The average American doesn’t look in-depth at the issue. Many in our country do not support the war and desire a speedy pullout of troops.

Regardless of your feelings about the president or the current administration, our troops should come first.

Any decision made should be in their best interest as well as that of our country.

Therefore, it is clear to me that it is in the best interest of our troops and our country to stay in Iraq until there is stability and the Iraqi government is in control of its country.

While I may seem like just another conservative trying to convince people why the war is a good thing, I’d much rather have you realize that simply withdrawing all troops from Iraq would hurt us in the long run.

I ask that you please put aside the way you felt about the United States going into Iraq in the first place and focus more on what effect a U.S. troop withdrawal would have — not only on the region but also on future U.S. foreign policy.

One scenario that could result from a complete withdrawal of troops is the formation of a more dangerous terrorist hot spot, which is possibly a place where al-Qaida and other sympathizers to the jihadist militant group could further organize against the U.S. and our way of life.

This threat would reverse any progress we have made to free the Middle East of terrorism.

Another scenario would see a complete take over of the country by its fundamentalist neighbor Iran, whose “President” Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a man of radical religious and political ideas, including the complete denial of the Holocaust.

Clearly, he didn’t take any history classes.

The entire Iranian military at his control is frightening enough, but including Iraq and the insurgency embedded there make for one frightening power, a power that could control a large part of the region.

And that thought should be enough to scare anyone.

The third scenario would see the entire country fall into anarchy, destabilizing the region and possibly leading to intensified religious war between the Sunni and Shia sects of Islam.

This potential escalation in the Sunni and Shia conflicts would be without borders, spanning throughout the entire Muslim world.

While these three scenarios are not the only possible problems that could spawn from a U.S. withdrawal, they are three of the most troublesome to our future as Americans.

All three would completely and negatively transform the Middle East into an even scarier place with more fighting and jihadist militant ideals.

If this happens, it certainly would necessitate a return of U.S. forces in the future.

While we think the war is terrible now with some 3,700 or more U.S. casualties, just imagine how deadly and dangerous it will be in 10 years when we are forced to go back in and fight a strengthened, more organized enemy.

Not only is that a problem we should not have to endure, but we are there now. This means this is something the U.S. can and is taking care of right now.

All three of the listed scenarios would likely call for future intervention by the United States and would throw the Middle East into turmoil, causing the deaths of thousands more innocent civilians.

Backing out now might save more Americans, however, that solution is only temporary.

We have to finish the job, and that cannot happen if we up and leave right now.

Eric Thieleman is a State News columnist and member of MSU College Republicans and Young Americans for Freedom. Reach him at thielem4@msu.edu.