The United States is formally committed to withdrawal from Iraq, although how definitively and under what conditions is unclear. Both supporters and opponents of the war and occupation are debating scenarios ranging from, on the one hand, “staying the course” or even enlarging, at least temporarily, the U.S. commitment, to, on the other, a strategic withdrawal hewing to a firm schedule.

Each of these alternatives involves grave risks and poses major moral questions. What moral principles and obligations, based on what ethical and/or religious sources, should guide policy makers and citizens choosing among any of these possibilities or among the more fine-grained alternatives that will be confronted along the way?

In the midst of a robust and conflicted debate that is taking place on the political and military issues at stake in Iraq, this conference will focus on the less frequently addressed moral questions, and attempt to advance the discussion of the morality of post-intervention U.S. policy regarding Iraq and the morality governing military occupations and withdrawal generally.