i know i'll get slapped for saying this as i don't even have relatives engaged in this conflict. The USA needs to end what they've started, whether that be with more troops or not. If they pull out now, chaos will ensue.
The analogy I like to use is the teenager who has wrecked thye family car. Just because he broke it doesn't mean he's capable of fixing it, and any attempts to do so are likley to just make things worse.
i hope i wont be flamed, shouted at, banned, beat up, insulted, etc.... for the next: i almost feel like the USA are slowing this war down on purpose..... nothing surprises me these days.... the most powerful nation in the world, one of the strongest armies and the nation with more nukes is run by a...... monkey.... hows that for ironic? edit: this coming from a guy that has a pig with big tits for a president..... or dictator if you are anal about that.....
Let's test those hypotheses: Interesting. Pull out the occupying troops, and things actually settle down. The US, which accused the Brits of cutting and running and predicted disaster following such an abandonment of responsibility, has had to grudgingly admit that it all worked out after all. Paradoxical intervention, gentlemen: the cornerstone of psychology. Don't make assumptions; if one thing is true, the opposite may be even more true. Another psychological fact: people's behaviour ultimately is always directed at meeting their own needs. The US wants to stay in Iraq not because it fears that the country will descend into chaos without them, but because it fears that without them, Iraq will do just fine on its own. And we can't have an oil-rich country running itself now, can we? Why do you think the US installed Saddam in the first place?
Yea that's the point - there may be localised drops in violence but on a large scale there will be a large power vacuum. This will be likely filled in by the most aggressive person/group? Right? Which is bad for everyone? It's unlikely people will talk and cooperate when land and resources are at stake. But staying there is more antagonising that anything.
I'snt it fiar too say that Iraq can never be a victory? Its just like Vietnam, just people are more aware of whats going on...
That's just what I was going to say (albeit with correct spelling ). It's a kind of "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. Thing is, I don't think people in America are really aware of what's going on. British reporting of Iraq has been fairly consistent and realistic; from the times I've been over in the US in the last few years, American reporting of Iraq has either been non-existent or of the "Gee, aren't our troops doing well?" variety.
The US is addicted to oil. The USA and the UK are under extreme pressure to move out. But I think that we all know this cannot happen. Lets not fool ourselves, this is war – not like WW1 or WW2, but nevertheless, its still war. We read and hear about how many UK or US troops have died, but what about the other side! How many people have the UK & US troops killed! ( incl. children and/or families ) Regardless if this war makes sense or not, will we ever know the truth. If the Western world did not go to war, then what would have been the consequences of the Middle East vs the Western world. I’m not saying that I agree or disagree with the war – that is a completely different argument. Make friends not war
But the whole reason to go to war was fallacious and unjustified. There was no threat of "the Middle East vs the Western world" at the time that the US and the UK invaded Iraq (and, let's face it, invaded unlawfully in the eyes of the UN) - if anything, the invasion has made the Middle East/Western World relationship more unstable.
It depends on what reason you believe is fallacious and/or unjustified. Your views will be different to that of mine, but I can tell you that Iraq as been at war with the Western World for a much longer time. Even since the Gulf war back in the early ’90, so the relationship has been pretty much zero for a long time. I think that most people disapprove the handling of the war, as appose to the actual war. Of course there was a threat between the " Middle East vs the Western world". The world had no reason to fear Germany (A. Hitler) back in WW1, but I guess everyone underestimated this. Sometimes one cannot wait, but to action and wait for the results. Shot now and ask questions later. Many more wars will happen, this is not the end. .
Iraq does have a government (don'cha know), and the majority of people really just want to get on with their lives. I have a really strong impression that once the Allies leave, that there will be some in-fighting but that within six months things will start to die down. In any case, it is not our problem to solve. But I think the US is reluctant to leave because Iran is likely to move in. Funny you should make that comparison... Hitler and WWII were the direct consequence of how the Allies dealt (very badly) with Germany after WWI. Similarly, the West has been screwing up the Middle East in many creative ways long before the Gulf War made people suddenly aware where their petrol was coming from, and now it is paying the price.
