every reason bush gave for invading iraq turned out to be a lie!!!bush was warned before he invaded that this violence would happen,but he invaded anyway.the iraqi people are truly the innocent victims along with the soldiers and their families.what has bush and his supporters sacrificed besides other peoples lives.BUSH and CHANEY were to busy to fight when it was their turn,cowards,then becomes president and can not wait to send others to die.BUSH is worst than SADDAM!!!!america gave saddam the weapons to kill the kurds,the U.S. hands are not clean in this matter.

U.S. "strategy" in staying the course in Iraq is this simple: "Whippings will continue until morale improves."  Don't be fooled into thinking this is anything more than a way for the military to test its advanced weaponry and sick agenda of world domination (gluttonous budget without any restriction) for its own purposes.  Bush's cronies are a bunch of bullies and the military should have apologized and gone home after the fictitious WMD and fear mongering "mushroom cloud" claims were proven to be lies.  When the reason for invading was found to be false, so was any justification for being an occupying army.  Peace will never be found as long as the invaders are manipulating this puppet government.  Go home!

This is bad, but why isn't the thousands that Sadam killed and burie in mass graves been a center of attention instead of this emotional propaganda?

Wow read all of the previous bloggs and it's amazing how few have a clue those people who are killing our soldier's have no value for life they would rather shoot you than try and work out a deal life is cheap there. as for the ones who want to bring our troops home now, have you talked to or asked what our troopes want? they want to finish the job, so there brother's do not die in vein. and for all of yoy who believe what is in the news and papers. they are run from the left and you can't believe half of what they say. research and read other sources of the 18 or so counties (so to speak) that are in Irag the violence is in 3 to 4 not the entire country. there are alot of very good thing happening over there. and people mite try to help rather than sitting on there a$$ playing on there computers in there safe little homes in the great U.S.A. ps every one of those tropps over there are voluteers they new up front what they were singing up for, I took that oath too. god bless

The Media always finds the troops that do not want to be in Iraq and puts them on prime time.  Most of our troops know when they sign the dotted line to go to the military there might be a war.  Since Most Americans know that our guys and gals will gladly put thier life on the line for America(freedom)  I guess this story is about trying to make us feel sorry about the whole thing in a different point of view.  I will not forget watching these Iraq people dancing in the street on cnn while we were being killed from a hotel room I was stranded in.  I feel no pitty for any Iraq people.  They hate Me, My wife, My kids, My mom, My Dad and they hate You.  

Let's see..according to Francois Bechard of Paris, Saddam killed ONLY 300?  Would that be in his ENTIRE 20 year rule?---and we ( I'm guessing he means the USA ) supposedly caused the death of 300,000.
Never mind there have been MANY Mass Graves found throughout Iraq after Saddam's Fall, Never mind Sunnis/Shites are bombing each other daily if not hourly.

These are the type of people that seem to constantly get the cameras and attention from the Media stating  mis-leading if not out right lies ( NOT letting Facts get in the way ) WITHOUT being questioned as to where they get their numbers/info.

In short, ALWAYS consider the source, whatever the source ( in Francois's case...if there is one )?

The world moves on while we spin our wheels in Iraq. How big is Bush's coalition of nations now? 3 or 4 countries ?? We had many friends world wide after 9/11 but after the Iraq blunder and the stupidity of the American voters to put King George back in power we are now an island.

What you are all forgetting is America interference goes back along way before this war, guess who was funding Saddam against Iran during the Iraq vs Iran  war in the 80,s yes it was the good old USA these things will always come up and bite you, your poor American soldiers are also getting killed by weapons that were supplied by the US because it was more scared of Iran that Iraq, and Saddam thought he could get away with murder because you were allies at one point.

