I'm so confused about the war in Iraq! Can you help me understand it?

Question

I've heard we're helping them, but if it's a war and we're killing people then no one is getting helped. Is it a war or helping? Why can't we just leave Iraq? I don't get it!!!

P.S. I'm 13.

Answer 1

The war in Iraq started in March of 2003....it's been 4 years and more sine we've been in Iraq....the main purpose to why the U.S went to war with Iraq is because President Bush claimed that there were WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION that could threaten us and our allies. Now we know that they searched Iraq, and there were no weapons of mass destruction that Bush claimed of. However, the totalitarian/dictator Saddam Hussein was captured, which was a big achievement, however, it DID NOT help the situation in Iraq. Now, four years into the war, nothing has been achieved, except the killings of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians and our american troops. the war is NOT helping, civil war is now taking place in Iraq, sunnis are killing shiias and vice versa. There are human right abuses committed by the U.S government and some U.S troops, ex Abu Graib.
ccording to a January 2007 BBC World Service poll of more than 26,000 people in 25 countries, 73% of the global population disapproves of the U.S. handling of the Iraq War.[196] According to an April 2004 USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll, only a third of the Iraqi people believed that "the American-led occupation of their country is doing more good than harm, and a solid majority support an immediate military pullout even though they fear that could put them in greater danger.

basically, we did much much much more harm than any good.

Answer 2

I'm confused about Iraq too and I'm currently in collage. You have to understand, the situation in Iraq is an extremely complicated situation for a 13 year old or even a college student to understand. The reason why the US intervened in Iraq is because the UN suspected they had an arsenal of internationally banned chemical and biological weapons. After numerous attempts to send weapon inspectors in Iraq, former leader Saddam Hussein would not allow them to inspect their weapon facilities. The US also suspected that Iraq was quartering Al Quada and other terrorist organizations within their country and also because Iraq has been threatening our only true allie in the middle east Israel. After going in no internationally banned weapons were found but Saddam Hussein was still oustered and charged for war crimes against Kurds and arbitrary arrests against citizens in a village called Dujail. Since Iraq is the cradle of ancient human civilization, the country has became a massive cultural powder keg of secular and radical Sunnis, shites, and Kurds that all hate each other. Ironically it was Saddam Hussein's rule with an iron fist that kept the different ethnicities from going into a civil war in the first place. However with the absence of Saddam's power a ethnically fueled civil war began with different cultural groups delaying and complicated the US reconstruction of the country. Therefore the US army is stuck intervening in trying to stop a civil war of Iraqis killing each other.
We want to leave Iraq but if we do, we would leave the country in a state of weak governance and anarchy. You may think at first "who cares if the government of Iraq is left weak". If we leave Iraq in Anarchy there is a strong possibility that a government worse then Saddam Hussein would take its place by Iraq's insurgent warlords.

Answer 3

Exactly. The American public has been told that America is helping Iraq. But it will never work, because neither the oppressors nor the oppressed want America there. You cannot help people who do not want to be helped.

America knew this before they went into Iraq. They make this their excuse for their war of agression (only the stupidest world leaders joined them, Tony Blair and John Howard most notably), they know perfectly well that they're only there to make profit. Do you think that the military officers who sexually abused Iraqi prisoners were helping them?

Learn about just how corrupt the United States is below the surface, and then do everything in your power to help make America a better place.

Answer 4

War can help people, if it helps stop the bad people from hurting them. But unfortunately you can't fight a war without good and bad people getting killed and hurt. You have to decide which is worse, fighting or not fighting?
When you are at school and somebody bullies you, hopefully you can go to the authorities and have it stopped. In the extreme case, the police can come and use force so you don't have to. But if the authorities won't help you, what should you do? Sure you can try to talk the bully out of it, but what if that doesn't work? Then you may actually have to defend yourself, or just give in. And what if you see the somebody bullying a younger person? The same principles apply. You may decide the evil of letting the bully continue is worse than the evil of fighting.

Answer 5

Good question. Probably need to ask Mr. Bush. Reason #1 is supposed to be because Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. (like nuclear bombs and large chemical stockpiles). and #2 because he was a mean dictator who killed a lot of his own people. Iraq is very complex. It is like 3 countries in one and each one has its own religion. Religion is not separate from government there, so emotions are always on edge. Time magazine for kids on line may have a good explanation that kids your age can understand

Answer 6

Its not a war unless you consider the ethnic cleansing being done in Iraq as a civil war. It is a republican experiment in that they rewrote their constitution and have instituted policies they believe should be in place in the USA. Unfortunately they are bad policies and the Iraqis are dealing with 60% unemployment rates because of it.

Answer 7

In a sense we are helping them. We are helping them gain their freedom. Before they had no freedom and sadam was in total control of every detail of thier lives. Yes we are killing some of them. The ones that are being killed are the ones that are standing in the way of what we would like to call progress.

Answer 8

depends who you ask, becareful and make up your own mind, things are not always as they seem which even you must know young slitherin