I would like to challenge someone who supports continuing this war and occupation to explain (in concrete detail) to me and other skeptical readers just what victory is in Iraq. The original reason for the war was to find and destroy the weapons of mass destruction that we were absolutely sure were there. After we found out there were no WMD, the reason became regime change and forming a Western style democracy similar to our own. We overthrew Saddam and the Iraqis have had democratic elections and chosen their leaders. It seems to me that these two military objectives have been met and that we have achieved what victory we can in the military sense.
Now we are in a situation where virtually all armed factions in this new “democracy” are killing our occupying forces and anyone else they deem to be enemies of their own selfish interests and ambitions for power. How are our forces supposed to win a so-called victory when the enemy changes every time they travel a few miles in occupied Baghdad? It strikes me that sending more American forces into this civil-war cesspool is just providing more targets for irrational factions that have been killing and torturing each other for hundreds of years. In the end Iraq is a blood bath whether we stay or go. The longer we stay, the more of that blood will be that of our brave soldiers who cannot question, but only obey.
Korea and Vietnam should have taught us that halfway political wars always end in stalemate or disaster. Iraq is already a disaster, the only question is how big a disaster it will be allowed to become and only the Bush-Cheney administration can answer that one for the American people.
Clint Wright
Edmonds
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