Libertarian Barr urges Iraq withdrawal

ATLANTA, June 3 (UPI) -- Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr said Tuesday that the United States should publicly declare it won't establish permanent military bases in Iraq.

The former Republican congressman from Georgia said in a written statement that Iraqis want the United States out in the near future, and remaining in Iraq indefinitely would be a waste of lives and money.

"Now is the time to accelerate the turnover of full security authority to the Iraq government, since only when we leave will they have an incentive to take the tough steps necessary to meet their nation's many challenges," Barr said.

Barr also said a prompt U.S. withdrawal was "no knock against America's brave fighting men and women," but was a timely idea given the recent downturn in the level of violence.