Choleric

The problem I see with the war is; all war stems from politics. There is always some political objective to be obtained when one goes to war (I forgot the quote but something like 'war is simply an extension of diplomacy'). In order to 'win' you need to have an objective, something I am not sure our administration has been so kind to tell us. They said WMD at first, none were found so the goal was achieved yet we're still there. Then remove Saddam, done, yet we're still there. Then to establish a Democracy, done, yet we are still there. The Administration does not even know what they want or what winning is to them, this will not end. Unless of course they do know what they want they just are not sharing.

And Rob while I share your concern for the Iraqi people if we pull out, in the end the Iraqis are not paying the taxes that pay for this war, so Congress/President will eventually see it like that and we will pull out, maybe not completely but a substantial amount of soldiers.

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Hypersonic

Totally.

...and once again the US will look like it is incapable of finishing what it starts.

If they don't intend to do the job properly, then don't give the Iraqi people false hope and then just pull out -- the US has a history of doing this in Iraq.

Choleric

Well that's what happens when you start limited wars.

Either go all in or not at all. If The US would put all of it's military weight into this, it would have been over in less than a year same goes for any conflict since WW2. Instead we spread ourselves out and don't commit to the most pressing need. If youre going to defeat an enemy you need to at least match their level of resistance. Something I don't think we're necessarily doing in Iraq.

Hypersonic

I agree with you Jeff.

The war in Iraq was always going to be won or lost in Washington ...not Baghdad.


As unpalatable as it might be for Americans to see their soldiers coming home in body bags -- this is the reality of war. Those young men and women joined the military ...not a ballet company. The very emotive political rhetoric often used by the likes of Obama and Clinton, does nothing to help the soldiers in Iraq at all.

Curb Zone