I am a former Marine (served a Middle Eastern Tour), and a stout student on Ancient History focusing on the Roman Empire. The reason I became a Marine was to become a warrior like my predecessors before me. I am bothered to my core that this country is looking more and more like the fall of the Roman Empire. We have just as much political differences, power struggles, and a weakened military due to being spread to thin. All factors is what brout Rome down, and we need to stop becomming divided as a country with this Iraq war. Unfortunately there is not a situtation like this in history to fall back on to learn how to get outselves out, rather we are making history in the decisions we make that will shape the future of the world. Does being in Iraq stink? Yes. Is there another way? Unfortunately, no. The world was placed in a situtation where non action would be worse that the action being currently carried out. The most modern example is the precurssor to WW2. Hitler was not checked, and the world waited. I understand Iraq is different from Hitler, but not in the fanitical idealism that the Iraq's display. The sad fact is if we leave and the terrorists stay, the middle east will be more unstable than it has been for a thousand years, and they will have a base of operations to carry out attacks against the world. We must prevail because the history of the world is in the balance. Out leaders need to unite to fight evil, instead of poilitcal power struggles and personal carreer, and financial interests. The death tolls that will come from defeat could be the human race, so these innoncent civilians are collotaral damage that are dying daily. So we must win to honor there lives, and for out own survival.

This mess is so much bigger and more disturbing than our inept president, with his arrogance and deception... Clearly it will take much more time and money than we as a (go it alone nation) can afford... There were and are greater imminent threats to the world balance, whether it be nuclear arms or crimes against humanity.... Why are we not down chinas throats? They have one of the largest nuclear stock piles on the planet. And a laundry list of human rights violations. Both by the way were interchanging justifications for going to Iraq.. (The reason?) Because america the beautiful and brave has a back door relationship with them. We borrow unbelievable sums of money from them as well as good old cheap products at your local wal- mart.. Cheap products sold by employees's here in the u.s. with no health care and assembled for cents on the dollar in sweat shops in china by women and children... Go figure, no wonder it's a bargain... Not to mention sending most of our manufacturing jobs over seas.. They have us by the balls... What about north korea? They seem to be making head lines every other week testing their nuclear missiles.. Short and long range, some they say can strike California.. And again like china a laundry list of human rights offenses... Reason? No oil... That and the powers that be pick rock fight's on a mass scale with nations they know or "think" from an arrogant point of view, can wipe the floor with... Prior to us "liberating them" Iraq was no heaven on earth... They had and have a history of violence.. Though we're not helping the situation.. If you watched the video feed above it stated in stark terms that 10 times as many are perishing from violent acts vs when saddam was in power... As for rebuilding their country?? We haven't, they have an average of 3-4 hours a day of electricity, clean drinking water and simple medicines are still not available... Were past the 4 yr mark into this... And you wonder why after blowing up there country and not delivering on our promises why they resent us... Much less support the troops with reliable intel or harbor no ill will... Saddam though truly evil provided a better daily life... Who are we to be the worlds police men? I mean don't we have enough problems on our own soil?????!!!!!   The muslim world and culture is one that is so foreign to us, much less a pig headed president who can't seem to read a prepared speech without stumbling over the first sentence.... I agree with many of the opinions of those that have written in.. I do think there are radical mind sets in the middle east. But no different than western religious arrogance claiming to bring peace, democracy and justice to it's grateful subjects.. They have their own faith and way of life, perhaps reality t.v and humvees aren't there slice of life... We're there for the oil lets stop kidding ourselves already. And to have geopolitical control over the region... There is little political will to free ourselves of oil addiction, so they will take what they want and leave the crumbs behind. Stirring up even more anti american sentiment... George W. is an oil man for christ sakes! Are you really serious?!!America is a hungry beast in need of oil and it's shameful to blame those that (DO) want peace in the region.. The voices of those that want to earn an honest living and raise their children are not being represented in these blogs, much less the media...

The war on terror is such an opened ended statement... Hitler and his quest for world dominance was a threat you could wrap your mind around.. The world rallied behind that cause and fought him back... True, Saddam was an evil man, a pawn at best to America.. His usefulness ran out, case closed....  I have two relatives in Iraq and believe you me my family worries for them every day...

My question is when will the american public wake up and stop caring about what paris hilton's next publicity stunt is going to be. And look at the mess we're in... How many back stories will we be fed for going there in the first place? Much less this illusion that there really is a plan... We fire more missiles, bullets and aggression, the extremist elements in iraq use it to there advantage... We don't exactly come off as none arrogant imperialist's who view our way of life as the only way that matters... It's a circular cycle of fight fire with fire that clearly isn't working!!!

Jihadist's, those "crazy towel heads" so many of you have focused on, are willing to die and are taught from birth that it's an honor to the family to kill themselves defending the muslim world... Long before the first american marine picks up his rifle to fire his first shot in 4 months of boot camp....

