What is your opinion on the War in Iraq?
594321
Everyone who is answering that the war is going terrible needs to talk one-on-one with a servicemember who has been there. IF you do, you will most likely find:\n\n* The "war" is going very well. Most Iraqis want us there to finish the job of helping them get on their feet and then leave.\n* Most Iraqis have always been and still remain friendly to the American military. Kids still want to touch our hands. People still smile and wave at us. Most have a kind word to us and the United States and make an attempt to communicate their gratitude in broken English.\n* Americans are doing wonderful things in Iraq. We are building schools, roads and infrastructure. We are training Iraqi Police (the IPs) and Iraqi military. These projects allow Iraqis to stand on their own two feet and govern themselves.\n* The democratically elected, constitutionally backed Iraqi government is in charge and running the show. It only took 3 years to accomplish. By contrast, Germany took 4 years and Japan took 7 years to take over governing themselves.\n* The "insurgency" is NOT what the media leads you to believe. I use quotes around "insurgency" because, by definition, an insurgency would be one led by Iraqis. The truth is that 95% of all "insurgents" ARE NOT Iraqi. They are Saudi, Egyptian, Jordanian, Syrian, Somalian, Iranian ... just about anything BUT Iraqis.\n* The "inusrgency" is being orchestrated by the Iranian government. The Iranians have the most to gain by keeping Iraq unstable. As long as Iraq is unstable, no one will seriously look at Iran and its nuclear weapons program. And with almost 200,000 Americans to Iran's east and west, Iran is mighty damn nervous right now.\n* The vast majority of Americans in Iraq - conservatice or liberal, Republican or Democrat - believe in the mission in Iraq and believe it is the right thing to do. Their opinions are based on events they see every day with their own eyes ... NOT what they have seen on CNN.\n\nYou can believe what you want. Believe CNN or believe the words of our servicemen and women who have been there. But have an open mind.\n\nEDIT: Rena - Conservatively, 500,000 American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have rotated through Iraq since the end of major hostilities. Approximately 2400 have died there - and about 1/6th of those were non-combat related. Divide 2400 / 500,000 and you get 0.0048 - or less than 1/2 of 1% chance of dying in Iraq. This is - BY FAR - the safest war in terms of KIA's that the United States has ever been involved in. You really should talk to several servicemembers before you dismiss a mission we believe in so easily.\n\nEDIT: Manuel Sarmiento - You said:\n\n"War implies that both parties are at even. USA just went and crushed Iraq."\n\nTell that to the Poles, the Czechs, the Austrians, the French and the Belgians who were crushed by Hitler in the beginning of World War II. Tell that to the Kuwaitis who were crushed by Hussein in 1989. Tell that to the Muslims who were slaughtered by Milosevic in the early 1990s. I doubt any one of them would agree with your absurd statement. War DOES NOT imply both sides are even. War implies two governments are fighting with two militaries - nothing more, nothing less.\n\n"Now, because Hussein is a bad person, does that justify to kill thousands of innocent iraquies?"\n\nNo, but I think it justifies the liberation of 25,000,000 Iraqis. In EVERY war, unfortunately, innocent people are hurt and killed. The main difference between the United States and other countries' militaries is that we do not TARGET innocent non-combatants. In fact, we PROSECUTE and JAIL military members who intentionally do so. 'Nuff said.\n\n"Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 but now, it's just natural that iraq people enroll to damage USA, the country that, on their perception, crushed Iraq."\n\nSee my statement above on how Iraqis really feel about Americ
1015674
I feel our president is on track with Iraq.  It's a touch and go situation right now but from what I have seen and read I feel we are on track.  If it were possible I would like to see Iraqi troops and police taking over more responsibility of there country and maybe help them more than we have to accomplish this goal.  We know they want there freedom, are willing to die for it and hope we can help them achieve there goals.  So other than that there is not much I would or would try to change.  I have faith in our military and our president's actions.\n\nGood question.
679715
I'm in favor of getting out of there, but I'd hate to leave the Iraqi's who helped us in a fix like we left the Vietnamese when Nixon pulled us out of there.  I have always been against the war, but I don't want those people to have to pay the price for helping us.\n\nWe had NO business invading Iraq to begin with.  We should have concentrated our energies on finding bin Laden, the real culprit behind 9/11.
936400
I prefer to think our war is over and we are providing security while Iraq establishes its democratic government.  I think that has become our role.\n\nLiberals prefer to call it "Bush's war in Iraq," which strikes me as pure terrorist propaganda.\n\nEither way, we are likely to be there a while.
