Why should we care?

Nick

because then the terrorists would just rebuild and we'd have to do it all over again.

SFC_Ollie

Why did the French help us back in 1776? Do you not believe that others deserve a chance to have their own freedom?

schneider2294@sbcglobal.net

Iraq will become an all out haven for terrorists and in a few years from now we will be right back in there and it will be 100 times worse.

Lillian

They put their lives on the line because we committed to backing them. We are in this for the long haul, get used to it. It's a matter of honoring your word.

wudbiser

we don't want to leave a terrorist training state in our wake. we MUST finish

mimi

Because if we pull out we will have those toerrist come after us they have alies with nucler capabilaties

'Taker

Because we would be right back in there if they collapsed. The dirty little secret that Dems will never admit is that, no matter who is in the White House, no one can afford that kind of instability in the region. Even if a wimp like obama is in office, he would have to send our guys back in. Too much that is vital to the globe (oil) is in the area to allow chaos there. If, in the process, we take out a few muslim slime, that's just a bonus. At all costs, the free world must have stability of some sort there.

Stan

Most of you have fallen victim to the Fear Doctrine.

If we pull out of Iraq, there will not be a terrorist state.

The Saudi's will help their Sunnui brothers, especially if Iran tries to move in to protect their Shiite brothers.

It will continue to be what it has always been...a civil war between the Sunnuis and the Shiites.

There is zero logic that we must continue to allow our soldiers to be killed because of the sacrifices that have already been made.

We have pulled our troops out of Anbar province...giving money and weapons to the locals...to police their own areas.

This has been a success in Iraq, and is a blueprint for our withdrawal, and not some stupid excuse to say the "surge" is working.

The majority of Americans want this war over with...Yesterday!

Dark Shadows

Well I agree with u on that point all the lives lost and injuries our military has sustained in this war why should we care what happens to them if we pull out since the Iraqi,government has not been doing a damn thing to get the armed forces up to speed even with the help of the US military training them so why should we care.
It comes down to that idiot in the White house and the fact that Iraq would be vulnerable to invasion from other countries n it would be the US government not the US military fault if that did happen as a veteran myself I want to see our military out of there as well but history like World War II,shows us we cannot do that when Russia,waned to take over all of Germany,n would have if we had not stayed until they were back on there feet and able to defend themselves against all enemies foreign n domestic so we just can't that is the sad part of this.

Vera C

I do care, but I care about my own country first -- not to be rude to other countries. I don't understand why the US feels like they are in charge of the rest of the world. There are times when the US needs to mind their own damn business.

I fully support our troops, but enough is enough. It is time to bring all of them home.

robert43041

It will make no difference in the long run. It's always been a mess in that part of the world - and will continue in this manner for a long time. It will be up to THEM to implement change, not with outside interference.

nesserz2.0

Obviously the job isnt done if we are still there.

its not up to you and its not up to your best friend.

Its up to the president..whine all you want about it--its not going to change that.

johnboy

Worst case Iran gets to keep their OIL Beast case we stay get them strong enough to protect themselves and we buy the oil later.In any case we will buy but why should Iran steel it.

I think that the rationale is, that what might rise up in its place is an anti-american government. And if so, then that government might join with others in the region and will then cause us problems. Also, when we pulled out last time (1991 or 1992 I think) many many Iraqis who were on "our side" were killed (I remember reading something like 100,000 people - but I can't provide a source for that). I don't hear people talk a lot about that much as a rationale, but it follows that something like that could occur again. If that happens, that would impact our dealings with other countries in the region as well.

If you read our state department information - you'll see a lot of talk about protecting american interests. It is in our best interest to have a stake in the middle east. We are not the only government that operates this way. Most (if not all) governments around the world look out for their own interests. It is all about making sure that their economic and other policies are not impeded and that they acquire more and more power.

I don't really agree with these types of policies - I think that there are other ways to deal with issues and have always felt that building consensus and true diplomacy is much better than the "run them over with a tank" or "divide and conquer" approach; but these have worked for centuries so there is no incentive to change. I think though that this time it might backfire - I've never seen the US have as many enemies at one time - and these are not weak and defenseless nations either. These people have legitimate grievances against our policies. We would be ready to nuke anyone who dared to step foot in our country and do half of the things that we routinely do to other people. (For example, can you imagine someone putting one of our leaders on trial in their country - or even jailing the most junior senator? I can't either.) I just pray that the troops that are there - the brave young men and women - some of whom are on their 2nd or 3rd tours - don't continue to get caught in the political cross fire.

gugliamo00

You really need to look at history. You don't have to go too far back.

We weren't allowed to finish the job in Vietnam thanks to moronic public opinion and a wimpy government. We weren't allowed to finish the job in Desert Storm, again thanks to moronic public opinion and a wimpy government. In both cases, the moronic public that induced us to leave a job undone, that same public castigated the government for not completing what we'd started. So, if the government listens to the public, it's castigated for not doing their job. If they do their job and ignore public opinion, they're castigated for being unresponsive.

