Last week’s votes made it clear that liberals in Congress have no qualms about micromanaging the war instead of letting commanders on the ground issue the orders. They would just as soon walk away from Iraq, setting the stage for a humanitarian disaster.

This week promises more of the same in the Senate. Facing demands from their antiwar base to bring a quick end to the war, liberals are willing to give up the fight against terrorists on their main battlefield.

While I certainly understand the American public’s growing weariness about Iraq, pulling out U.S. troops now would present the worst possible scenario. Al Qaeda is a serious threat and, according to a classified report in the news last week, is growing in power. Handing the country over to terrorists not only would undermine the fledgling government but also create tremendous instability. If the situation in Iraq is bad today, just imagine how disastrous it would be with al Qaeda in charge.

Giving up the effort in Iraq would bolster our enemies and give them time to build dangerous alliances, creating a more complex scenario for our military in the years to come. What’s worse is the potential for a regional conflict that would consume the already volatile Middle East.

This short-sighted view -- whether from liberals or conservatives -- poses a great threat to America. If we’re going to keep the battle off our soil, abandoning Iraq is the wrong approach to take.