U.S. Soldiers - Do you agree or disagree with the Iraq war?

Question

I hear alot of pundits running their mouths about "what the soldiers think" but they really seem to be making it up as they go along.

I have been against the war in Iraq since its inception but have not had the chance to sit down and talk to anyone who has been there.

Enlighten me.

Well, it's going to be really hard to pick a best answer to this... it would be a shame to tell a soldier that they are right or wrong from the comfort of my air conditioned bedroom.
But I can say I would NOT pick an answer from either Warren D or Natsugusa as they are two extremes that can be chalked up to "old blow hards". Warren D is just war-happy and Natsugusa assumes that I am stupid for wanting to talk to US soldiers about their point of view.

Answer 1

Been to Iraq and in Afghanistan now. Yes I agree with the war in Iraq and even agree more with the war in Afghanistan. Both are just and are needed. Do I wish I was home. Heck yes. Any fool would. In the states I couldn't wait to get off work to go see my wife, but that doesn't mean I dont' like my job. Don't get the idea that us griping about not being with our families means we don't think our job is needed.

Answer 2

Of course non-military have a RIGHT to answer. There's nothing in the TOS for this website that prohibits a certain class of individual from posting a reply to a question solely on the basis of parameters set by the questioner.

Yes, a lot of talking heads do wave the flag from a discreet distance when it comes to the troops. I noticed you didn't say anything about OEF/Afghanistan, so I'll limit the commentary to Iraq.

Believing in the mission is not the same as ignoring the fraud, waste, and abuse that is going on within the ranks of the military and the contractors over there. While these incidents are not part of a greater plan to defraud the American taxpayer and enrich those already wealthy, there is a lot of BS going on when it comes to the procurement side of things and how things "disappear". That's why we have CID and UCMJ action, of course; but anyone who has been over there should, if at all honest, admit readily to incidents which do not show the armed forces in the best light. Those incidents are the handiwork of bad apples, not the organization as a whole.

When you see on the media stories of this or that crime perpetuated by errant Coalition forces, that is likely not an isolated incident, but it is by no means a pervasive trend - and certainly not grounds for condemning the mission. We do not go around massacring civilians en masse. We would not (belatedly) throw billions of dollars into the Iraqi economy and government to stand up its security forces and bring its infrastructure to acceptable levels.

A member of the public trying to justify the peacekeeping mission over there (it's a civil war now, not a war between us and the Iraqi government anymore) by quoting geopolitics is ridiculous. A non-academic or expert prattling on about terrorist plots and whatnot is more along the lines of a conspiracy quack trying to sell snake oil than a real picture of what is going on there. There are a number of good books published on the subject matter which will serve you better than a hundred of these answers. Email me for a list if you want one.

You can be against war on moral grounds. That's fine. You can be against intervention in the civil war in Iraq on other grounds. That's fine. What the reality is now, is that we are preventing a civil war between the various paramilitaries from going to the point of no return - a problem we unfortunately accelerated in the removal of a brutal and unforgivable dictatroship. Bringing us all out right now does not make peace descend overnight. You may have been against the war when it started; it is stupidity to maintain the same stance for the same reasons with the civil war in its present state.

If you are dissatisfied with the pundits, do your own research. Hearing from just one of us won't give you the full picture anyhow. Keep on asking before you make a final determination, and have that judgement be based on a sound appraisal of the evidence you acquire.

Answer 3

As you can tell, some who answered are NOT military. They think they still have a right to answer even though you specified otherwise.

We (soldier hubby and wife) agree with the war in Iraq. He's been over there 3 times already. We know what it's about and believe in it. The Iraqi people are not the insurgents or terrorists. The Iraqi people are happy to have us there. Their lives improve everyday because of what our military is doing. Of course the insurgents aren't happy, but they aren't the majority. It's just a few who hide among their fellow citizens. We're NOT fighting for oil. We're NOT fighting for daddy Bush. And for the one who said there are no ties to Al Qaeda, I suggest you do some research. There are ties in Iraq and they were known about in the Clinton administration. Clinton himself admits it. That's also why we've captured a few high men in that organization in Iraq.

Believe in your troops. They know what they're doing. Research far and deep. Don't listen to all the propaganda. You'll find there is a real reason.

Answer 4

I was US Army, not in this war, but I can tell you that fighting a war in which the enemy will not stand and fight is worse than terrifying, it is also demoralizing and profoundly frustrating to the point of a total loss of sanity. That is why there has been more suicides by soldiers during this war than any other in U.S. history. That is also why soldiers are just hosing people with machine guns after a roadside bomb goes off, they are being driven insane by the maddening uncertainy represented by every single pile of garbage or bump in the road. Little kids with cellphones or garage door openers know how and when to wipe out a humvee, so who do you shoot in retaliation?

By the way, anybody who thinks that there was any link whatsoever between al qaeda and Iraq is an unlightened, outright f_cking idiot or a liar. Al qaeda is a wahhabi organization, Saddam was a secular sunni who let Jews and Christians live in his country. Al qaeda hated him and wanted him dead. Look up the difference between sunni and wahhabi.

Answer 5

I was stationed in the persian gulf for 2 years straight from 1988-1990 and sent back for the 1st Iraq war. Like you I told my co workers that the Iraq war was going to be a disaster while they were all gung-ho. Now adays they aren't so gung-ho in fact there some what ashamed every day I show up for work reminds them of there stupidity. I am however completely for the war in afghanistan that is the perfect ground to pound these bastards no damn urban fighting so we can bring our artillery and air power to full effect something we can't do in iraq without slaughtering a bunch of civilians. Thankfully I am no longer in the navy otherwise I would be like my friend who is now disarming bombs for the marines . He is not at all pleased with his assignment in Iraq as soon as he finds and disarms one the bastards have set up two more. He says he's not fighting terrorist anymore he's fighting militias and the so called iraqi army as they are all shooting one another even the iraqi army is breaking into religious biased divisions it's only a matter of time before that army breaks up into sunni or shite militias. He wants his 30 years in to get a bigger retirement check. I told him to apply for an instructors position as soon as possible.

Answer 6

I've been to Iraq twice and would glady return if I had to. I believe in this cause and stand in support of our administration. Although it is a shame the way the war in has taken a bad turn for the worse, I believe if we leave now it will only make things worse for us and the Iraqi people.

Do you history on Saddam Hussein and his government. When you read about the atrocities that this man has commited and the evil he was capable of, you might think a little differently. He had to go.

And against the ignorant people in the worlds thoughts, we have not profited one cent off of Iraqi oil.

Sgt Benz USMC!

Answer 7

So the troops stay indefinitely then? regrettably, organising a democratic authorities isn't the be all and end each and every of the violence. The factional scuffling with has change into ridiculous! The Sunni/Shi'ite scuffling with has surely been happening for hundreds of years! i do not see the troops of the international stricking it out that lengthy to be honest.

Answer 8

I disagree with it. But if I have to go there to defend this country, I will. I say that eventhough I was not born in this country because I believe in defending the freedom that this country's soldiers, and all other countries, fought and died for.

Answer 9

i think the question was for SOLDIERS not for hippy tree huggers. I am in iraq right now and yes i agree. we dont have to like it but we do have to do it. i think we are going to make a differnce there i was ther for the elections with 1ID now i am here with 173rd and it is getting better SLOWLY. i took america almost 12 years to come up with a constitution. so give these people some time.

Answer 10

I've been military, but, sorry, this war in Iraq seems little more than putting our troops in harm's way. It certainly is not accomplishing any of the goals it set do to do, terrorist forces throughout the world are growing and we lose young, valiant men and women every day.