The War In Iraq

[ByRandom]

I was watching CNN on my lunch break whenever they started talking about the people who were running for president. How the War in Iraq was going to be a major role in votes.... How the general U.S. Citizen doesn't support the War in Iraq... Frankly, it pissed me off.

Sooooo..

[RANT]

I don't care if you're a Republican, Democrat, or Liberal. Whether you are Left-Wing or Right-Wing or Buffalo-Wing. Or if you are even an uber-Conservative...

We all share something in common. We either are related to, or know someone that is currently, or has in the past, served in the military. For me, it is my brother. He goes back for his second tour of Iraq in December...

It doesn't matter if we love George Dub-ya or if we hate him. It doesn't matter if we agree with all the politics and/or truth fabrication that led to the War. All that matters is the fact that there are thousands of American citizens (someone's brother, someone's son, someone's sister, someone's daughter, someone's cousin, etc.) that are in Iraq RIGHT NOW. We need to support our troops, no matter who is in "charge".

I know that it is VERY demoralizing for our troops to hear how many people don't stand behind them. To hear how many campaigns are centered around the War.

As Darryl Worley said:

"I said I just came back from a place where they hated me and everything I stand for. A land where our brothers are dying for others who don't even care anymore."

People just need to open their eyes...... :wall:

[/RANT]

 

[RoseT]

Amen... This is my Brother in law's 2nd tour over there and not one day goes by that I don't miss him dearly and worry. I have all sisters and he is like a brother to me. He missed his 1st son being born on his 1st tour over there and I know that hurt him but he knew what he had to do and he does it well. I can't say how proud of him and all the troops that risk there lives for their country. And I want the families who lost someone to know they didn't die in vain.

 

[BalloonzForU]

I agree you don't have to support the war, just support the men and women that are over there and the sacrifices they are making.

I'd hate to see these guys treated like they were when our guys came back from Vietnam.

Whatever the war or the reason behind it or whether we agree are not, our troops deserve our respect.

My uncle served in the first gulf war as a Marine, and is still paying the price with his health, as are his wife and kids.

 

[scottmckillips]

That was one of the best post I have read in awhile!!

I wish people would think before they speak. They don't realise what they say can add fuel to the oppositions fire, which in turn gets more of our brave troops killed.

You don't have to agree but, when you hold these anti war rallies people in Iraq see this. It not only lifts them up it lowers the moral of our troops. Which is not good at all.

I can not even begin to say how proud I am of the soldiers and their families. The sacrifices you all make I can not ever show who much it means to me!!!

Bless you all,
Scott

 

[Nastynotch]

kudo's to the fine men and women who put things aside to go fight in the war. Just not the cause for the war itself is there anymore.:main_huh:

But i really do wonder how it will effect elections. who do you want to be head of state?

 

[KiKi]

i dont support the war in iraq, but i support our men and women who are there fighting and would love to have them home soon

 

[ByRandom]

I may be going way out on a limb here, and might receive some flaming.. however..

What most people don't realize, or at least those people who are advocating bringing our soldiers back right now, if we pull out 100% now, insurgents are going to wind up taking Iraq back from the democratic government, and it will then again be a safe-haven for terrorists. Meaning what? All of our soldiers that we have lost since the beginning of "Operation Iraqi Freedom" (which happens to be 3,512 according to http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/) would be for naught. Everything that the soldiers believed in (or at least were ordered to do -- putting their lives on the line) would automatically be reverted to chaos. At this point, the Coalition Troops are "guests" of President Jalal Talabani according to many reports I have read. He (speaking of President Talabani) has said numerous times that he is in control of Iraq, that He tells the United States what he is or isn't going to do. How much of that do I believe? Comparable to the amount of WMD's Georgie found in the beginning..

Now, this doesn't mean I support the war at all. On the contrary, I think that the US has needed to pick and choose the battles and wars, instead of jumping in head first. Then again, we've been the world's Big Brother since the conception of the Monroe Doctrine.

So I'm split. I think that in the beginning, Georgie was looking for any reason to go in and get Saddam (which should have happened 10-20 years before it did). However, now that we've been in Iraq for so many years, the coalition troops are an integral part of society there. If you take them out, there is nothing that can stand in the way of Al-Qaeda, Mehdi Army Militia, Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn, Ansar al-Islam, Badr Brigade, Mujahedin-e-Khalq (http://www.milnet.com/pentagon/centcom/iraq/Terrorism-in-Iraq.html) and all of the other radicals who are active in violence in Iraq.

I for one don't want the entirety of Iraq to be against the United States. All of the kidnappings, murders, assassinations, and torture that would then be at hand is, quite frankly, horrifying.

In the beginning we took Iraq from a man who was performing his own version of genocide. Do we want another Hitler, another Hussein, another Stalin, and so on, to come to power...?

[/Unexpected Rant]

As far as the voting. I don't think Iraq will play much importance except for which party the person is from. Democrats campaign around taking the soldiers out of Iraq ASAP where as Republicans campaign around the gradual retreat.

 

[OSUgecko]

To be "for peace" sounds so wonderful and politically/morally correct on the outside... but sometimes good people have to stand up and fight in order to change life for the better. GW's not perfect by a long shot, but if his vision of a stable democracy established in the Middle East (besides Israel) is eventually fulfilled, there will be hundreds of thousands of people thanking him and our troops later on in history.

