We are there and can't undo that what has already happened, but what now? Many people want us to just pull out. Others support the war and want to stay. Still a third group thinks the war is wrong but that we would to too much dammage by just pulling out and we have to stay to clean up the mess we made. What is your stand?
199606
you can't just invade a country, blow up their infrastructure, destroy their government and military, and then leave when the situation gets too sticky. the US should have seen this coming from a mile away, and should never have invaded in the first place, but now that they have, they need to deal with the problem rather than turning tail and running. unfortunately, as always, it's the poor - the american soldiers and the iraqi civilians - who are paying the price, while those responsible for this mess are unscathed, and most are profiting from it. \n\nthere's just no easy answer to this one, and, though i hate to see more soldiers die for this, i think leaving now will only make the situation worse, and moreover would be the least moral thing to do to a country that the US is now responsible for. abandonment is not the answer. \n\nimpeaching bush would be a good start, though.
332645
Blah. I wonder this myself constantly.\n\nI personally believe no good will come out of this. I was discussing this with my American History professor, and she and I agree: this war is just another Vietnam. It started as a civil war Americans had no right involving themselves with, and now it has become extremely long and an absolute waste of our time.\n\nI absolutely hate people who say "It's for their own good; I know THEY don't think so, but it is." Who are we to decide what's best for others? Just because it works well for us (SUPPOSEDLY) it is the SUPREME form of government?! We are not those people's parents, their mother, their father, to determine what is best for them. We are a Super Power, yes, but we are not in control of other human's lives. There is nothing about Americans that makes us superior to Iranians, to Russians, to Australians, to anyone. \n\nIf our economy is rising, it is because we're producing machines for war. That's the concept plus Keynesian "priming the pump" that got us out of the Great Depression. And then, of course, the economy went into a slump afterward, so there you go. \n\nPeople believe this is a moral war. All it's doing is making forgein peoples hate us more for the common American attitude of superiority and "city on a hill"ishness from the Puritanical days. It's creating tension that doesn't need to be there that will hurt us and many people in the near future. We aren't "defending democracy." We aren't trying to "free" the Iranians. It's all a load of self-interest and a fake sense of superiority. \n\nI doubt Americans have any intention of paying for this war or any of their other debts. Most large powers don't. We learned before WWII not to demand repayment such as war reparations, because those played a large part of getting us into that particular war. \n\nAlso, I heard on NPR that Bush was thinking of changing the name from the "War on Terror" to the "Long War." \n\n"Blind patriotism." My thoughts exactly. Anyone who will follow something so blindly as to refuse to see the reality that the people Bush is making into our "enemy" are humans just like us is an idiot and should be ashamed of themselves. \n\nYes, at one point in time there WERE "weapons of mass destruction." Bush Senior gave them to them because they were afraid of being invaded by their neighbors. The U.S. had and has oil interests there and needed to preserve them, and so President Bush Senior gave them those weapons. U.S.-crafted. That is factual.\n\nBut whether or not they existed when our present President went in to look for them is VERY dubious. I and many intellectuals I know, some of them conservative while I am liberal, agree with me that it was a matter of oil interests. America hasn't been an independent oil-supply for a very long time now, and we are a highly mobile society. Hence there is a problem. \n\nFrance used to respect the U.S., during JFK’s presidency in the Cuban Missile Crisis, because it was its belief that we would never invade a country without solid proof. Do you see what has happened to America? In just forty short years, considering we are already such a young country, our foreign policy has turned from a very loved president’s, JFK’s, to George W. Bush’s aggressive, half-cocked launching of human beings blinded by patriotism for oil interests.
638327
No.  we can't just pull out of Iraq before its own government is stable.  Then it would be another Vietnam.  If we just pick up and leave, the country will turn into a police state, much like Somalia did during the Clinton administration.
286756
Illegal war or not, we have made a mess and we need to help clean it up and finish the job. There are people over there who need to be protected so that they can form a just and fair government of their choosing and to have a chance at a better life. \n\nShould we have gone in in the first place? maybe not. Where we lied to? It looks like it. Was Hussein a direct threat to us? That is debatable. Irregardless, we went in, screwed up the occupation and rebuilding and underestimated the opposition. We now have to fix it as best we can. It is like if I went into your neighborhood and spilled a load of toxic trash all over. If there is no one capable of cleaning it up, I should. I should not leave the mess for you to deal with.
583984
Well I'm all for removal of the troops but I see 2 problems with this (going by only what you have told me btw)\n\n1. We can't make deals with the insurgents. That is for the new Iraqi government to do, not us.\n\n2. The question remains: are they willing to recognize the new Iraqi government as the sole controlling power within Iraq even after we leave?
