by Rob Dacosta

Created on: February 18, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

It's interesting to see so much traffic on Iraq and American involvement there - really. This is happening as a 'hot button issue' with many people for one of the following two reasons:

1) You are an American that feels the need to deal a blow against terrorism. Regardless of the outcome, and no matter where the fight takes you anything that is seen to be done in the quest is justified, acceptable or at least tolerable.

2) You are an American, or virtually anyone else in the world who can't understand why any country is allowed to invade another without justification - assuming, of course that you use the argument of the invader. You believe that the invader has based this war on false assumptions and continues to make a bad situation worse.

As for me: I'm clearly in the second group. Like many people in this second group I am deeply troubled by the very existence of the war in Iraq. No other war in my lifetime has taken on the serious consequences, dimensions that this one has and what's worse one of the stated aims, or principal reasons of the war - fighting terrorism - is doing just the opposite. Who among us doesn't believe that international terrorism isn't likely to grow as a result of the war?

In fact I answered another question on this subject a few weeks ago titled 'The answer for Iraq' and while I was careful in my treatment of the answer it seems that few people were willing to treat the answer fairly. This didn't surprise me though as more than 90 percent of those contributing to the question were from the first group I've mentioned above.

Therefore I submit this answer to anyone who is interested in a 'real' answer to both questions. It's a little bit longer than a normal answer and quite honestly I wouldn't normally refer to another article while writing within this one. If you're interested look under 'The answer for Iraq' and click on my article. It will give you an insight - with facts, with history, with information to form an educated opinion on. Not simply ranting, and flag waving.

A lot of people are dying. And they're not just Americans.

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