Quote Originally Posted by Steve Blair View Post
...why would a major US withdrawal make a difference in those conflict areas?
I just came across this to stress my point:

It's taken from the narrative by Shelby Foote on the US Civil War (Volume I, Page 65):
When a poor Virginian Private was taken prisoner by some Unionist soldiers he was asked, why he was fighting, as he obviously was not rich, owned no cotton farm, had no slaves and had really no need for upholding slavery.
He simply replied: "I am fighting, because you are down here."

So maybe if one would ask some jihadists in the Middle East today why they are fighting against the US troops there, they may simply reply: "We are fighting, because you are over here."

bruz