530714
it's about time, six years of hell is enough. this administration have totally lost its focus on the war on terror. instead of stopping terror, they're creating it. \n\nthose who don't support the war in iraq are labelled ..... liberals, cowards, traitors. IS THIS AMERICA? can't we have opposing view? i fully support the war in agfhanistan, but i will never support a war that has nothing to do with anything.\n\ndo you really want to "STAY THE COURSE"? do you actually believed that you can win a war without a valid reason? do you want it to end like nam? 60000 dead us soldiers later\n\nthis war is a mistake. stop it now! \n\nbeing patriotic is "DON'T ASK WHAT THIS COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THIS COUNTRY"\n\ndon't change it to meant "DON'T ASK WHAT THIS MORON CAN DO FOR YOU BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THIS MORON"
350679
Whether we stay or pull out the consequences will be terrible.  This is a situation that is not capable of being won.  While we are there they are fighting each other as well as our occupation.  If we leave then they are fighting only each other.  There always will be fighting amongst themselves and it is up to them to resolve it.  We made a grievous error in invading their country but staying is only making it worse.  Our invasion launched a civil war, which probably would have came about sooner or later anyhow.  For us to remain there knowing that it is a no win situation is stupid.  All we're doing is losing more lives, both our soldiers and innocent Iraqis.  What I don't understand is how people condemn the Iraqis as terrorists yet want to remain there to "defend" them.
537562
I have to agree, we made the situation infinitely worse by invading and occupying. To leave now would be the wrong thing to do, not because the terrorists win, but because it's our mess now. And anyone that thinks the terrorists win, PLEASE, get a life....
480900
I don't think we have reached the point of no return but I do think we are dangerously close to getting to that point.  I don't pretend to be a  political expert by any stretch, just an average person so I may be wrong, but it seems to me that we are way too anxious to go all over the world to fight battles for who ever cries for help while leaving our own borders wide open.  We have terrorism going on in our own country everyday with freaks like the guy who went into the Amish school and shot 10 little girls killing 5 of them.  I don't know what the average daily number of homicides is in this country but I know that in our state capitol, the number this year is staggering.  Drive by shootings, murder - suicide and random acts of violence are nothing but homeland terrorism.  That, coupled with the horridous influx of illegal immigrants has made this a scary place to live.  I think we need to stop trying to save the world and work on saving our nation.  I completely support our troops and the work they do every day all around the world and am actually the mother of a military person but I still think we need to use our military here at home to close our borders, protect us from incoming threats and concentrate on Homeland Security.  How can we save the world if we can't save ourselves?  (you said you wanted detailed answers! :)
134296
It isn't being dealt with at all,and won't be until the citizens have had enough, and clean-house. When it happens, as it must, I just hope it's done without bloodshed, but I doubt it. Those people up there aren't likely to give-up without a fight. They have had too much power for too long, and continue usurping more from the people, to which the power in this country lawfully belong.
520403
Regardless if you agree with the invasion or not, we freed them from a dictator where now they shouldn't fear for their lives. How would you feel to live in a place where if you spoke out against the government you would lose your life? We are doing our best to give the Iraqis what they deserve. But sadly there are those radical people who oppose us and democracy and will do everything in their power to prevent a democracy from forming in their home turf, even if that means taking their own life.\n\nBut this war goes much deeper than just a war to free Iraqis from a dictator. We are fighting extremists who want to kill America, Israel, and Christianity. I feel if we do not try and stop these nutcases now that they will only grow stronger and attack us eventually. This would be inevitable if we pulled out of Iraq. \n\nAlways support your troops even if you disagree with what they are commanded to do. No reason to attack them for something they have no control over.
121380
I think everyone is misinterpreting the questioner's question.  I believe she's trying to say that since we have now cast the die in actually going to war, we have passed a point of no return such that we can't wholly reverse the situation (specifically, our standing in the world) by simply withdrawing.  She says nothing that is either condoning nor dismissive of the war - what she IS saying is that we have to work with the situation we have rather than complaining that we shouldn't be there.\n\nI opposed this war from the start, yet I agree with her.  Withdrawing so that we can all cheer isn't going to give us anything to cheer about, and the world will likely be more dangerous for Americans now and for some time to come.
178992
so wrong you are midnightmist. I'm in Iraq right now. And no, I don't need encouragement, making it home alive is all the encouragement most of us need. It is nice to have supporters though. Although, I don't agree with everything that's going on myself.\n\nI don't see why people think you can't support the troops if you don't support the war. As long as you wish us luck and pray for us, that's all the support we need. Regardless of how you feel about the actual war.
373442
yea, your assumption is the problem with the statement.  People want our people to come home.  there is no doubt about it.  Not one person would say they would RATHER have military fighting war than not.  But some people understand the necessities of it.  The Dems (like most every other agenda they try to push) keep saying they "have a plan" the uneducated masses believe this garbage and say "well if they have a plan lets let them inact it."  Dems are praying on hope and ignorance of the american people and it is what is going to lose the war and leave us in a worse place then we are now.
7935
We need to finish what we started, not just show up for the party and leave the cleanup for someone else.  I doubt there will be a full military pullout for a long time.  Personal opinion aside, if the US is truly a government of the people; then, we will be there as long as the majority of Americans believe we should be.  A silent voice is an uncounted voice.
444307
Protest, oops I forgot, People are to ashamed to stand up and protest what is wrong, or maybe it's the fear of being hunted down and being shot? There is a great need to protest. But people have all the right excuses; my life is to busy, people would laugh at me, who would listen to me anyway? I believe people are sick of this Government, but what can you do? I'm a baby boomer and people don't stand up anymore, back in the day, there would be thousands protesting this war in person, not in their minds. But, the good ol days are nearly past, and still there is war, and always will be. If you don't like it, email the white house, they won't answer, but maybe it would ease your mind.
310734
I would pull the troops out. I feel as long as we're out there getting killed in war the terrorists are winning. War soves none of this problem.