Are the Americans in denial about being beaten in Iraq?

Question

Are the Americans in denial about Iraq turning into Vietnam, a war that they will eventually lose? I think Britain should pull out as soon as possible. It's not Britain's war and Britain gains nothing from it as the greedy Americans will keep oil profits and reconstruction contracts to themselves- this being a cynical point of view I know.

Answer 1

Sad to say, yes.

It is another Vietnam. Even the president said so.

It was foolish to begin with. For someone to equate going into Iraq with 9/11 is like believing it when OJ said he's going after the "real killers".

Answer 2

Who said the Americans are beaten in Iraq?. If they wanted too they could end the troubles very easily by being very brutal and killing anyone who they suspected has been involved with the insurgent groups. Since there are rules governing such things that both the Americans and British stick too then I think both Britain and the Americans are showing remarkable restraint by not using such tactics..

As for it not being Britain's war. I think you are very short sighted with this point of view!. The war as it stands is just a small part of something much bigger that could engulf the whole world and drag it down into the mire of economic recession the like of which has never been seen before around the world.

The whole point of the war was to stop saddam hussain becoming a regional super power who could have disrupted the flow of oil from the Arabian gulf countries. Those insurgent and religious groups who are doing the killing and preventing normal life returning to Iraq are set on trying to destroy the west by hook or by crook. They will do anything! - kill anyone! even themselves in the vain hope of gaining enough power to force the coalition troops to withdrawal !. The threat they pose is more than enough to keep troops in Iraq for years to come!.

Its suspected that Iran is supporting the insurgent groups its intention is to take over and become regional super power (hence its continued work in obtaining nuclear weapons) in much the same way has Iraq would have done if gone unchecked. Iran now is in the same position has Iraq was before the war. The Americans know that it sooner or later they will have to deal with Iran in the same way has they have with Iraq.
Its in no ones best interests to allow either IRAN or these insurgents to win, because if they do then everyone else will loose.. and that cant be allowed to happen!..

Answer 3

Saddam should have been removed from power during Desert Storm when he gassed Kuwait. I can't say taking him down was bad thing by any means, but the way W. did it was all screwy. He turned the 9/11 thing into "Let's go after Saddam instead of looking for the real culprits".

By just leaving Iraq like that after Desert Storm, a lot of Iraqis felt betrayed, and quite a few of them joined these terrorist cells that occupy most of the territories right now. I believe that W. wanted to do it because he wanted to finish his daddy's work, and a little less about oil than people think. There certainly is the prospect of oil, which I'm sure was a factor, just not the driving force.

I don't think leaving Iraq would be a good thing at this point in time, but it definately needs to happen soon. There doesn't seem to be any progress and I don't think anyone but the Iraqis can figure out what is good for their country except for themselves. If they want to be hostile and forcefully take land from each other, that is their business.

Answer 4

I do not know if US UK etc have been beaten in Iraq, "The show ain't over 'til the fat lady sings" Like the questioner I do have my doubts (with hindsight) as to the wisdom of going in there in the first place. What has made me unhappy is that the then British Prime Minister the right Honourable Anthony Blair ( also known as Princess Tony or the Blairina) lied to parliament and lied again. Alister Campbell's diaries of which I have only read extracts suggest to me that the lie was cold and deliberate, that Dr Kelly was murdered, and the government is not to be trusted. Should we now withdraw, sadly I think not that lie has places a commitment on this country that it should not "Welsh" on. However, I do think that the Blairia government including the present prime minister should face a full and proper enquiry with all witnesses examined on Oath and full penalties awarded if that oath is broken. We might just and I say only just get the truth. I fear that the cynicism of the questioner will be only to true

Answer 5

The Americans are only in denial as far as establishing a democratic government in a Muslim country. The Americans and their Allies accomplished their primary mission of taking control of the country and eliminating Saddam Hussein. They also have complete control of the oil and have established a close economic and military relationship with the Kurds, a force of great power in Iraq.
Iraq is not Vietnam. At the height of the American involvement in Vietnam, 300 to 400 troops were being killed weekly. Also, Vietnam was a partitioned nation. In Iraq, the Americans are creating a partition, dividing the country into three spheres of influence.

