Is the war in Iraq really a resounding success?

Question

Earlier today, I heard on the radio that according to a poll, fewer than 1/5 of all Iraqis had confidence in the US military's ability to maintain order in Iraq and 86 or 87% of all Iraqis fear that they or someone in their family will become the victim of violence.

Answer 1

In order to measure success, we have to have a set target or goal to measure against. We do not have that. Therefore, it is impossible to comment upon success or failure.

The Iraqis' opinion should count for more than our own, though...don't you think?

Answer 2

Absolutely not! I think there have been BIG problems in fighting it, which I hope the administration is addressing. But I believe the decision to go in was the right one given the facts at the time, and that we need to prevail.

Rumsfeld's "small footprint" was a bad idea. It may possibly be that the administration was totally incompetent in not planning better. History will judge. Surely in retrospect one can see that the troop "surge" and change in rules of engagement was at least a year too late. The problem metastasized in 2006, after promising elections and other developments in 2005. The big mosque bombing in February of 2006 set off a major wave of problems - whether more troops would have prevented that is doubtbul. But closing the borders, going after al Sadr, etc. SOONER would have helped.

In retrospect, Bush seems strangely detached and/or stubborn in the face of these developements, only waking up after the election. Then again, when much of the criticism was of the "Bush lied/Bush is a Nazi/Halliburton/it's all for oil" variety rather than CONSTRUCTIVE critisism, I can't fault any serious person for shutting it out. Maybe there was a good deal of worthwhile criticism - McCain has consistently said we need more troops - but I wish the debate had been more substantive. But that's always the case - slogans win out. "Stay the course" vs "bring the troops home."

I do hope we are on track now. The violence is still present, but decreasing. It looks like the terrorists know that all they have to do is set off one bomb a day in time for the US morning news, and the American public will tire of the war. That concerns me.

Once we're in a fight, we have to be careful not to back down for fear of sending the message to our friends and our enemies that the US can be easily defeated. It makes fighting the next war more difficult, and indeed may make another war - our enemies trying something because they don't think we'll do much to respond - more likely.

It's even possible to think that going into Iraq was a bad idea but that we have to prevail now, once we're there.

What will ultimately happen? Time will tell.

Answer 3

Last night, I heard on the radio that only 18% of the Iraqis wanted us in Iraq. That's a whopping 82%, more than 4/5ths that want us out of Iraq. Resounding success, yeah right.

Answer 4

We are not fighting a single enemy like lets say Germany in WWII. We are fighting insurgents from divers denomination with different reasons and motives. Al Qaeda Fighters, Sunnis insurgents, Religious groups, Shiites militias and probably a load of foreign fighters forming their own groups just to fight the infidel. Add to that the fact that NO ONE ever done its research on fighting Arabs, Muslims in the Middle east and you have the biggest fiasco in war history.
No we are not winning, and whether or not the situation comes to a calm ending ... once we leave Iraq it will go back to war in itself, civil war or with other fractions it doesn't matter. Hostilities with Arab/Muslims never ends they are stubborn proud uneducated people that are easily manipulated. Look at Palestine you would think that by now they would have seen the best interest of their people and came to an agreement as little as that might be just to finally put an end to war but no ... they will never stop until they get all they want and that is Jerusalem. Palestinians will NEVER get Jerusalem and Iraq will never get full peace.

Answer 5

Your information is very incorrect. If the world's most powerful man (though some prefer to prefer the word "idiot" to "man") landing one of the most advanced fighter jets on a carrier and announcing "Mission Accomplished" is not resounding success, I do not know one.

Answer 6

If successes is like the Iraq War....who needs a failure!

This endless war is crazy, nor is there a victory plan.

Answer 7

Never served have you? I thought not. You don't start a war to lose it. You go to battle to win and you are using the CNN poll. Other recent polls say something much different .........

Answer 8

Well from the arms dealers perspective yes it is a smashing success From everyone elses's - no not so much