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| Yes | 57% | 1778 votes | Total: 3124 votes | |
| No | 43% | 1346 votes |
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Add to FavoritesGiven the fact that we are defending the Iraqi people from the Iraqi people it's clear we should have pulled our troops out of there a long time ago. The situation in Iraqi has deteriorated to that of a civil war. A civil war which the United States has no business being involved with. Our place in the world is not that of country makers.
At the time that we sent troops in we do so under the guise of national security, fighting terrorism and dismantling Iraq's weapons of mass destruction capabilities. As it has turned out all of those premises were false. There was no national security interest involved as Iraq was not a threat to the United States. In fact they lacked the war making capabilities to even attack their neighbors or threaten to destabilize the region.
Experts have stated on numerous occasions that our efforts in Iraq have been nothing be detrimental to our country's efforts against global terrorism. Not only have we incited more violence and backlash against the west, we've given the terrorist an ideal training ground in the streets of Iraq and a target rich environment in which to practice their trade and inflict more harm to the united states. The state of global terrorism has actually receded to the point to where it is stronger now than before the September eleventh attack.
With regard to weapons of mass destruction, this debacle has played itself out to the point of absurdity. Depending on who you ask the finger will be pointed in a variety of different directions as to why there were no weapons of mass destruction. Regardless of who the popular scapegoat of the day is, the responsibility and the consequences for this disaster of a war lies squarely on the shoulders of the Bush administration. An administration that shows an attrition rate almost as high as the troops in Iraq as more and more cabinet members resign like rats abandoning a burning ship.
Just who is qualified and authorized to determine whether Iraq is ready to defend it's people? And what exactly does it mean for them to be able to defend their people? If their people's safety is threatened by their own people, how do you determine your role as a third party protector in what as become a quagmire corruption and abuse of power? Why is it our responsibility to defend the Iraqi people in the first place?
These are questions that still have no answers and do not appear to be expecting any in the near future. We can't afford to wait for these answers, any more than we can afford to continue dumping billions of dollars and thousands of lives into this disaster of a military operation. Mind you it is not a disaster so much as a result of our military forces, who have done an outstanding job under less then optimal circumstances. The disaster lies in the administrations shifting, incoherent and inconsistent policy that toward the war. A policy that is pursued with reckless abandon and the finesse of a petty dictator.
Yes, whole heartedly and unequivocally yes, pull the troops out and pull them out now. Stop the useless waste of American lives and resources. Stop supporting a civil war in a foreign country that we have no place being involved in. Let the Iraqi's stand on their own two feet, stop babysitting. The cost in American lives is far too high for the value we are getting out of the deal. Stop murdering Americans for the sake of a failed foreign policy and oil interests in a country that has no desire to have us interloping on their affairs.
Learn more about this author, Joseph Whalen.
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No
This subject is clearly of great concern to all American citizens; and it should be. As someone who was actually there, I can only give my informed opinion about the situation in Iraq and the consequences of an early withdrawal.
Is the situation bad? It's a war zone, to be put bluntly. Show me one instance in the entire history of the world when war did not have its share of losses. Even the winning side loses soldiers. The success of a war cannot, therefore, be determined by that factor alone. There are other elements that must be factored in. At this point, the country is focusing on and magnifying the negatives in the war in Iraq. Let us look at a few of the positives.
This particular positive is a huge one that has not been given its due publicity: the United States of America has not been attacked on its home soil since 9/11. Whether we purposefully forget or American citizens really do have a short attention span, we did not start this war. The war started the day we were attacked. Yes, there are arguments that Iraq had nothing to do with it, but let us look at the facts. Al Queda and its network of terrorists does not limit itself to one country. On the contrary, as a fairly wealthy and powerful organization, Al Queda has much influence in most of the Arab countries in the Middle East. And, there was reason to believe that Saddam Hussein was a threat to this country. The United States was not the only country who believed that Iraq was harboring weapons of mass destruction; there were 20 other countries that invaded Iraq along with the U.S. based on this belief. Were we to sit idly by and let Saddam Hussein prove to the world that he did indeed have weapons of mass destruction by using them on us, resulting in the death of possibly thousands more Americans? Of course not, that would have been foolish and the result of poor leadership. Were we wrong in our assumption? First, the answer to that question does not really matter. To be wrong in the assumption that he did indeed have weapons is far better than being wrong that he did not when in fact he did. Secondly, though this was not publicized by mainstream media, Saddam Hussein did in fact admit to building and harboring weapons of mass destruction in Iraq during his trial.
Another positive that is hardly, if ever, given publicity is the fact that many Iraqis are alive today because the United States deposed Saddam. Though Americans are vastly unaware of this, the Iraqis are not. Frequently, my Company in Iraq was thanked by the Iraqis for just being there. There are hundreds of pictures that I possess of Iraqis giving us the "thumbs-up," shaking our hands, or just looking beyond grateful for our presence in their country. During the last Presidential elections, whenever we went out of the wire Iraqis would beg us to vote for President Bush because they were terrified that we would leave. Saddam Hussein was a tyrant who did cruel things to his people; reminiscent of Hitler. If that were the only reason for the U.S. invasion, it would be enough. But as we saw earlier, it was not the only one.
The third and final positive that I will mention in this article goes along with the first. To leave Iraq would not end the war. The war was not started by us, but by the terrorists. If we bring all of our soldiers home, the terrorists will follow us. If you think that this war has been bloody, one, you do not know your history and two, it will look like a little spat compared to what will happen if we show the world that we have given up. Right now, with all of this debating, we are showing the terrorists that Americans in their fast food society are impatient and if they just hold on for just a little while longer, we will eventually withdraw and no longer be a threat to their ultimate goals. As hard as it may be for some to accept, American soldiers being in Iraq is the best thing for this country. The soldiers are occupying the terrorists elsewhere! Plus, Iraqis are not stupid; they hear things. It is this intel that is so vital to us fighting the terrorists and knowing their plans before they have a chance to implement them.
This country must stand united against its enemies. Right now, the terrorists have gained so much ground and have done so much damage due to only one thing; Americans are divided. Terrorists don't just strap bombs to themselves and go blow up a marketplace. They know how to divid and conquer, and they are doing it to us.
Learn more about this author, Emily White.
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