i am in the army and all we are doing here is babysitting the iraqi army until they can handle they're country on thier own
126655
Humanitarian intervention was supposed to have gone the way of the 1990s. The use of military force across borders to stop mass killing was seen as a luxury of an era in which national security concerns among the major powers were less pressing and problems of human security could come to the fore. Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, Sierra Leone—these interventions, to varying degrees justified in humanitarian terms, were dismissed as products of an unusual interlude between the tensions of the Cold War and the growing threat of terrorism. September 11, 2001 was said to have changed all that, signaling a return to more immediate security challenges. Yet surprisingly, with the campaign against terrorism in full swing, the past year or so has seen four military interventions that are described by their instigators, in whole or in part, as humanitarian.\n\nIn principle, one can only welcome this renewed concern with the fate of faraway victims. What could be more virtuous than to risk life and limb to save distant people from slaughter? But the common use of the humanitarian label masks significant differences among these interventions. The French intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo, later backed by a reinforced U.N. peacekeeping presence, was most clearly motivated by a desire to stop ongoing slaughter. In Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, West African and French forces intervened to enforce a peace plan but also played important humanitarian roles. (The United States briefly participated in the Liberian intervention, but the handful of troops it deployed had little effect.) All of these African interventions were initially or ultimately approved by the U.N. Security Council. Indeed, in each case the recognized local government consented to the intervention, though under varying degrees of pressure.\n\nBy contrast, the United States-led coalition forces justified the invasion of Iraq on a variety of grounds, only one of which—a comparatively minor one—was humanitarian. The Security Council did not approve the invasion, and the Iraqi government, its existence on the line, violently opposed it. Moreover, while the African interventions were modest affairs, the Iraq war was massive, involving an extensive bombing campaign and some 150,000 ground troops.\n\nThe sheer size of the invasion of Iraq, the central involvement of the world’s superpower, and the enormous controversy surrounding the war meant that the Iraqi conflict overshadowed the other military actions. For better or for worse, that prominence gave it greater power to shape public perceptions of armed interventions said by their proponents to be justified on humanitarian grounds. The result is that at a time of renewed interest in humanitarian intervention, the Iraq war and the effort to justify it even in part in humanitarian terms risk giving humanitarian intervention a bad name. If that breeds cynicism about the use of military force for humanitarian purposes, it could be devastating for people in need of future rescue.\n\nHuman Rights Watch ordinarily takes no position on whether a state should go to war. The issues involved usually extend beyond our mandate, and a position of neutrality maximizes our ability to press all parties to a conflict to avoid harming noncombatants. The sole exception we make is in extreme situations requiring humanitarian intervention.\n\nBecause the Iraq war was not mainly about saving the Iraqi people from mass slaughter, and because no such slaughter was then ongoing or imminent, Human Rights Watch at the time took no position for or against the war. A humanitarian rationale was occasionally offered for the war, but it was so plainly subsidiary to other reasons that we felt no need to address it. Indeed, if Saddam Hussein had been overthrown and the issue of weapons of mass destruction reliably dealt with, there clearly would have been no war, even if the successor government were just as repressive. Some argued
597624
Pancha,\n\nI have never agreed with a word you have said on this website, but I can answer this question for you. Don't listen that ***** enlightenment. That is the dumbest crock of sh*t I have ever heard. MOST vets will tell you that there time in the military was extremely rewarding and taught them many life skills. Everything I have in this world, I owe to the skills the Army taught me. The friends you make will be lifelong, and the bond you share will be unparalleled - especially if you deploy to Iraq with them.\n\nWe in the National Guard have a saying: If you haven't been to Iraq yet, you will be going soon. The figure is close to 75% of all National Guard members nationwide have been to Iraq. I am getting ready to go again in October.\n\nService in Iraq is not ANYTHING like the liberal media would have you believe. It is statistically the safest war the United States has ever deployed anyone to. With over 500,000 military members having gone and around 2400 have died, that means you have a 99.9942% chance of making it back to the United States alive. Pretty damn good odds in this soldiers book.\n\nWe are doing a lot of good things over there that you NEVER hear about.\n\n* The media would have you believe that everyday Iraqis don't want us there. Nothing could be further from the truth. They want us to finish the job and leave when it is done - not sooner.\n* The media would have you believe that Iraq is close to civil war. Again, this is untrue. The violence is merely painted in such a way as to give that illusion. Most Iraqis want peace and the opportunity to succeed - NOT civil war.