by T. M. Beeker

Created on: January 28, 2007   Last Updated: September 17, 2011

"It is good war is so horrible or we should grow fond of it." - R. E. Lee, General of the Army of Northern Virginia. I paraphrased it because there is historical debate over the exact wording. But the sentiment is profoundly true. War is a plague upon man that will not soon leave us alone. Why? Hard to say with any clarity beyond this our leaders find it palatable especially when they will not run down the ramp of an AmTrac or off the skid of a Huey. Those who go to fight at least in the United States do so voluntarily. It would seem if you are against war then don't join the military. So why war in Iraq?

First, most Americans handed President Bush permission to seek and dispense 'justice' after September 11, 2001. It began in Afghanistan and was widely heralded as a good move. Iraq was a little more dicey but most Americans again agreed and operations began. Victory in a military and political sense was swift. Then harsh moral and cultural issues clouded the war's success.

Second, the very nature of a 'War on Terror' is so amorphous and vague defies a logical and clear-cut end. Think of it like a 5 year-old, a war on terror would mean killing the monster under the bed and in the closet. Well, as a parent rest assured I have killed those terrors time and again only to have the rascals return at 4:00 AM heralded by a crying little girl. Sound too simple? Nope, do I know exactly how to identify a monster that interrupts my child's sleep? Try lining up 100 Iraqis and pick out the 'insurgent' or 'terrorist'. Even if you get lucky and nail 15 insurgents in a safe house on top of an enormous cache of weapons, does it make the war's end more or less likely? Actually, the answer is both. More likely because you have physically eliminated combatants and weapons. Less, since you have killed someones cousin, brother, uncle, or father making another decide to gain justice in the name of Islam.

Third, war in Iraq is a fact. One can posture and speak for or against it but, its reality which now must be dealt with. Now, ending this war seems to be the major point in the debate. Some say reductions of troops, others wholesale withdrawal, some support 'stay the course', all seem to agree its a war to be dealt with. No, its not a war in Iraq. Consider this, actions taken in Iraq are merely gang-violence in Los Angeles. Drive by or attempt at assassination in Miami? Blow up a car bomb is it insurgent activity or a mafia hit on a potential rival in Newark? Roadside IED? An attempt

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