Answer 6

This is how it is. Bush introduced the 'surge' in order to keep the momentum of the war in Iraq alive and ongoing. He hopes thereby to be able to continue the war in Iraq until his end of term in office and beyond if possible.

If the war in Iraq stutters and fails after Bush is out of office, then it will upon the head of the next elected King of America, the new Commander in Chief, The President of the United States.

Thus, Bush hopes to escape an adventure which has gone badly wrong and one which the majority of the British think of as an illegal war and one also which most Americans are now tired of hearing about.

The war is illegal from my point of view. I give total support to all British, American and Allied personnel now serving in Iraq. I wish them well and hope they are safe and that they will return safely to the bussom of their families at the earlist possible date.

In particular, I hope that returning US GIs to the States, will be treated as honorouble veterans and not be spat upon as happened to many who returned from Vietnam.

I hope too that the British people will treat their own returning soldiers with the same respect.

It's not soldiers who declare war, it is failed politicians who just cannot see any other way out of their own mistakes and to hide what they have done, send young men and women to die in a lost cause.

There is no doubt in my mind that no matter what happens in future that my support for the United States is unquestioned. I am an old soldier and know only too well that without their help things could have gone really badly for us back when I was born during WW2. It's a never ending debt of honour and one which can never be fully paid.

We must also consider our shared aganda and where we are going in future. I'd like to see a lot more dialogue between UK and USA, especially on the issue of dealing with the threat of terrorism in the world.

One thing is for sure. We are going to win the fight against terrorism, but we will not win it by military means alone. We must therefore discuss the issue of how we plan to tackle the spread of terrorism. I firmly believe that every day the problem of terrorism in the world just gets worse because we are just seen as occupying an Islamic country.

God Save the Queen.

Answer 7

What should have been everybody's war have now been dubbed as America's war, some habitually stay on the fence and criticise. Others drag their feet in the hope that Iraq will favor some oil contracts to them on the cheap. Actually all are hypocrites and would like to take advantage of the Iraqis. Its anybody's guess whether Iraq will turn out to be a replica of the vietnam war.

Answer 8

Ok guys, How about this sh!t:

It is not a war between America and Iraq, its a war with the Terrorists/INSURGENTS of Iraq vs the Iraqi Army, American forces just support the Iraqi Army.
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Stop saying we need to pull out. we ( i say we cuz i am a marine) are NEEDED over there to help the newly formed military.

Ok so someone is gonna say, weve been over there for 4 years now, isnt that long enough? Look at this, when AMERICA (yes, we are now self reliant) was first born we needed other countries military to hold down the fort....does anyone remember Britain and their army? They helped our Military out. Sure some of our ancestors got tired of them and their rules, which led to a war with Britain, but that comes with the territory.

So, quit saying this war is between Iraq and America, ITS NOT. Its between the people of Saddam and his old ways, and people of the new Iraq and its new ways.

Wow, easy enough huh?
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US MARINE
ANGLICO

Answer 9

No.

We're in denial about keeping Iraqis from killing other Iraqis. Because we can't stop that, apparently, we lose the war.

Any country that tries to take on the U.S. Military one on one is going to lose horribly. What some in the U.S. don't understand, is that when the U.S. invades another country with an inferior military force (that would be any other country), we invite that country to use unconvential means of war in order to even the playing field. The problem is though, that they're not attacking us, but themselves.

Answer 10

I think the only deniel involved is over the wisdom of going into Iraq in the first place. Now there is a case of bring to some sort of conclusion......in as far as possibloe and get the troops home again.

Answer 11

Yes.

It doesn't matter how many battles you win in Iraq, or how many insurgents you kill. How the hell does that help anything? From the start of the occupation to the current date, the situation has only gotten worse. Insurgent attacks and casualties have only increased, sectarian violence is rampant as ever and it doesn't look like the opposing forces can truely be beaten for good on their own soil.

Yet they continue to cling onto this faint hope that by continuing to keep troops there, the sectarian groups will somehow come to peaceful terms, opposing forces will give up attacking them and Iraq will become a wealthy, model nation for its neighbors to emulate.