\n* The media would have you believe there is a deadly "insurgency" in Iraq. By definition, an insurgency is filled with citizens of an occupied nation. Iraq is not occupied, and the "insurgents" are all from other countries. My unit was responsible for transporting prisoners last year and 95% of all detainees captured were from Saudi Arabia or Jordan or Syria or Egypt or Yemen or a host of other countries. Most speak English very well (a tip off right there that they are not Iraqi) and will tell you that most of the "insurgents" are foreign.\n\nDuty in Iraq is not bad, and most find it very rewarding. Many of the Guardsmen from my unit who just returned at the beginning of this year have volunteered to go back in October.\n\nHow soon after your Basic Combat Training (BCT or just Basic) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) might you go? Depends on your unit. If they have not gone to Iraq or not gone in a while, they may be going soon. It is also possible you could get assigned to go with another unit if they need your Military Occupational Specialty (MOS - your job). This is the absolute WORST scenario. You would rather go with people you know, people you trust with your life. So, I guess the answer is you might get tapped to go just weeks after you graduate Basic and AIT or you might never go.\n\nEither way, good luck.\n\nm1a1mikegolf - Actually, you are incorrect. EVERY enlistment is for eight years. If Pancha signs for three years, five years will be done in the IRR (Individual Ready Reserve). This means that while she is not actively drilling with the National Guard, she is still subject to recall. But, yes, she can do a three year enlistment and then leave the Guard.
199839
The military is supposed to be self supporting.Set up so that all jobs that need to be done were done by military trained personnel.Although there are still people trained in all MOS's here in IRAQ civilians run the show when it comes to non combat duties freeing the soldiers for patrols,cordon and search and other dangerous jobs.I personally am glad the civilians are here doing what they are doing.No way would i want to be cleaning latrines,picking up trash and other menial labor jobs.\n  It is true that some of the jobs that civilians do should be done by soldiers such as driving trucks on convoys.A soldier  rank of specialist (pay grade E-4) makes around 35 grand yearly depending on marital status and dependants compared to 100 grand for a civilian doing the same job.A civilian doing HVAC will make anywhere from 80grand to 150 grand a year depending on experience while a sgt.pay grad e-5 doing the same job as his or her MOS makes 40 grand.I do not have civilians telling me how to do my job (base security),but they do tell us where we live what we can have in our living quarters and so on.It is my personal belief that NO civilians should be here and swallow my pride when it comes to cleaning latrines and such.During a war civilians need and should be at home where they belong.\n    There are two types of civilians working for the military here in IRAQ KBR and TCN's.TCN's(third country nationals)are laborers they work long hours for little money (by our standards).KBR kellog, brown and root are the specialty workers taking military jobs from the soldiers.These people are supposed to be good at what they do and by what i've seen they are not(that's not to say all are not good at what they do).The minimum a KBR worker makes is 80 grand tax free a year.Example = The area we live in has four generators to provide electricity they are supposed to run in sync so that when one gets overloaded or runs too long another starts up and takes over.The KBR rep. is supposed to know how to make them run in sync,but so far he has not been able to make this happen.When we first got here in july of '05 our power was going out on a daily basis.In 140 degree heat it got very hot very quick.this man makes 8 grand a month and is unable to figure out the problem.The solution? Get a bigger generator so he doesn't have to figure it out.If it was military personell doing this job it would not have cost american tax payers one millon dollars for a new generator the soldiers would be on it night and day until the problem was solved.The kbr person would stop working when it got dark and not worried about it until the next morining.Please understand I am not complaining about our living conditions here.I am an army soldier and can and will adapt to the situation,but if the convenience is available make it work as it should or get rid of the problem = KBR.
607426
I honestly think the Military have been too patient for too long. Glad Im not Prime Minister as I would have levelled the place long ago.\n\nI realise war is not fair but the Iraqi people play upon our humanity very unfairly. We have been trying to help them against their own government/leaders and give them the freedom, education, rights, basics and respect that any human deserves and they repay our soldiers/troops with women and children acting as innocent civillians with bombs strapped to their chests and suicide bomb us. Thats just total bullsh*t! Those people are nothing but savages. Its not worth risking our troops lives for them.\n\nI would have either given all the Iraqi, Iranian, Afghanistan and any other nutty Muslim based country heaps of guns and ammunition and let them shoot themselves to death till theres only one left standing and go in and put that one out of its misery or just press the button that levels the area altogether.\n\nWhat a complete waste of time, money and human life this war has caused us (our Government, our troops, our families and our loss of loved ones!)
