by Joe Owens

Created on: December 26, 2007

I saw an episode of the now defunct military lawyer show titled JAG that I credit as quickly giving me some perspective on our attempt to "straighten out" the situation not only in Iraq but the entire Middle East. In the show, Colonel Sarah McKenzie was covertly operating in Iraq and working with a female Iraqi who turned out to be in intelligence. She looks at Sarah during this scene and says the US is like a child who comes to the playgrounds and tries to direct everyone on the best way to do everything. You have been around for just over 200 years and you are telling someone with 8 times the experience what to do.

This is not a short term problem and we are once again interjecting into something we cannot change. What was our purpose to be in Iraq? That is lost in the months of conflict and piling of dead and injured. We cannot reasonable believe there is an outcome we will fashion to satisfy the citizenry.

So Saddam is gone, but we are not. How much is it worth to not have him there? Will we make Iraq another long term protectorate like Korea? Should we? There is no long term benefit and stabilizing Iraq is not the answer to long term peace in the Middle East. After watching the aforementioned episode of JAG my total view of our position in this conflict changed.

There is no end of this situation in Iraq that will justify the expense in monetary terms or for the thousands of lives, soldires killed and wounded, removed from their lives mentally forever or family members that have desperately needed mom, dad, sister, brother, son or daughter at home.

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