I'm not justifying this behavior in the extreme, what I will say is that we do not know or understand this enemy... America is an elephant attempting to fight off a swarm of hornets with it's trunk...

They are not all "crazed towel heads" as some of you have written in.. Just like the salt of the earth from the midwest here in America, some want peace.. By the way the salt of the earth are fighting this war not "W" or his daughters... If he's so convinced and dedicated to his cause he should send his daughters over there.. And for that matter any member of congress REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT...

WAKE UP!!!!!

1. 45 million in a nation of 300 million with zero health care... If you buy that number counting non legal residents (NUFF SAID)
2. Our jobs being sent off to the four corners of the earth..
3. "HURRICAN KATRINA" we are not prepared for disaster, nature or threats from abroad...
4. Education, enough said...
5. At best a dubious war with no end in sight, I don't think we should pull out tomorrow. What I do think we should be doing is working on a better way.. Is it to late? Who knows... Clearly we have lost nearly all our traditional allies. We're viewed as  occupiers not liberators... And our troops are carrying the burden... Thers no need for the draft when you keep sending them back for theor third and fourth deployments without rest.. That and not honoring the date of discharge.... The only thing we see as an indicator of this war is the record high gas prices... That of course and my generation having to pay down the huge debt our under qualified, fluke president drove up!

These are the REALITIES of our lives!!! Not brangelina, paris hilton and pimp my ride.... Just to name a few, wake up people your losing your country...................

This is my first ever blog.... so please bare with me. I keep reading about the deaths and the wounded in Iraq and it saddens my heart. I've always kept current with world news... and it makes me wonder, "What are we doing there?" As bad as we thought Saddam was as a leader, look what they have now, total chaos. I keep trying to remember why we went to Iraq in the first place... let's see.. at first it was because Saddam was in on the 9/11 attacks... then they were the WMD's .... then it was because of the way he ran HIS country. We may not agree with having a dictator, but who are we to say how another country should be run? A select few politcians in DC made the decision to invade and "save them. I never remember hearing about all of the chaos that is there now, before Saddam was taken from power. We as Americans are loosing more and more of our rights and freedoms each and every day.  Let's get out of Iraq and let's join together and fix the USA.

I am a former Marine (served a Middle Eastern Tour), and a stout student on Ancient History focusing on the Roman Empire. The reason I became a Marine was to become a warrior like my predecessors before me. I am bothered to my core that this country is looking more and more like the fall of the Roman Empire. We have just as much political differences, power struggles, and a weakened military due to being spread too thin. All factors are what brought Rome down, and we need to stop becoming divided as a country with this Iraq war. Unfortunately there is not a situation like this in history to fall back on to learn how to get ourselves out, rather we are making history in the decisions we make that will shape the future of the world. Does being in Iraq stink? Yes. Is there another way? Unfortunately, no. The world was placed in a situation where non action would be worse that the action being currently carried out. The most modern example is the precursor to WW2. Hitler was not checked, and the world waited. I understand Iraq is different from Hitler, but not in the fanatical idealism that the Iraq's display. The sad fact is if we leave and the terrorists stay, the Middle East will be more unstable than it has been for a thousand years, and they will have a base of operations to carry out attacks against the world. We must prevail because the history of the world is in the balance. Out leaders need to unite to fight evil, instead of political power struggles and personal career, and financial interests. The death tolls that will come from defeat could be the human race, so these innocent civilians are collateral damage that is dying daily. So we must win to honor their lives, and for our own survival. (I just sent this, but did not spell check it. This version is spell checked. Thank you.)

Anyone so stupid as to fail to realize that, if it was all about oil, Bush could have had exclusive access to Saddam's oil just by agreeing not to object to Saddam's rule, shuldn't be let out without a keeper.

