For liberals and Democrats only, invading Iraq was a mistake, but if we leave too soon...?

Question

it could very well lead to greater, much greater instability in the area. Taliban, Iran, Shii'ite, Hezbullah, Al Qaeda, all grabbing some, pounding one another, creating more chaos, more instability, more civilian deaths, who, can want this?

I think we need to plan on staying for a long, long, time.

Answer 1

i am not a democrat or a liberal, I say invading Iraq was not a mistake and staying to the job is finished is the right thing to do.

Answer 2

That's a fair question, I find myself debating this as well. On the one hand, I opposed the war from the very beginning, and my views were marginalized because "everyone thought he had WMDs!" -- when I said I wasn't convinced, people would just look at me like I was from another planet. The problem with going to war in the first place is that this instability in the region was PREDICTED. This is why Bush I and even Clinton did not topple the regime, instead they sought to weaken it to impotence, but they knew the removal of Saddam would cause a power vaccuum. Now that's we're IN this mess, I find that people have the most unmitigated GALL to demand that democrats go in and fix this mess and at the same time, deride any and all measures that they suggest (redeploying troops to the iraqi border to seal off the instability, troop draw down, cutting off funding,etc ) by accusing them of "cutting and running". In MY opinion, if we are going to stay there, we need to put MANY more boots on the ground, I'm talking 100K at least, so that we can have sustained security, and no, I don't mean ONLY finding 20 corpses a day in the road, I mean finding 0 -- only THEN when security is established, will the new Iraqi regime get a chance to develop and living structures improve. I want this to happen with all my heart because I believe the Iraqis have been to hell and back and to hell again and because they deserve to live in safety like any human being. That being said, where are we going to find that number of troops? What kind of REAL sacrafice would Americans be willing to make? Could we re-institute a draft?? Start demanding that the people that were cheerleaders for the war, actually get off their fat behinds and start doing something about it?? Politically, this would not be feasable and everything knows it. There would be OUTRAGE from the right as there was when Rangel suggested the draft. But if we want to truly WIN this thing (by est. security, democratic gov) then that is the only way I see how to do it. The only other options we have are to continue to stay there, have the country descend further into chaos and to waste american lives and treasure in the process and STILL lose, or to pull out and redeploy to the border to at least stop this conflict from spreading.

Answer 3

However in the past 4 years the instability in Iraq has continued to grow. We haven't been able to stop these groups from grabbing power in Iraq. Look at Al Qaeda as you mentioned. They had little or no presence in Iraq and certainly had no power. Since we invaded Al Qaeda in Iraq has become a real problem, killing thousands. When we invaded Iraq, Shiites and Sunnis were living in the same neighborhoods, soon after we "stabilized" Iraq by overthrowing Saddam Hussein they began fighting each other and moving into isolated places. They may not have liked each other but it appeared that prior to our invasion Shiites and Sunnis at least tolerated each other.

Many believe that the only possible way for our goals in Iraq to succeed we must step back and take a very indirect role in their Country. By having our soldiers on the streets in an almost Marshall Law state, it only breeds contempt and hate. The people of Iraq are willing to support radical groups they would have otherwise avoided simply because those groups are fighting the occupiers of their Country. If we withdrawal a large number of our troops, leaving enough for continued training of Iraqi police and soldiers, Advisors to the Iraqi military and to protect our embassy, the Iraqi government will have a lot more influence in their Country. It will force them to step up and take responsibility for Iraq, and it will give neighboring Countries a reason to help Iraq rather than fight Americans.

All the goals the Bush Administration wants to accomplish in Iraq cannot be accomplished with a large U.S. presence in Iraq. If we continue down the same failed path we have been for 4 years, we will simply see more bloodshed and continued instability until Iraq fall into complete civil war and hundreds of thousands die in the process.

Answer 4

The government we created is totally dependent on the Mahdi Army and the political support of Muqtada al Sadr.
It is a Shiite Theocracy. As it is we supply the Troops Iran gives the Orders. If we leave there will be no reason for the foriegn al Quieda fighters to stay. Iraq will settle down into a Pro Iranian state.

Answer 5

We should have left this Cesspool immediately after the Iraq people held their elections!

And then started spending the Billions of Tax Dollars that were squandered there on America and the folks here that need it!

These savages have descended into Chaos because this is exactly where they belong since they can not resolve their own differences!

Differences between the Sunnies and the Shi'ites have existed ever since 640 AD!

Do you really think that Bush is intellectually capable of solving them?

I don't!

Answer 6

Instability is instability. No one can predict the future. Let's seal their borders and stay out of the civil war. No more combat. Just training of their security forces and border patrol. And let's put a time limit on that. Since what we are doing isn't working, and it was a mistake to begin with, what do we have to lose?

Answer 7

They said the same thing about Vietnam. It's still there. We didn't go to win (proof, the number of troops) we went to stay and steal. Many have become obscenely wealthy from this war and all wars. Time the peasants wake up and just say NO. Iraq will work it out.

Answer 8

Do you all even care what happens to these people? Seriously. We are there and they are dying anyway. No one cares. All I hear is "support the war" or bashing liberals because we don't. Why not come up with a viable solution to the problem. We have no way to predict what will happen if we leave. We are not military strategists. We are not CIA analysts. Did anyone think that if we leave, they might be happy about it and it will stabilize?

Answer 9

Given the past 6 years experience, there is no reason to expect Bush and his foreign policy team to be able to create stability there.

Answer 10

Bush lied to Congress via witholding opposite information, and the prevalent public replaced into once already whipped right into a frenzy. the people on your record were railroaded now no longer the option route round.

Answer 11

they are going to do this whether we are there or not...we need to get out of other country's business and let them sort it out for themselves...what gives us the right to tell them whats best for their government? especially since most Americans have no clue whats going on over there and they have no clue how these people think.

George Washington warned us to stay a solo nation and not dwell in the affairs of others...it's pretty apparent he was right.