835416
Well, I can tell you from my experiance that I thought we where making a difference. But I can also tell you I have friends I served with that think we are not. So the answers here will deffinately be as varied as the political parties we have in our country. Democracy is something that Iraq has never had. EVER! So there has been alot of problems. Theres Bath party members (That party was banned) Causing trouble. Religious differences, causing trouble. And a large and I mean very large segment of the population that do want to be free, go to work and just raise there families. The Kurds in the northern part of the country have had zero problem with all this and are doing very well. Whats the long term prognosis? I Don't know, I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell you and everyone for that matter. I believe in what we tried to do, and certainly feel it was the best for them, us, and everybody else in the world. I was in neighborhoods where everyone shook your hand and smiled, and they where all friendly. Two blocks away someone set up an IED, and people watched them do it, and nobody said a word to us. Theres alot of faces in Iraq, too many to be honest. But we are trying, and probably only time will tell. I'm being optimistic, but there will be others that are not.\n\nYour right Katie, they certainly do, it always made my day brighter.
1106759
(raises hand)\nI support our troops, but not the war. It's not a war. I think we're just terrorizing another nation into doing what we want them to do. I don't watch the news anymore. I hate seeing that we're killing so many innocents and being killed because they want to live their own way. I really don't like bush. He handled this thing really badly. It would have been one thing to go into Iraq to get the person responsible for 9/11. But it's a completely different thing to go into their country, destroy their cities, kill and imprison civillians for no reason, and stay there until they meet our demands. I would not be suprised if they attacked us again cause we're asking for it.
1021873
I am, Go W.  \nThings that make you think a little:\n\n\n\nThere were 39 combat related killings in Iraq in January.\nIn the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the\nmonth of January. That's just one American city,\nabout as deadly as the entire war-torn country of Iraq.\n\n\n\nWhen some claim that President Bush shouldn't\nhave started this war, state the following:\n\n\n\na. FDR led us into World War II.\n\nb. Germany never attacked us; Japan did.\n>From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost ...\nan average of 112,500 per year.\n\n\n\nc. Truman finished that war and started one in Korea.\nNorth Korea never attacked us.\n>From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost ...\nan average of 18,334 per year.\n\nd John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962.\nVietnam never attacked us.\n\ne. Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire.\n>From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost ..\nan average of 5,800 per year.\n\nf. Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent.\nBosnia never attacked us.\nHe was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three\ntimes by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on\nmultiple occasions.\n\ng. In the years since terrorists attacked us , President Bush\nhas liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled\nal-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran, and, North\nKorea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who\nslaughtered 300,000 of his own people.\n\n\n\nThe Democrats are complaining\nabout how long the war is taking.\nBut\nIt took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno\nto take the Branch Davidian compound.\nThat was a 51-day operation..\n\n\n\nWe've been looking for evidence for chemical weapons\nin Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find\nthe Rose Law Firm billing records.\n\n\n\nIt took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the\nMarines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard\nthan it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his\nOldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick.\n\n\n\nIt took less time to take Iraq than it took\nto count the votes in Florida!!!!\n\nOur Commander-In-Chief is doing a GREAT JOB!\nThe Military morale is high!\n\nThe biased media hopes we are too ignorant\nto realize the facts\n\n\n\nBut Wait .\n\nThere's more!\n\n\n\nJOHN GLENN (ON THE SENATE FLOOR)\nMon, 26 Jan 2004 11:13\n\n\n\nSome people still don't understand why military personnel\ndo what they do for a living. This exchange between\nSenators John Glenn and Senator Howard Metzenbaum\nis worth reading. Not only is it a pretty impressive\nimpromptu speech, but it's also a good example of one\nman's explanation of why men and women in the armed\nservices do what they do for a living.\n\n\n\nThis IS a typical, though sad, example of what\nsome who have never served think of the military.\n\n\n\nSenator Metzenbaum (speaking to Senator Glenn):\n"How can you run for Senate\nwhen you've never held a real job?"\n\n\n\nSenator Glenn (D-Ohio):\n"I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps.\nI served through two wars. I flew 149 missions.\nMy plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different\noccasions. I was in the space program. It wasn't my\ncheckbook, Howard; it was my life on the line. It was\nnot a nine-to-five job, where I took time off to take the\ndaily cash receipts to the bank."\n\n\n\n"I ask you to go with me ... as I went the other day...\nto a veteran's hospital and look those men ...\nwith their mangled bodies . in the eye, and tell THEM\nthey didn't hold a job!\n\n\n\nYou go with me to the Space Program at NASA\nand go, as I have gone, to the widows and Orphans\nof Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee...\nand you look those kids in the eye and tell them\nthat their DADS didn't hold a job.\n\n\n\nYou go with me on Memorial Day and you stand in\nArlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends\nburied than I'd like to remember, and you watch\nthose
1001441
I support the troops in the fact that they are doing a job that they are ordered to do and they are risking their lives to do that job. I put fire fighters, policemen, etc. in the same category. I support them as well.\n\nI do not support the war in Iraq or the Bush administration. I think this war began on lies and deception. I think too many human lives have been lost, both American and Iraqi.\n\nIt's time to bring our men and women home, before any more lives are needlessly lost.