How about this comment? If a Frenchman voiced his opinion in the Forest would it make anyone care? He says Sadam only killed 300 and we killed 300,000. Where has he been for the last 30 or so years when Sadam ordered the War on Iran and Kuwait and on his own people I believe that they are called the Kurds, anyone heard of them. I do not believe that anyone could get an exact total of all the People that Sadam Husein and his family had MURDERED but you can bet it is WAY more than 300,000. One thing is certain it is that Sadam kept all of this sectarian nonsense in check, but at what cost? He had to use an Iron Hand to keep these people from killing each other in the name of religion and if we have any hope of stopping this Civil War we will have to support a leader that is just as ruthless and unflinching as he was. I don't think that we should have gone in there this time anyway, we were lied to and deceived and continue to be. I was in for the first Gulf War and if we had finished the job then(You know when we had the full support of the Muslim World) we would not have to put up with all this now. I Support our troops as I was one but, I don't support this WAR!!!!!

The biggest problem here is that there still isn't an exit strategy.  George Bush Sr. and his policymakers thought about taking Saddam down during the 1st Gulf War but decided against it and didn't invade Baghdad. They predicted way back then that a similar situation to what we are seeing now could erupt. But George W. Bush didn't seem to care, and he and Cheney and Rumsfeld went in to shoot first and ask questions and reward huge re-building contracts to Halliburton later.  Nobody found any WMD's, no Nukes, no ties to Al Queda.  They lied to us all and a lot of us bought it.  And I'm sure that they are all profiting from this war somehow.  Now we're stuck with a gigantic problem that we can't solve anytime soon nor likely will we.  

Worst... episode... ever...    

This war is about Iran.  Iran wants control of Iraq (and its oil fields).  If that EVER happens, the whole world will feel the tyranny of a fanatical muslim regime forcing women to walk 10 paces behind a man (even her own husband) and forcing men to have more than one wife! (yes, one is enough).

If we leave Iraq as the lefty/communists in this country want, Iran will march in and take over in a day!  Then they will roll over Saudi Arabia.  Then you will be using tree sap to lubricate the wheels of your buggy as your horse pulls it down the street!

Yes Bush lied and misled.  Bush is using a heavy hand.  But we are stuck now.  To stay is is quagmire, to leave is suicide.  Hey, if the Kurds can live in peace and in a rather civilzed manner, why not the other groups?  I say we arm the Kurds and give THEM the reins of government, set up a military base in Western Iraq, and wait for Iran....

It's their fault, J.D.? Perhaps. But I will assure you that every single state in America would experience a similar fate if the "rule of law" was to suddenly disappear. You see, the US is responsible. However hated by the current administration, Saddam provided order. We destroyed that and the old hatreds blew up in our faces, and theirs. This, to be sure, was not a mistake. The US planned and fully understood the ramifications of de-stabilizing the area.

I am not surprised to see the american people so nieve
about the the wars in Afganistan and Iraq. Its time for everyone to think outside the box ( TV ) and realize that yes, the war is about oil . But can you not see the 800 lb gorilla in the room . Anyone with an attention span longer than a 30 second sound bite
knows it has always been about IRAN . When a radical religious government publicly announces its desire to wipe whole civilizations off the face of the earth you have act . People, mommy can not make this go away. So between the antacid commercials and
the viagra commercials, maybe , hopefully, you all understand that if Iran gets its hands on the oil spicot, with thousands of willing terrorist martors and a nuclear weapon, we just might be wiped off the face of the earth . Sadly this will not get your attention until suicide bombers are a weekly occurance in this country and you see it on the nightly news. It can`t happen here right?

Wow, what to say to some of these comments! Paige (Denver,CO)"...the US did its job when they were asked..." WTF!! Who asked??? Ron (Whitehopuse,TX) "So we come in and get rid of him, help them set up a government, rebuild most of their utilities, rebuild their schools, attempt to train their people to take care of themselves, and we are INVADERS?" Yes, you are INVADERS! I see the GREAT job you did rebuilding. Now before anyone jumps on me for being from Canada, remember that when the Taliban in Afganistan supported terrorism, we went and are LEADING the mission there. When GW said there was WMD in Iraq and he needs to be removed(after the US put him in power)the Canadian people asked for the proof(no proof,no troops)Wake up, history will judge GW for finishing Daddy's little war!!  

Does anyone not notice the word US spells us meaning you and me how come you or I are not doing something directly to change what is going on in Iraq? Everyone is blaming everyone else but themselves.  George Bush is our leader ignorant yes definitely but WE chose him (well those of us that cared enough to vote although I didn't vote for him, but majority rules right?)so how come we heap all the blame on him.  We are a democratic nation and you and I could change things in the way this nation runs if we stood up individually and let our voices be heard.  I was already serving  in the military defending MY country when 9/11 happened where were you? sleeping watching tv?  I voted in the elections because I cared about who was going to lead my country (my life)Did you sit idly by? If anything is going to get resolved in this world everyone needs to pay attention to what is going on and act not let everyone else do the work. Have some human compassion and help our neighbors out.