It's hard to see the big picture when you're caught in the middle of a situation. Our Founding Fathers were a bunch of "upstart rebels" that angered a much larger military power that they by all rights shouldn't have been able to defeat... the Civil war caused more casualties than the entire Iraq war in countless single battles, and seemed to be a profound waste of life at the time... etc., etc.

On another note, does anyone else get REALLY MAD when the media is constantly interviewing anti-war activists and almost completely ignoring the amazing successes that our troops have pulled off since entering Iraq?

According to CNN, I am apparantly not a "general US citizen," and neither are most of my friends. As a patriotic American, I am proud to go against the flow and support our troops!

 

[PrototypeGeckos]

On another note, does anyone else get REALLY MAD when the media is constantly interviewing anti-war activists and almost completely ignoring the amazing successes that our troops have pulled off since entering Iraq?

That aggravates me more than anything!!! Yes the presidents approval ratings are really low, but that doesn't mean go out and interview these people and impower the enemy. They do have a voice, that is the beauty of our country, but don't broadcast it so that it can impower our enemy and belittle (might not be the word) out brave men and women in harms way.

 

[GeckoStud]

I by no means support the war. I do however support our troops, and just hope that it all works out in the end, whether it be by victory or withdrawl.

And yeah, the constant anti war interviews do irk me, especially when they leave our boys successes in the dark...

 

[Gecko]

Not to start a fight, but what's the point of saying you can have a voice, but keep it quiet. You can say whatever you want in China and any other country to as long as you keep it quiet.

It just really bugs me when people use that because 9 times out of ten it seems like it's a tactic for trying to keep the opposition from voicing it's opinion.

 

[BalloonzForU]

Not to start a fight, but what's the point of saying you can have a voice, but keep it quiet. You can say whatever you want in China and any other country to as long as you keep it quiet.

It just really bugs me when people use that because 9 times out of ten it seems like it's a tactic for trying to keep the opposition from voicing it's opinion.

What we are say is if the media is going to put anti war protest and the like in the media, then they should also show something that supports the men and women that are over there fighting. Yes some of them joined just because of the war, but most were already in our armed services before this war and have no choice but to be there, whether they believe in the war or not.

It really has nothing to do with whether you or I believe the war is right, it has to do with supporting our troops and their families. They put their lives on the line in the name of freedom for our country. They gave that to us as soon as they signed the dotted line that put them were they are today. They have all put not only their lives in danger by being over there but put their personal lives on hold, some never seeing their children being born, or their first steps, or to be home when a loved one is sick, or a losing a parent, family member or bestfriend. They deserve more from us than they are getting.

 

[ByRandom]

What we are say is if the media is going to put anti war protest and the like in the media, then they should also show something that supports the men and women that are over there fighting. Yes some of them joined just because of the war, but most were already in our armed services before this war and have no choice but to be there, whether they believe in the war or not.

It really has nothing to do with whether you or I believe the war is right, it has to do with supporting our troops and their families. They put their lives on the line in the name of freedom for our country. They gave that to us as soon as they signed the dotted line that put them were they are today. They have all put not only their lives in danger by being over there but put their personal lives on hold, some never seeing their children being born, or their first steps, or to be home when a loved one is sick, or a losing a parent, family member or bestfriend. They deserve more from us than they are getting.

Exactly. Great minds do think alike! :main_thumbsup:

 

[eyelids]

I think the war is BS... I support the troops, but not the ideals of the CIC... I have dozens of family and friends who've been to Iraq or are still there and worry about them constantly. We should never have gone there to begin with, but now that we have been there for over FOUR YEARS, I agree with Josh that we cannot pull out. This war won't end until the insurgency is defeated and (or) the Iraqi government is successful at GOVERNING their country.

 

[BalloonzForU]

I think the war is BS... I support the troops, but not the ideals of the CIC... I have dozens of family and friends who've been to Iraq or are still there and worry about them constantly. We should never have gone there to begin with, but now that we have been there for over FOUR YEARS, I agree with Josh that we cannot pull out. This war won't end until the insurgency is defeated and (or) the Iraqi government is successful at GOVERNING their country.

Right on!! :main_thumbsup:

However I do believe we did need to do something about Iraq, however I think it should have been done back in 1991!!!

 

[ByRandom]

Right on!! :main_thumbsup:

However I do believe we did need to do something about Iraq, however I think it should have been done back in 1991!!!

Instead, George-Dubya Sr. decided Hussein was the lesser of all evils, armed them, gave them money and training, and set them loose... My brother told me that they were still raiding arms caches that were all US military surplus that were "sold" to Iraq in the early 90's.....

 

[eyelids]

Instead, George-Dubya Sr. decided Hussein was the lesser of all evils, armed them, gave them money and training, and set them loose... My brother told me that they were still raiding arms caches that were all US military surplus that were "sold" to Iraq in the early 90's.....

Reminds me of the movie Lord of War...

 

[PrototypeGeckos]

However I do believe we did need to do something about Iraq, however I think it should have been done back in 1991!!!

Exactly!!! I think the same way, something does need to be done with Iraq, but it should have been taken care of in 91!:main_thumbsup:

 

[goReptiles]

Derek you said it. I agree completely with everything you said.

Although I don't support or agree with the war, I do support the mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, who are there.

 

[Nastynotch]

How long have we been backed in a situation like this? We're just fighting Terrorist instead of Comunist.