American troops don't want to abandon the Iraqi people.?

Question

Why They Fight
American troops don't want to abandon the Iraqi people.
by Jeff Emanuel
05/17/2007 12:00:00 AM


Baghdad
THE DEBATE ABOUT the war in Iraq often focuses on America's national security, other countries' opinions of the United States, "what is best for the troops," and, of course, the Bush administration. Only on the rarest of occasions is lip service paid to those who will feel the effects of our decisions on the war most immediately, most acutely, and for the greatest length of time--the Iraqi people. At the end of the day, Americans can, in the short term, simply click off their television sets and forget about the situation in Iraq. For the men, women, and children living there--and the American soldiers fighting for their security--no such option exists.

While in Baghdad, I spoke with many soldiers about the current situation and the effect of the American political debate on their lives and actions. Though their views, like those of American civilians, span the spectrum of possible opinions, most of the troops I met had one thing in common: an understanding that the Iraqis need our help--at least in the near term.

"'It would be a disaster if you leave now'," said Lt. Colonel James Crider, Squadron commander of the 1-4 Cavalry ("Quarter Cav"). "I've had several Iraqis tell me that. They want us here--not forever, but for now, until they can take care of themselves."

"I had people coming up to me as we patrolled the neighborhoods saying, 'We heard you were leaving!'" another officer with Quarter Cav told me. "They don't understand our process; they don't know that this is just rhetoric, or that it will be vetoed. All they know is that the leaders of our Congress said that it's a lost cause, and that our government has voted to pick up and go home."

Such statements by America's political leaders are "terrible," an Army public affairs officer told me. She continued, "I understand political posturing and all that but it really is terrible. If the war is lost and we need to go home, then why do we need to stay here five more months, when I could die or my friends could die before we go home? The war is either over or it isn't; this just doesn't make sense. . . .What we want is to keep helping the people here. The people at home who say these things, they don't understand that these are people who have to live here after we leave, whatever the situation is. These people and the things that happen here aren't real to them, and they can't understand unless they've been here and seen it."

Like many Americans at home, there are some soldiers who would like nothing more than to see the United States end its involvement in Iraq as soon as possible. There are many more, though, who, having established a presence on the ground, and having spent time among the people of Iraq, want to see this mission through to its successful conclusion, not only for America's sake, but for the sake of the people of Iraq whom they have gotten to know during their time in country.

I had a remarkable conversation to this effect with a bespectacled infantry captain, who was on his second tour in Iraq and had been there since just before Gen. Petraeus's confirmation as the new head of MNF-I. We spoke at length about the war, and about the differences between his first tour and now. I asked what he thought about the mission in Iraq, and what he thought our prospects for success were. Gazing pensively at the ground, he took a moment to collect his thoughts, and said, "Well, politically, staying here probably isn't the best decision." Given the situation at home, he added, "winning here seems less possible all the time, even though we're now doing what it is we probably should have been doing all along." Moving on from that moment of near despair, he paused and glanced up, looking earnestly at me through his thick, military-issue glasses, and said, "There's not a single one of my soldiers who doesn't look at the neighborhood we're in, look at the children there, and not want to do whatever they can to give these kids as bright a future as possible. We want to finish this job, and we know we can do it."

Another obstacle to success, though, is the Iraqi people themselves. "What has to happen here," one noncommissioned officer told me, "is that the Iraqi people have to take a chance, risk their lives, and stand up against al Qaeda and everybody else. Once they decide that they want freedom and peace, and want to work with us, then it will all be over. . . . It's easy to live as a coward. If they want to be free, they will have to take the risk."

That risk has finally been taken by a good number of the people in Anbar Province, an area that has seen a turnaround in the past six months that has been nothing short of remarkable. It is happening in a somewhat different way in southwestern Baghdad, in the district of Abu Dischir, where, rather than throwing out the large number of Sadrists present in the area, the people have learned to coexist peacefully both with the sectarian militias and with the Coalition.

Once the example set by these areas is followed by regular Iraqis in all of the other boroughs, quarters, and districts--once the Iraqi people, who are accustomed to being under the thumb of a tyrant, decide once and for all to stand up for themselves--then this war can finally be won, and al Qaeda, the Sadrist hardliners, and the other violent sectarians can be driven out. But only if the American and Iraqi governments maintain the will to do so.

Both sides will have to live with the consequences if the wrong choice is made. The belief amongst so many of the troops I spoke with is that these people deserve a chance at a better way of life, and that we should continue to do everything we can to help rebuild and secure this nation and to smash those who would destroy what the Iraqi people are building.

