Liberals: why do you think we can't win Iraq war?

Question

The United States, at a time in its history when it was an economically and militarily much smaller nation, simultaneously fought and defeated the Nazis and the Japanese Imperial Empire.

How can you insist that the U.S. cannot ultimately defeat some underfunded, poorly trained, under-educated Islama-Fascist thugs? We have reduced them to petty stunts like blowing up buses three blocks from where they live. We have contained their mayhem to their own turf, so no new attacks on U.S. soil.

Al Zarkawi implored his followers to hang on a little longer. He told them he realized that they were being crushed by the coalition forces, but sooner or later, stupid, naive American "anti-war" demonstrators would save the day for them.

Why are you falling into his trap?

Answer 1

I just had to read the answers to your question even though I am not a liberal.
For instance, I see someone pointed out that the UK is pulling out of Iraq - though not entirely true, that's big news in the media, but they fail to follow it up with the fact that the UK is actually deploying more troops into Afghanistan. Go figure.
It would be interesting to see the source of their enormous number of jihadists in Iraq that's bandied about in the answers.
The allies in Iraq have killed or captured the vast majority of alQaeda's leadership. They have helped set up a transitional democratic government and held public elections. There are numerous parts of Iraq that are settling in peacefully and going about their daily lives, but all you ever hear about is the sectarian violence and bloodshed in and around Baghdad - perpetrated by a small minority of blood thirsty, demented, Islamic die hard radical thugs.
If we lose this war after all of the strides we have made, it will absolutely be on the liberals' heads - irregardless of how hard they try to deny it and lay the blame elsewhere.
Their arguments are hollow - "Bush lied" "no WMDs" "Iraq not connected to 9/11" "war for oil" "freedom fighters" and on and on and on it goes. I wonder sometimes where these people were on 9/11. These radicals are not fighting because they were invaded - they are fighting for domination and sharia law - they are fighting AGAINST the Iraqi peoples' freedom. They are targeting the people of Iraq that support a free Iraq - the people who refuse to become part of their psychotic jihad and tactics of terror and murder.
Their only possible hope of salvaging a victory is if we quit - and that's a simple fact. And if we quit - if we don't live up to the commitments we have made to the Iraqi people - shame on us. And when the consequences are felt on our shores, you can bet the farm the liberals will lay the entire blame on President Bush.

Answer 2

"How can you insist that the U.S. cannot ultimately defeat some underfunded, poorly trained, under-educated Islama-Fascist thugs?"

Sure, we can kill them. We can kill them all (and their families too). More of them will just keep coming. Yes, we can kill those too. What will we (or anyone) have gained?

I am not for leaving Iraq. We screwed things up, & we need to try and help fix the situation; however, sending a few more troops in is not the answer. If they are need to re-enforce what is already there - fine, but this is not a winning solution.

We need a political solution. The bi-partisan Iraq study group thinks so too. Bush, unfortunately, is the wrong man for this job. He lacks the talent, or the vision, to see this through. He is going to stick to his "plan", never admiting he was wrong, right to the bitter end. The right wing media will continue to defend his actions, even as he ignores the will of the American people for change.

Answer 3

1) I am an independant, 2) I support our troops over there and all over the world. Having said that, the world wars were fought in a time when you knew your enemy. It was easy to spot a German/Japanese tank, or German/ Japanese plane, or German/ Japanese soldier for the most part. Our troops had a goal. Fight and kill enemy soldiers. In Iraq, our soldiers have been turned into a police force. Our troops are not trained to be a police force. They have to wait until attacked to fight back. You can't win a war without the ability to go on the offensive. Nor can our troops win a war fighting with their hands tied behind their backs.
Secondly, those "poorly trained and underfunded thugs" have adapted to every US strategy to overcome their IED's and have proven that they are able to inflict mass casualties at will. I am sitting back and watching, with a heavy heart, my generation's Vietnam. I really want the USA to win this war, but I just don't see how they can do it when the Iraqi government is too scared to stand on its own. Until they stand up we will keep watching our men and women come home in flag draped coffins.
As far as a trap, well if you call freedom of speech a trap, then I guess we are all falling for it in one way or another.

Answer 4

When the U.S. fought for its independence, we were a small band of petty thugs fighting against the extremely powerful England. We won. Just because you are larger than your opponent does not ensure victory. These people feel they are defending their homes and families and that is an incredible motivator.

Beyond that, the Nazi comparison is not in any way accurate. Pre 9/11 thinking is what you are trying to apply, and we have heard many, many times from the Bush Administration that pre 9/11 thinking will not protect us.

The "War on Terror" is the same type of "war" as the "War on Poverty" and the "War on Drugs". You will not win any of these by using superior military force. You will win these by taking different tactics.

We have actually already won in Iraq. We accomplished what we set out to do, which was to topple Saddam and remove the WMDs. Very easy to do since there weren't any. What we are doing now is nation building through brute force, and that will not ensure us success in any way.

Answer 5

Firstly I am not a liberal.

secondly the U.S did not single handedly win WWII, defeat the nazis and Japan. i don't understand why Americans constantly go on about this. WWII was fighting alongside many other nations to conquer a seen enemy with borders.
The Iraq situation is different - there is no seen enemy. there is nothing to win. We are all losers, most of all the civilian population of Iraq.
It will be a another Vietnam only much, much worse.
As someone said, you can't stop a 300 year old war just like that.

Answer 6

Bush and Rumsfeld screwed up from the very beginning.
They under estimated the resistance and let them get too much of a foot hold into Iraqs borders. They under estimated the help that the shittes got from Iran. they had the same attitude as you that they were underfunded, poorly trained, under-educated Islama-Fascist thugs. Also the US has never fought a war where people are willing to blow themselves up to kill a couple of infidels.

Answer 7

Good point, dude. You just talked about the negative side of a democratic political system. There are even skin heads and nazi organizations in your country. You can not enjoy the positive side of it and refusing to accept the negative. That's the price you must pay.

Answer 8

We had help in WWII. We didn't fight the Germans and Japanese by ourselves. The world was united against these enemies. We are the only people fighting in Iraq. I don't question whether we could win eventually, just wonder at what point do we let the Iraqis stand on their own. We took Saddam out of power. Our job there is done.

Answer 9

There is a difference between trying to force a population to agree with you and defeating a normal army. You are trying to compare apples and oranges.

Besides Iraq is not ours to win. It is the Iraq people that need to "win" it.

Answer 10

For openers, there's nothing to "win" and secondly we have no idea how to win that nothing. Saying we are going to install a democratic government sounds great, wonderful theory, surprise, it isn't working. Who was the idiot who thought we could march in there and change thousands of years of culture and thinking? That's why we can never win.