The New York Times claimed that in case the U.S. pulls out from Iraq, Iraq could be divided into three among the Sunnites, Shiites and Kurds, and as a result of this event, the neighbours, especially Iran and Turkey, would be pulled inside the country. Expressing that U.S. was not successful in Iraq and that more than 1000 U.S. soldiers were killed and continuing to be killed, the daily provided for also the following comment of Philip Gordon.

He said that Iraq would be worse than Afghanistan after Soviet Union due to its geostrategical importance and petroleum. He added that Lebanon's civil war dragged Syria along and the civil war to occur as a result of pullout of U.S. from Iraq would drag Iran and Turkey along.