See? They don't WANT democracy! Get out of there!!

Doug:

I didn't know al-Qaeda spoke for the people of Iraq. My mistake.

Wait a minute, aren't we suppose to be trying to destroy al-Qaeda? My mistake again.

I need to use denial more often. If I just learn to ignore reality, it might just go away.

Maybe "they" are the weapon-wielding minority there...who knows? Maybe the majority of Iraqi's DO want peace, "democracy, and stability. On the other hand, maybe U.S. forces SHOULD get out of there, and leave these people stranded back in their medieval bloodlust...

We have spent over $300 billion in Iraq thus far. According to the Borgen Project it costs only $19 billion annually to eradicate world hunger by 2015. That's right no extreme hunger after 2015! Looks like we better leave Iraq to find its own democracy so we can start accomplishing the more important Millennium Development Goals.

When will enough be enough? There is absolutely no reason why we should be sacrificing our men and women. There are more than 3,000 soldiers that have lost there lives
The people of Iraq are not ready for democracy yet, it should have been their fight not ours, one day
they would have stood up and brought Saddam down. What does Saddam have to do with anything anyway why do people forget that we should have gone after Osama?
Think about the poor mothers, fathers, wifes and kids of the fallen soldiers. If it was your son or daughter how would you feel?
We have to bring them home. Enough
of Bush's war, enough.

Iraq (and Afghanistan to a lesser extent) IS the "front" in this world war that we are fighting. Do you remember September 11? Do you honor those who have died fighting in this war, those who have protected us within our borders since 9/11 with a full retreat? Do you want to bring it back to and within our borders? Oh, how would World War II have ended with such convictions? Would we all be speaking German?

These Islamo-facsists, Islamic militants, suicide bombers, the enemy, or whatever you want to call them, don't only see Americans as there enemies, they see every person in this world who's not of their religion as their enemy. In their minds it is their duty, their right, and their salvation to murder anyone who is not of their beliefs. War is hell, but I think I'd rather be proactively rooting out this cancer than denying its existence with ignorant bliss.

To Damien:

You stated “Iraq (and Afghanistan to a lesser extent) IS the "front" in this world war that we are fighting.” Sorry but I will strongly disagree with you. Afghanistan (and not to a lesser extent as you stated) WAS the front for the terror war. Al-Qaeda was more or less based there and operated from. How is Iraq the front on the terror war??, because Bush said so?? Facts: No link between Saddam and 9/11 or al-qaeda. No meeting whatsoever took place in Prague between the 9/11 hijacker and Iraqi intelligence (as Cheney repeatedly said in the run up to the war). The WMD intel the White House cherry-picked and used for their case was 5-10 yrs old and not reliable. Politics interfered with intelligence reports and that is why the public kept thinking they had WMD FOR SURE and were involved with al-qaeda. Saddam however did give money to families of Palestinian suicide bombers and violated UN resolutions, but was not a direct threat and BUSH knew it. He became misguided in his vision of spreading democracy to the Middle East because Iraq was an easy target, unlike the real threats in N. Korea and Iran.

Agree with Bob 100%

Damien said;

"War is hell, but I think I'd rather be proactively rooting out this cancer than denying its existence with ignorant bliss."

No one is denying that there exists a threat. The problem with your position is that the Bush strategy for defeating the threat is not sound.

By invading Iraq, Bush has given these extremists everything they could have dreamt of and more.

Bush systematically handed the Iranians the reins of power by eliminating both the Taliban and Saddam Hussien.
(the Bushes and royal Saudi family miscalculated)

Why not build a bomb? it might keep the US from attacking like they did in Iraq and Afganistan!

Whether we leave Iraq tommorrow or fifty years from now the damage to the reputation of our military might and ability is already done.

Bush has emboldened the enemy by allowing the US military to lose in Iraq.

The weaponry and skill of the insurgents will only get better as we fight a proxy war with Iran in Iraq. As the technological gap narrows, the troop deaths will steadily increase month after month.

The Iraq war has made it easy for the enemy to recruit. The more "collateral damage" the US create, the more Iraqis are converted to insurgents.

The way to defeat a cancer is to attack the cancer cells in question. If you have breast cancer you don't perform chemotherapy on your stomach in fear that their MIGHT be cancer there. Then ignore the breast cancer and let it spread all the way down to the stomach which otherwise would not be a threat.

Bush and team should be held to account for this deadly debacle.

apep

apep:

You hit the nail on the head with your statement, "Bush systematically handed the Iranians the reins of power by eliminating both the Taliban and Saddam Hussien."
We eliminated the 2 threats to Iran that sit on both their east and went borders. While I agree we should have eliminated the Taliban for their support and providing a haven to al-Qaeda, eliminating Iraq who posed no direct threat to us was completely stupid. Would Iran be building strength in the Middle East if Saddam were still there?? I dont think so because they wouldnt want another long war. Saddam hated Iran (the persians) just about as much as Israel, and thats a fact

While I don't think AQ speaks for the people of Iraq, I DO think that the escalation in violence DOES.

Why spend billions of dollars, and the lives of thousands of soldiers, when all that's doing is sticking a finger in a breaking dam?

And, it's not even Bush's finger... it's the collective people of the American people.

Thanks for making us hated (moreso than usual) the world around, "Fearless Leader".

When al-Qaeda starts mall bombings here, and shooting down our helicoptors here, I guess we should leave this country to then?

Given that terrorists are stateless, why send 140,000 troops over to Iraq (where Al Queda was not located), a (former) state?

The best way to defeat terrorism is through concerted international intelligence and police work. Even better, stop doing what ticks them off (being terrorists ourselves).

It sure took they a long time to remember how they destroyed the Russians in the neighboring country. And technology is now soooo much better.

Did Bush think they were as stupid as he is?

Doug

That is the most ridiculous comment I have seen thus far on this blog. People give those Al Qaeda IDIOTS too much credit. They got at us on 9/11 because we did not pay attention to the warning signs. The attacks could have been stopped by airport security. I guarantee you if miltiary folks were working those counters and entry points (off duty) they never would have gotten thru. You sound like the administration trying to keep america scared so that they can continue to advance their broken agendas its time for a change. As a Iraq war veteran, I know for a fact money is being wasted on a bunch of ungrateful people. True change will come in that coutnry when people rebel against the folks that are causing all the strife and violence. The US can't make everything right for them. We got rid of the one person who can hold Iraq together. I think we should split the country up and seperate all those folks.

According to Bob we should attack Iran.

Well, Bob you might just get your wish. The coming wars are going to make Iraq look like a petting zoo. And all your pseudo rationalizations about how Bush picked the wrong war won't really matter much now will they?