Putting aside discussions about the military occupation of Iraq, will we turn our backs on them in other ways should we strategically pull out in the months ahead? In a new report by the medical charity Medact, it is asserted that Iraqis face the prospects of "poorer health for generations [to come] as a result of the war".
Medical charity Medact says this year's conflict disrupted immunisation programmes and destroyed water systems, increasing levels of disease.
Continuing insecurity in Iraq, along with the breakdown of public health services, are exacerbating the problem.
Entitled Continuing Collateral Damage: the health and environmental costs of war on Iraq, the report estimates that between 22,000 and 55,000 people - mainly Iraqi soldiers and civilians - died as a direct result of the war.
Before any decisions are made about leaving Iraq to the resistance, who do not have the welfare of everyday Iraqis in mind, we should at least examine our responsibility for managing the health crisis we've caused. In my mind, we are responsible, and thus need to make whatever concessions are necessary to get the world on board in Iraq.
The world doesn't want to see Iraq fail, and the fate of the everyday Iraqi surely hangs in the balance. Will they get healthcare if the U.S. retreats and the world stands aside? Surely the security situation wouldn't improve fast enough for international aid agencies to get back to work in Iraq promptly.
The dogs of war are unleashed. No matter your opinion of the war, the hounds must be sensibly regathered and secured, if worst-case scenarios and disasters upon the innocent are to be avoided.