What's going on now is truly an illustration of the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes' comment about the "war of all against all."  And his solution was the election of an "absolute sovereign" whose sole function would be the survival of anyone against the onslaught of another even at the cost of freedom.

america beware!  don't fall for the sad images of the mess over there and say we should take in thousands of 'those poor people'.  you will be simply importing the sunni/shiite nonsense mess into america!  the carnage is americas' fault, but keep it over there.    tito kept the lid on yugoslavia with an iron fist, saddam kept the lid on iraq with an iron fist.  now you see what happens when you kick open a hornets nest!

Dear Francois: Part of what you think is true.I am NOT a bush supporter- or a supporter of our troups(male, and female, with children at home, often) staying in Iraq, and God forbid, going into Iran. We should have ended it when Saddam was brought down, and no Wmd's could be found. we are interfering in a country's civil war, and we should get out of there- as long as we stay, they can blame us, and attack our soldiers. What I do disagree with you is the fact that Saddam killen only 300. Apparently you have forgotten, or did not know about the entire Kurdish villagers, killed by some kind of poisonous gas. Women and children, included. Thanks for listening. Nan

Have you people by any chance forgotten Sept. 11 th.  I beleive there was three thousand people murdered by the Islamists.  We will stop them there or here, If they come here I hope that it is the Kennedy', Kerry's
Biden's etc. that they target. instead of innocent U.S. citzens.

Does anyone still remember Vietnam? I do. I was there and it really sucked and it F----d up the life of everybody it touched. Is Iraq another Vietnam? No. It's worse. This is a tar baby we are not going to be able to let go of anytime soon. This is going to get worse, a lot worse.

Funny how people say that there has been strife between the people there forever considering there was total peace unitl the UK carved up the borders in order to cause problems among the different people in the region (wonder why Kurds are divided into so many countries???) and the US supported the killling that Saddam commited with weapons, money and intelligence.

Wow, JD, so because they've been at war for centuries, it gives us the right to destroy their homeland, infrastructure, roads, bridges, hospitals, educational institutions, for what we said was "freedom?" If it was about freedom, why are we waiting for them to sign the oil agreements to give our corporations access to majority % of their oil?  This is criminal, and the US presence has EVERYTHING to do with continuing violence.  Before we invaded them, they had more educated women in positions as doctors, lawyers, etc. than we do.  Why do we think we're so superior and they're inferior, that it's their fault we continue to be there?  And what about the supposed reason for this war anyway?  Wasn't it about finding Bin Ladin?  Or have we so lost sight of our original reason, we need to debate why it's OK to continue destroying innocent people?  IF some country came over here to the US and did to us what we're doing to Iraq, you can bet we'd be fighting just like they are.

In the tune of God Bless America, I offer the following words of hope, faith, and love to all mankind and all who have been saddened by the loss of life of so many.

God bless the human race
Help us to see
We are sisters and brothers
We should live in a world filled with peace

Teach us kindness
And compassion
Understanding
One and all

God bless the human race
Bless one and all
God bless the human race
Bless one and all

As a veteran of a war I know first hand of its horror.  War is hell!  In six thousand years of recorded history humankind has been unable to find a satisfactory alternative, and that is the truth despite our knowledge of what causes war.  The Iraqi people are a proud people, but I find them to be just like the South Vietnameese were:  If they really wanted democracy they would have it. Our constant disunity in America does nothing to convince them democracy is worth it.  God bless the Iraqi people, our troops and God bless America.

There are no simple answers to the Iraqi question. The war was unnecessary and we cannot leave now because there is no telling how far and wide throughout the already-troubled Middle East. Allowing fanatics free reign was not the answer either. The answer lies in diplomacy...period...and a LOT of it too.

OK, Ashley from Tuscon, I agree with you to a point, but go a step further and ask, "how is this different from George Bush wanting to control the world through globalization and corporate greed?

