leave they pretty much are forced to.
Though he will have them there as a stabilizing force and the visible target as long as he needs them.
Though I don't see it beyond the realm of possibility that once asked to leave that the Americans would move to "PROTECT AND LIBERATE" the Sunnis and/or Kurds from the "tyranny of the majority".
If one thing is learned by this outing into the Middle East it is that the US military really does not have an understanding of what the effects of their actions are going to be.
They look at military victory without understanding the social-economic-religious victory necessary to accompany it. IN this case Sistani took a US military victory and turned it into his social-religious victory,. And two out of three ain't bad.