I thought I would start a discussion on Iraq, in the hopes that only those who can step back and look at it unemotionally and rationally would reply.
Please, keep it civil.
I did, and still do, support the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq and overthrow it's government. There were at least four good reasons to overthrow Saddam Hussein and his cronies(in no particular order):
1. Refusal to comply with the United Nations
2. The possibility of the existence of WMD, and the chance they would find their way into the hands of terrorists who could then use them against citizens of any country, not just America.
3. Saddam's regime guaranteed an unstable middle east.
4. Saddam's oppression of the Iraq people's freedom and liberty.
That being said, I think the Bush administration made a huge faux pas by not being totally honest with the American public about the real reason we went in there. Personally, I would've have preferred if Bush had listed the four reasons above in public, and made it clear that there wasn't any one overriding reason.
By choosing to focus only on the WMD, the current administration set themselves up for failure, and consquently, sharp criticism.
I don't have a problem per se with the Bush administration going it alone vis-a-vis Iraq without the Unites Nations, because history has taught us(Rhineland 1936, Munich 1938) that such organizations(in this case the League of Nations) can become paralyzed when faced with a difficult decision that's needed for the good of the world. However, now that we have gone ahead and went it alone, it is cheeky of the U.S. to start asking for assistance from the UN now that the honeymoon with the Iraqi citizens had apparently ended.
In my opinion, we should finish what we started. If the UN comes to us and wants to help, then we should accept. But we should be prepared to see things through alone if we must, because we started it alone.
From a strictly human viewpoint, I am saddended that so many American servicemen and Iraqi people have been killed, especially after the war has been declared over. We should't forget the sacrifice the soldiers are making, every day. Neither should we forget or ignore the culture of the Iraqi people. We need to continue to show them respect, and to act like liberators, not conquerors.
It is unfortunate that some people on this BBS, who pretend to be freedom loving American patriots, continue to label anyone who questions the actions and motives of the Bush administration, as unpatriotic traitors. These so-called patriots must have forgotten all about the 1st amendment to the U.S. constitution.
The right to question, criticize and scrutinize the government's policies and actions is one of the fundamental rights that this country was founded on. Some of us have seem to forgotten this.
The road ahead in Iraq is sure to be long, full of danger and uncertainty for all involved. My hope is that Iraq can rejoin the world as a peaceful, democratic nation with as few casualties as possible, as soon as possible.
Can't wait to see our troops headed back to their families.