HOWN STUPID ARE YOU ALL. ANOTHER VIETNAM WITHOUT THE SHARED SUFFERING. OUR SO CALLED LEADERS CAUSED THIS DEBACLE, THROUGH LIES, TO A NAIIVE POPULACE. HISTORY SPEAKS AGAIN, JUST AS LYNDON JOHNSON LIED ABOUT THE GULF OF TONKIN. AMERICA HAS BEEN HAD ONCE AGAIN BY ANOTHER LIAR, BUT SINCE THE PEOPLE DO NOT READ, OR MORE PRECISELY READ HISTORY, AND LIVE IN A FANTASY WORLD, WE HAVE LET THE POLITICIANS USE OUR MILITARY FOR NATION BUILDING,FORCING THE REALISTIC, PROFESSIONAL MILITARY OFFICERS, WHO DISSAGREED WITH THIS ACTION TO RETIRE OR BE FORCED OUT. READ TONY ZINNI'S BOOK, "BATTLEGROUND", AND ESPECIALLY THE LAST CHAPTERS AS TO THE MISUSE OF THE MILITARY MACHINE.

BY THE WAY I AM A 2 TOUR MARINE GRUNT VETERAN, WHO BELIEVED THE RHETORIC OF THAT GENERATION, AND LEARNED YEARS LATER WHAT A CROC IT WAS, JUST AS THESE GUYS AND GALS WILL LEARN HOW THEY WERE USED. THIS ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE TRIED AT THE HAGUE, FOR WAR CRIMES.

I agree with Down with Iraq. I'm sick and tired of these whiney people who b**ch and complain about this government, let alone this country. If you don't like it here, then leave. I've been in 5 wars since the early 70's and I'm feed up with these communistic views of " We don't belong there". Damn it people, Remember what was done to us during Pearl Harbor and also Korea. GI's were being killed for such reasons of having a tatoo on their chest and these were used to make lamp shades. So don't come b**ching to me about all of the killing over in Iraq. I've been there and have seen it and I say
"Payback is a Bitch" This also goes for all those towel heads living in this country, Homey don't play that. If you can't speak English, then get the f^^k out!!!  

I am saddened by all of the lives lost in this war, and for those left behind to deal with the aftermath.  Yes, it is all horrible, and yes we need to bring our troops home.  

This is to "Down With Iraq".  I am a daughter who lost her father to the war in Vietnam.  I can tell you that I have first hand knowledge of what it is like to lose a parent to war and I have seen sons and daughters in BOTH countries and how they have suffered because of the idiotic mistakes of their respective administrations.  Just when I think I've heard everything, then I read your comments.  When you think, as you put it, of "dropping the A bomb and getting rid of all of them", not to mention how they are all disgusting people and serve no use", are you referring to the children as well?  When you spread this hatred, remember that there but for the grace of God go you.  It is only by accident of birth that you aren't the citizen of Iraq and perhaps one of the innocents who you insist should be exterminated.  I hope and pray that you aren't a father or mother, but if you are, ask yourself if your wishes would still be valid if someone were speaking about YOUR child as being useless and that they should be wiped off the face of the earth simply because of the country of their birth.

I disagree with the claim that the only solution is that "they" (the Iraqis) just have to stop killing each other.  It's not just an Iraqi issue.  It's a human issue, and more specifically, certainly a US foreign policy issue of preemptive war with civilian casualties.  When innocent people die, it's usually not about revenge, and usually not the fault of the dead.  The death toll was pretty high from American bombings and actions before most of the sectarian violence began.  We started the war on false claims of WMD's; we went in with an inadequate force because Rumsfeld wanted to conduct a PR campaign about how one could wage a war on a small budget, and this very PR campaign cost innocent civilian lives because the forces were not large enough to keep order.  This didn't matter to the administration, as long as most of those dying were "those Iraqis," and as long as the US soldiers dying were not the sons of Republican politicians and war profiteers.  And there is also some evidence (in the form of news stories) that covert British and American forces were discovered wearing Iraqi civilian garb, heavily armed, with bomb-making materials on their persons, and taken to police stations, only to be sprung free by coalition forces.  One strategy of war is "divide an conquer," and it seems that one of the (failed) plans may have been to incite sectarian violence by bombing mosques and other incidents, as covert actions, so that the Iraqis might be too busy killing each other to give coalition forces as much trouble.  But blaming the Iraqis for killing each other is like the ancient Romans blaming the people of Israel for having to destroy their temple in the decades immediately after Jesus.  It's a nice trick with mirrors for washing one's hands of guilt, and it might give some temporary relief, but in the end, as Shakepeare showed, once your hands have blood on them (and in this case, a nation's hands), it's hard to get the spot out.