Also, historically, when we're not allowed to finish the job, we live to regret it. South Vietnam fell to the North. We had to go back into Iraq to get Hussein when our military leaders recommended we get him the first time.

Allow diplomacy to work? Korea was split by the UN. They decided to allow the US help the South rebuild and Russia was to help the North. Soon afterward, the North attacked the South. We were there and tried to help. At one point they almost drove us into the sea. But eventually we drove the south right up to the Chinese border. Again the UN said, ok... enough... and divided the country again. If you look at a satellite view of the Korean peninsula at night, you'll see the South bright with lights. The North is dark That's the results of letting diplomats run things.

Another example of the effectiveness of diplomacy. After Desert Storm, the diplomats set up sanctions against Hussein. They passed resolutions. They sent inspectors. The diplomats made millions circumventing the sanctions. Hussein ignored the resolutions. And he played games with the inspectors.

Diplomacy only works if both sides honestly want compromise. For some, apparently like the president of Iran, compromise means that he lives and we die.

What difference does it make to us?

If you walk down the street and see a couple of bullies picking on a kid, do you walk down the other side? After all, it's not your business. Let the kid fight his own battles, right? Doesn't affect you... right?

Suppose you hear screams from some alley and see a woman being raped. Not your business... right? Let her take care of herself... right? Doesn't affect you... right?

Ok, suppose you were the kid being picked on, or the girl being raped. Still want people to mind their own business? Want them to let you fight your own battles?

Sure you could call the authorities.. but by the time they got there, the bullies might have killed the kid, and the rapist certainly would be long gone.

If you believe in the Bible, you're obligated to do everything you can to stop these atrocities. But whether you read the Bible or not, you should at least recognize that another human being needs your help. And, if you're any kind of human being, you'll give it. Did they ask for it? Maybe... maybe not... maybe they weren't able to.

People accuse us of favoring Israel. They think it's a religious thing. Not so. Israel is the only democratic country in the area. The Israelis enjoy pretty much the same freedoms we do. That's why we support them. Why not let Iraq have the same freedoms?

As one of the troops on the ground in Iraq told me, "My orders don't say 'secure oil for the US.' They don't say, 'get the guy who threatened my daddy.' They say, 'Operation Iraqi Freedom.'"

That's why we're there. And that's why we care. And that's what it has to do with us.

Why not just pull out? Because there are are dozens of Hussein wannabes. They don't give a darn about Iraq. They don't give a darn about the Iraqi people... actually they target them. All the care about is setting up their own Husseindom with one of them in charge. If we pull out now, it wont' take long for them to take over and we'll be right back where we were 6 years ago... and you'll be complaining that we should have finished the job. Want to know what will happen if we pull out now? The terrorists will declare a military victory. "We chased the infidels from our land. You don't believe? We're here. They are not." Then they will take over. "Remember what we were able to do to you when the infidels were here pretending to protect you? They are not here to protect you any more...."

If we pull out before the job is completed... before the Iraqis are governing themselves, and before they can fight their own battles... we'll have flushed every life lost over there... US and Iraqi... down the toilet.

That's why we shouldn't pull out.

Why don't they hurry up and get their government going... and why is their army so slow in learning?

People came to this country with the idea of freedom. Until a few years ago, freedom was only a word to the Iraqis. Suddenly it's become a reality. The responsibilities that go along with freedom are totally foreign to them. Fighting to protect those freedoms was unheard of.

It takes 8 weeks of immersion training to get a soldier to the point where he's no danger to himself or his outfit. It takes another few months to train him in a military specialty. The Iraqis are only exposed to the military a few hours a day.

It's going to take time. How long? I don't know. I don't think anybody does. In the mean time we have to keep the hounds from the door, and let this reborn country mature.

Kumari

Your country went and invaded a poor country, killing thousands of innocent, children included, under the mad guidance and the lies from a man who only thinks about his Bush's family wealth and you think you should not care? Have you wondered why your country is not welcomed when you believe you own the world? You think you shoud not care about the US contribution to madness, to climate change, etcÃ©tera?? Where is your consciousness and your basic knowledge about your contribution to worldwide warfare? Wake up.

The Godless Heathen

The military is supposed to fight wars, not set up puppet governments, I think we should pull out and let 'em kill each other,instead of American men and women, for a while.

rknrollcrzygirl

We were doing a good job. Now we just pissed them off in Iraq. We tried to give them a government and tell them what to do. We're still there ,because . Maybe if we pull out at the wrong time. Something could happen. i mean i feel the same way you do. i hate seeing us lose so many soldiers just because Bush wants to fix what his father didn;t. That's really what it is. he doesn't care. he just wants to end the war forever. which isn't going oto happen. No war will ever stop ,because that's just how we are it will go on forever. even if there's not a full blown war. just pray for them to come back. It's not going to chasnge until Bush is out of office probably. It was a mistake to choose him as a president.

Lien

You don't have to care. I sure as hell don't.

William C

People don't deserve the freedom we have. We are a people that care only for ourselves, no one else. We can cry and complain about it because we are not the ones that have to do it, the military does.

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