352264
I personally think the war in Iraq will in time be worth it.Things take time....My husband is currently in Iraq on his 2nd tour.I stand behind him and all the troops over there..needless to say lives will be lost but never forgotten.I worry about my husband everyday..We've lost 10 in our unit since Sept.2005 I also think if we was to pull out now,the country would be doomed..and all the lives of the troops,innocent civilans,contractors,media,and many others would be basically lost for nothing it's pointless\nto say "OK we give up!"No we're not gonna give up,we're gonna finish what we started.The Iraqi people deserve a fresh start and that's what their gonna get.My husband is prepared and is honored to serve many more deployments in Iraq because he knows, he's making a difference,but we as Americans know we have our right to opinions and there is always gonna be people who disagree,with whatever the subject is like I said it's our right and it's my right to have the opinion of saying I dont like our troop being there but they have a job to do and I support them 110%....even though you dont agree with whats goin on in Iraq please keep the troops close to your hearts..Pray for them and their families.For those who are in the military or ex military I personally want to Thank You from the bottom of my heart,I know there is noway to ever repay you for your services.\n\n\n                                  101ST Airborne Division\n                                    Fort Campbell,KY\n                                      "RAKKASANS"
1121515
I am totally against the war, however, people who join our military go in knowing that even if it's not necessarily a war they would back, they have comitted to doing their job.  I might also say that no matter what war or why - they have my absolute respect for being a part of a bigger picture that may cause them great harm or even death.  I salute all of them.  Bush, however, can kiss my flabbly butt.
247002
What pisses me off about this country is the amount of people that were "pro-war" in 2003 and now that they see blood on the television they are suddenly humanitarians. What the hell did you think was going to happen?  Compared to Vietnam, Korea, and especially WWII, this war is very tame.  \n\nI was anti-war in 2003 but I'm against pulling out of Iraq now.  Saddam wasn't the enemy, but the terrorists we are fighting now come from Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and others.  This is a different war than we were fighting in 2003.  We were wrong for going in against the UN's vote, but we will be just as wrong for pulling out now and leading these poor people into a civil war.
918289
I think that the war in Iraq is a war that cannot be won just like the war on terror, sure we can do things to help the cause but the actual war/wars are not going to be won. I just cant believe how many people still think that we can win this war. I don't know if it is worse than Vietnam, we lost over 50,000 people there but the long term ramifications of this war cannot be measured.
302733
I personally think this war should not have started anyways because if you were in a house and had family problem you would not really like some one from outside jumping in and saying i am here to solve your problem and live in your house, eat all your food and do nothing :) so Iraq had problems but then no one but iraqi's can solve them and i think this war should end now.
1028873
As a soldier in Iraq, I watch the news and realize there are two wars.  The one that I am living every day with my fellow soldiers, and the one on CNN.  The two are very different.  The news version rarely focuses on the good things that soldiers are doing for this country and for it's people.  I have seen people that have had little access to medical care get treated.  I have seen family's get help feeding and clothing their family's.  I have watched a county start to rebuild itself.  Germany did not rebuild itself over night, and neither will Iraq.\nI used to get mad when I would see the daily violence on TV, but realized that I am defending their right to free speech.  I don't always agree with what they say, but I will defend the right for them to say it.
992719
My opinion, it sucks! It's Bushes war. And Americans are tired of his stupid war. I can't watch the news, I am afraid of what I will hear. Too many innocent people being killed for two stupid jerks, Bush and what's his name.\nI believe in stopping terrorists from harming people all over the world but to put others in danger is just plain dumb. I have to say nice words here because younger kids are on here. But, I can say those bad words all day and it wouldn't change the terror the world is going through.
1081217
i strongly disagree with the war. We went there in search of "weapons of mass destruction". We found none. We toppled the government and killed many of there so called insurgence and terrorists. They are not terrorists. In actuality, if a country invaded the U.S. for no reason, beat our military and toppled our government, many of us would take the the streets with our weapons to form and insurgency. I would be the first to get out my guns and fight against the invading country. Would you join me in the fight? Well those people over there in Iraq are doing what we would do. And our soldiers are just taking orders from a corrupt Bush administration. \nI could go on for days and enlighten you all, but many want to remain either ignorant or in denial.
927556
Yes, I support our troops.\nI think the invasion of Iraq was a horrible mistake, but that certainly is not the fault of the troops.\nVery interesting points you make, although the rationing of resources I feel would be unnecessary.\nI would agree with your other two suggestions however.