My opinion is let the towel heads kill each other. The less of them...the better. We have enough taxi drivers. I think we drop one A-bomb and clear that hole of a country off the map! Make it one huge glass plate (From the heat of the A-Bomb!) They are ALL disgusting people and serve no purpose on this planet!
How Rude down with Iraq! They are not disgusting people! They are human Beings like the rest of us. You are one sick person and serve no purpose on this planet. The world would be better off without your kind!

remember 9-11 democrats and repulicans alike voted for us to go over there now they now its election time it's a different story clinton bomb them because of wmd he said they had what about kosno troops still there when george h did not go in to irag we where all mad at him where would france be and  guam and the rest of euorpe be if we did not go in world war 2 most of you should watch red dawn if we dont win there thats how it is goneing to be here none of us want war especialy george w. it was put it his lap because of presidents before him and yes god will forgive him no one likes the 3,699 men women we have lost over the last four years but we did not like the 4000 we lost in one day here in our homeland stand up for your country and suport our servicemen and women GOD BLESS THE U.S.A  

Wiether or not saddam placed a surrent threat or not do you truly believe he would be content to stay on his side of the world? I agree that he is like Hitler, take over his part of the world then move on to the rest. Charles from Olympia, why do you think we are imposing? Have you asked the people yourself or have you gotten that from the media. ALL media is biased so unless you see it first hand you never really know. Francois Bechard, where did you get your numbers. We didn't kill 300,000 people. That also includes the killings done by raticals and terrorists on their own people. Don't make it seem that it is the troops that did all that.

Everyone appears to be citing the American invasion as the cause of the sectarian violence.  Let's keep in mind this violence has existed for hundreds of years at varying levels of intensity.  True, the invasion destabalized (for better or worse) the country and created conditions for this violence. Stop quoting the mottos of your political parties and research the history of the region.

Facts: Yes, the American invasion destabalized the region.  No, the American invasion is not the cause or creator of 'sectarian violance,' a term meaning violence among a simialr group of different sects.

If Iraqis only had America to blame, they would only be attacking Americans.  They are fighting amongst themselves, enemies to themselves, with the US caught in the middle.  

The US might have opened a pandora's box in Iraq, but it's a box they did not create.

See Honza P's comments above, they are an informed argument.

Paige in Denver, you cannot support the military and not the war. Remember we have been attacked 2 times and many more tried in recent years. Honza you see clearly.  Charls,  This this thing is for OUR DEFENSE, not oil, that is a side item.  Even with the horriblee deaths today, Sadam's era had far more each month. These people are evil, that is EVIL got it, a world terror,and we must not fail, or we will perish.
Spain, France,and now England are all falling to their control slowly, but definitively. Their goal is to gain control through fear, and these countries are giving in.  Our bickering in the US is fueling the Al-Qaeda attacks in holes we will pull out, give in and shame the US to the world as a people who do not keep a promise.  Who would ever believe us again?

To J-D in Texas.  Read history.  Iraq, like the former Yugoslavia, was created artificially at the end of WWI by the European powers.  Britain invented Iraq out of three different groups of Arabs that were historically at odds with one another. Britain did this intentionally to keep the country called Iraq dependent on the British empire.  Britain wanted the oil and the power of controlling Iraq and thereby much of the Middle East.  The US walked into this war with the knowledge that a foreign invasion and take down of the dictator that held the country together would result in Civil War.  We knew this yet we seem to have no plan, no concept of what "victory" would mean as we invaded and destroyed a foreign government.  I agree that it is deeply sad that the powers that be aren't listening to the people who are in Iraq dealing with the realities there.  I want us out.

Way to go Asley in Tuscon. Francois, you have your numbers way off. Dear Sam in Ft. Lauderdale, If we are so wrong, and Iraqi's are so right, why do you live under "bloodthirsty and money hungry rulers"  here?
Thanks Douglas! And Karen O In PA well said.

