|
I find it interesting that conservatives feel the need to lecture about how long this war will take when they were saying that it would be quick and easy, shock and awe, and roses and celebrations. I remember telling all the pro-war hawks leading up to the invasion that the US be there for decades if they made this mistake but they all thought the war in Kuwait would equal the war in Iraq. Simply amazing. The pro-war hawks who predicted an easy go of it, the neocons who endorsed these views and conservatives are not synonymous factions. Regardless of any other arguments, I supported the return to Iraq simply to correct the wrong we did in the first war. It was reprehensible for us to leave the first war unresolved for a decade, and although Sadaam pulled the trigger, the US bears a share of responsibility for the death and starvation he was allowed to cause in the years between the two wars. All I have heard from the very beginning was how long and difficult the war on terrorism would be. As for the war in Iraq, within a week or two the media started talking about a quagmire and then a few weeks later Baghdad fell. So the war against Iraq was about as short and sweet as they come. But now we are back fighting the war on terror while at the same time trying to prop up a fledgling government. And that is two difficult jobs at the same time which WON'T go away just because we leave and allow a slaughter. I remember telling all the pro-war hawks leading up to the invasion that the US be there for decades if they made this mistake but they all thought the war in Kuwait would equal the war in Iraq.The effort to chase Saddam (or his thug army) back to Baghdad was meant to remove him from neighboring Kuwait, which he meant he take as part of Iraq, Not too mention that Kuwait is a very wealthy country. As we all know, Iraq was not up to the challenge of Americas military and firepower- the losses on the road to retreat were staggering. The targets and objectives were very easy to identify and remove. Iraq today, on the other hand, has no such unifiormed army or easily i... The war was not short and sweet, the war continues. The war you got was what W's father was well aware of would happen, a protracted guerrilla war in a city of millions. I think one of the most under or unreported aspects of the US withdrawal is that non of the plans call for leaving a power vacuum. All the plans I have reviewed call for a regional conference to recruit the area's Muslim countries to supply peace keeping troops (50% of all troops) joined with UN peace keeping troops funded by the US. I have yet to see one that proposes a total power vacuum. Regardless of any other arguments, I supported the return to Iraq simply to correct the wrong we did in the first war. It was reprehensible for us to leave the first war unresolved for a decade, and although Sadaam pulled the trigger, the US bears a share of responsibility for the death and starvation he was allowed to cause in the years between the two wars.Those are exatcly my views. What made it even worse was how we told to Iraqis to rise up against Saddam and if they did we would support them militarily, after they did rise up we backed out. They were then slaughtered, not just those that rose up but thier families and even entire villages. Instead we then push for sancti... What made it even worse was how we told to Iraqis to rise up against Saddam and if they did we would support them militarily, after they did rise up we backed out. They were then slaughtered, not just those that rose up but thier families and even entire villages. Instead we then push for sanctions to implement a policy of containment leading to the starvation of hundreds of thousnads according to Unicef. All the while Saddam sits in power bribing UN officals and making billions while his people starve.POPPED - for those comments alone (althugh others were good as well) The dominant media of the United States has been creating their own version of the liberation of Iraq since Day 1. They've pulled every negative aspect, no matter how small, and blown it out of proportion. They've presented their hypotheses either as an anticipated or concluded fact; often without evidence. How many stories over the last several years have been retracted or clarified? Many. But no one pays attention to the retractions or the false premises. It's a pitiful day in American history when it's soldiers have to beg their fellow citizens to support them and their mission. Once again, I don't think you support your troops by putting them in harms way for a mission of Bush's own making that was not critical to US security. Once again, I don't think you support your troops by putting them in harms way for a mission of Bush's own making that was not critical to US security.How many hundreds of thousands of Iraqis was it necessary to allow Sadaam to murder and starve -- because of the precarious position into which placed them during the 90s -- before the war would have been justified in your eyes? The war was not short and sweet, the war continues.The war against Iraq is long over. It was much shorter and much less costly than almost anyone thought it would be. I still remember those against the war telling us how we would lose 5,000 US troops within the first few months and how the press was crying quagmire within weeks. But we are still years away from that 5k mark (assuming no improvements whatsoever), and Saddam's army is gone. We are now fighting the war on terror, and one way or another we will continue to fight that war no matter what we chose to do in Iraq. It is just a matter of are we going to fight it on offense or defense. Try to define it anyway you want your still fighting the Baathists and others who disappeared into the wood work. If you want to divide it into components a traditional war and then guerilla warfare then go ahead. I'm reminded of "that depends on what the definition of is is". Your circle is getting smaller and smaller. Republican senators are getting fed up with the war in Iraq also. We are mostly fighting terrorists in Iraq. If you don't want to believe it, fine. Maybe it will take us pulling out and the war coming to our shores to wake people up. The Iraqis are turning around. They are fighting on our side more and more. The terrorists have stepped up their killing to try their best to turn this back in their favor and people like you are doing nothing but helping them. The only ones who can defeat our military now are the politicians in Washington and those who support their plan for defeat. And that would be 65% of us today, the part that I will call America, who do not support the way that George Bush handles Iraq. Link Just because we don't support George Bush and Dick Cheney's methodology does not mean we expect nothing to be done. There is a difference between objecting to GW's handling of the Iraq War (I would be in that 64% and would also add that I am discouraged by his ineptness for making the case for continuing the war) and thinking the job is done, thus we can come home. No one says the job is done, far from it. We'll be repairing the damage to our reputation for decades for having started this war. All the democratic plans I have read call for a replacement of our forces with a combined UN and Muslim contingent from the region. It is not a total power vacuum being left behind. |
View the Top Clips from May 13, 2007
Embed This Clip In Your Site...
|
|
|
|