192186
over my dead body what the hell are we supposed to do sit back and take this crap we cant even take care of our own race never mind anyone Else's i am disabled and we don't get that much my husband had to give up work to look after me he worked all his life to start keeping a bunch of no hope rs trust TONY BLAIR he should go live with his pal in the states GET ALL ILLEGALLY IMMIGRANTS OUT AND START TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN OH I BETTER STOP
380389
Arcane are you  crazy?  Their are a lot more modernized middle eastern countries that Iraq.  I have been to a couple different countries and I saw nothing that even Iraq.  You need to know what you are talking about before you start saying stuff like that.  One other thing I want to tell you about.  If the Iraqis didn't want us there all they had to do is run us out,  but they are going through what we did  in our civil war, Losing life's, homes, family and what not they know that it is a necessary evil but most of them are ready for a change.  There have been more business open up in the last year than any other year in their history.  Soon as they can show that their military is able and willing we will be out but no sooner.  It would be a disgrace to the US and its people if we left now and let total hell rain down upon them.
460897
Just because their helping to make decisions does not not mean there doing their part to contribute. You are hearing more on the news about US and Brit soldiers being killed. If they want to give advise on things should be done then they need to get their butts out there in the sandbox and play too.
301976
If you have to ask that question our troops are doing their jobs...
80857
Wait to US is finished with Iraq and make it a true democracy then maybe we will do the same for your country, what ever it is, God bless and good luck
78145
What do you think we'd do? They can't beat us on their home ground let alone in 48 contiguous states! We'd kick their A$$es! Anyway, we have nothing against them now. I would hate that it would happen but if you were an Iraqi soldier would you want to fight us, especially on our turf? Come on! If it were to happen our Marines and Army would be scraping them up off the bottom of their shoes! I don't mean to sound American egotistical but I do know that we have one of the finest, most well trained military in the world. It wouldn't last too long, I guarantee it because what the military might miss, our American citizens would take up the slack to defend our own. I would gladly become part of a militia to protect my country from things like that. I wouldn't think twice about it. I'd be there next to my American brethren in no time because this country and it's people are more precious to me than life itself, and I'd never turn my back on them.
623623
i think the iraqi army should start taking over. thats why they were established right?
645982
yes i live in Iraq and it seems like its been going on for years now
590526
We have groups out there whose sole (and stated) purpose is to kill us. If they aren't stopped there won't be anyone starving here. There won't be anyone here unless you wear a turbin and use a prayer rug. It's kind of like the highschool bully who wants to take the lunch money you wanted to give your friend. You have to deal with the bully or you nor your friend will eat lunch....but the bully doesn't just want the money. He wants to kill you both and has said so.\nThe vast majority of the Iraqi people want us there and the troops volunteered to be there. I see no problem here.\n\n'nam vet
630653
are you in the military? obviously not....youll never understand what we do....and thats a good thing....
459799
We went to 'topple Saddam'. We did that. Now we are trying to run the affairs of a country we never really knew anything about.\nIt is time to pull the troops to the borders, secure them and let the Iraqis "duke it out" whom will be in power.
379249
it appears we have another Hanoi Jane on our hands.or another Tokyo rose,don't kid your selves the American troops are in Iraq and they are doing the job they are supposed to do, so don't try spreading this kind of junk around it won't work as any one who has been in the military will know different, maybe some of these Lilli livered civilians will believe it but not many of them Will, at least not the real men, and this wussies Capt should be relieved of command if she made such a statement, and will be. war is not for the wussies unless it comes home then even the wussies will learn to fight or die,and if we don't win in Iraq then they will be here for us to fight on our own soil, our people know this so make up your mind do you want to fight them there or here one thing is for sure we will fight them,they have already attacked America several times will your kids or parents wife , girl Friend or you  be killed in the next attack?keep listening to these shit heads and you will get the opportunity to fight here,\nso call your congress man and demand that we let our men fight these monsters there on their own ground and kill their own people not ours,and to the hell with P.C. lets kick some butt ,
414844
Yeah, and why do they wish to stay there to finish their mission so that more Iraq children can be safe?  If they just up and leave, there will be no hope for those children.  I pity the closed-minded people who think that it is our soldiers who are rampantly killing those children and adults.