That after so much work and so much bloodshed we ought now to abandon the Iraqis to their fate is a notion held by almost no one I've encountered here in Iraq; rather, it appears that such ideas are much more common on the home front. What the troops, and the Iraqi people, appear both to want and to need is the support and the resources that will allow them to establish a free and secure state--and, more than anything else, the time to do so successfully.

Answer 1

This is more like a book than a question, but I'll try,
First of all, we had no business in Iraq, as they were no threat to our security, and if we left today, they would still be of no threat.
Why are we loosing men and women for Iraq's security, where in our laws or constitution are we obligated to take care of other sovereign nations and their people, and by what right do we take it on ourselves to promote or try to install democratic governments around the world.
When this country of the United States was founded, it was by design to offer sanctuary to those oppressed, yet here we are, invading and oppressing people of other nations. If these Iraq's wanted or desired a democratic government, they should have revolted and fought their own war for such rights,as we did.
We have so many problems right here in this country, there is no justification for wasting our badly needed resources on fiasco's such as Iraq.
Just think, if the United States would by some miracle, spend as much time and money on fixing our society, finding a cure for cancer and other diseases, fixing and maintaining our crumbling infrastructure as they do killing innocent civilians around the world, it would be again the "greatest country in the world". and again looked up to by others. Not until we the people can take back our government as provided in the constitution, this will never happen.

Answer 2

American soldiers SHOULD WORRY about NOT Iraqi troops not standing and running away, but TURNING ON AMERICANS and killing them. Let's face it people, we don't train every Iraqi in Iraq. The training is limited and the training is done by seasonal, which takes time. You can't hire 5000 men one day and train them, it is possible that 500 of that 5000 men are actually signing up not to defend their country from others but to defend their country from the same people that trains them "Americans". So we are not stupid here. We are more concerned to see Iraqi troops fire at us like they did many times rather running away. I rather see them run away and never stand up for their country.

Answer 3

The so-called 'War in Iraq' is primarily between domestic Sunni and Shia factions. This internal struggle will continue, until both sides have had enough, whether U.S. troops leave or stay. The current U.S. troop presence is as an occupation force...and with most occupations will remain a complete mess, placing our troops at unnecessary, illegitimate risk.

Answer 4

It will be disaster if American troops leave Iraq in a hurry. However, there is need to end the insurgency. Situation if much complicated. People of Iraq must overcome their problems.

Answer 5

I've met lots of people in the military who will gladly tell you they want us to get the heck out of there. They just can't say it in the wrong place at the wrong time and they won't tell you that on TV.

Stop using our troops to spread more lies.

the military has a strict code of conduct.

What they tell you and what they really feel are going to be two different things entirely for at least half the people who signed up. There are several reasons for this, the mission, morale, opsec, the list could go on and on.

Go get on military.com and see how excited to stay in Iraq they were then thier deployments were extended!!!

Answer 6

i hate the 'we shouldn't have gone there' excuse so many here use. it simply has no relevance. we should stay there until the infighting has waned, the borders secured and the right of iraq to survive as a sovereign nation is assured - period.

the 'i don't care about the iraqi people' excuse is even worse.

every innocent life is equally valuable.

Answer 7

Yeah, i agree with you on that. We shouldnt pull out until they (iraqis)are stable. i'm too old to fight in iraq, but i support the troops from home.

hell, i also support the peacemakers over there. I think the iraqi's are learning to stand together, I mean during that last goverment bombing, i noticed they didnt run, they stood together.

When ever i see a soldier over here, i thank them for keeping us free and fighting for the country, wherever they are.

Answer 8

Soldiers don't make those decisions, our elected officials do. The job of a member of the armed forces is to do what is ordered of him. Personal feeling, thought and emotions have nothing to do with a mission. Sometimes I wish it were not so, but that is the way it is. When you put your name on the line, you are handing your life over for four years.

Answer 9

Thank you!
For some facts.
Most of what we hear is "The Big Lie", by Democrats and their partners in the News Media.
(Democrats learned about the effectiveness of "The Big Lie" from Lennin, Marx, and Stalin.)
Democrats loved Mao, and now they looooove Kim Jong.

Answer 10

If we were really there to help the children and families, there would be a lot more people from a lot more nations helping us. Humanitarian aid is always popular. What we have is a no win situation - if we stay we lose, if we go we lose. The only question is how many more of our soldiers will we sacrifice before we choose one form of loss over the other.