There is no doubt that ethnic cleansing in Iraq is stimulated by the Americans who constantly use one group against the other to further their objective of controlling the Iraq state. These are not irresponsible Iraqis who kill each other this is the occupying force that uses bribes, coerses, forms alliances and counter-alliaces to assure their way of accessing natural resources and having obedient puppets in power that causes this dramatic urge for revenge in Iraq!

To Mike and terry:

When a country is destabilized (when it is invaded by an outside force), the result is lawlessness and a grab for power.  The people living in Iraq didn't ask for the U.S. to invade their country.  And when the country was destabilized by our forces moving in, then Iraqi groups  vying for power (religious, sectarian, Al-Qaeda) saw the opportunity to assert their power in attempt to dominate.  Any time, an outside force creates a vaccuum in a country, someone or some group is going to try to fill it - historicall this has been done by violence, intimidation, terrorist acts - this is nothing new - and could have been predicted long before the U.S. decided to move into this country.  The violence will continue - the Iraqi people have either left their country due to the violence - or if they think they have half a shot at regaining some type of a foothold in the region they still consider their home - they will stay and fight - this is not going to change.  Maybe, it's possilbe it will change if the U.S. decides to redeploy.  But President Bush as far as I can tell has no intention of redeploying the troops.  So, all I can say is - expect more of the same.

Bob

P.S.  Thanks to the comments of Sam from Florida and  Karen's concerns from Downingtown, PA

one of McCarthy's characters said, "all children know that play is more noble than work, and the bigger the wager the better the game so war becomes the ultimate game w/the ultimate wager; young men love it and old men love it in them"-maybe it's not so much a difference of culture or religion as it is a genetic tick that's a bit on the bloody side,, "wars and rumors of wars", until the grand finale. in stability courses they always stress the tipping point, "if you don't learn anything else please learn how to calculate that!"

First i think that Bush should be impeached for masterminding and creating this war that was for no reason and with no purpose, well other than controlling a huge oil source. Thousands of Americans have lost their lives for nothing, absolutley nothing, and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi's lost their lives as well wether on the hands of the invading troops or the radical muslim insurgents. I think that at least 90% of those Iraqis killed by terrorists didn't choose their tragic ending, rather it was imposed on them while shopping in the market, praying in a mosque, or having a hair cut at a barber shop.
It is true that Saddam was a bloody leader who imposed no threat on our country, but does that mean that the US has to act as a world police and try and liberate the oppressed people of the world? There are at least another 78 country with horrible regimes, how about go libertae all of them! We should get out of Iraq as soon as possible but before that Bushm Laura, and the twins should go fight on the war front to get a real taste of what war is really about.

Saddam killed 300 my rearend, try 3 million, Francois.  You are a typical frenchman, who despise the same americans who liberated your country twice in one century. For the rest of you complainers, wait till it, the war,  gets over here then you will really have something to complain about.  It is no coincedent that we havent had another 9-11. Our president has said one thing which is right on the money. "We can fight the terrorists over there or here, which do you prefer."  We arent killing the majority of Iraqis, the insurgents are.  We can pull out and sit on our hands like the last 6 yrs in the 90's, and watch everyone kill each other.  Then you can bet your a-- they will hit us again. Then we will want to go kick some butt again and try to figure out which political party was responsible for the terrorist act.  I could have save congress millions if they would have called me and asked who was responsible for 9-11. "The Terrorists" duh! Instead they spent a fortune trying to pin it on each other.  When it comes down to it we are Americans, not Republicans or Democrats. Sorry but I am sick of the blame game.  

We have invaded another country premptively, decided torture is ok, lied, and let our basic freedoms we so cherish and purport to want to spread evaporate, use fear for political puposes...this administration is killing everything we stand for.  We amy not make it until Jan 09.  This film should be shown everyday.

If anyone thinks for a minute that the US is in Iraq for the oil, they are absolutely mistaken.  The US is in Iraq in order to keep the Arab busy fighting yet another war.  The only thing that is left is to destroy Iran with tactical Nuclear weapons, and create another failed state.  With Iran and Iraq destroyed, there will not be a single Arab power left in the region that can pose a threat to Israel.  The only thing that is left to find out in my opinion is how dangerous can Iran become if we decide to attack it.

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