Gotta finish what you started... And if your (okay and, sadly, my own Brits) troops would stop abusing people maybe the civilians would not hate them. Besides, the ratio of civilians:soldiers dying is rediculously out of balance. I think its Great that the soldiers are staying, finally someone is taking responsibility for the destruction caused and it is only right that they help rebuild it!

Hope you don't think I am trying to flame you, it's just that I itch to discuss these things. Normally I am easy to get along with! ;)

This essay is very well structured and the grammer/spelling is good. However I find it hard to agree with all your points.

I can - sort of - understand where you are coming from: patriotism, loyalty and stuff like that. And it is completely unfair that everyone always blames Americans. I mean honestly! The British do practically what the Americans do which makes it worse...

However I don't think you should disregard the lives of other ppl so lightly. Every human life is equal and just as precious. Every life is worth as much as an American life.

America should never have gone into Iraq. George Bush merely wanted oil (in my opinion) and he completely disregarded the UN (the sole universal body of democracy) and went ahead with him unilateral war.

Yes the soldiers should come home, they had no choice...after all a promise is a promise but other people should be sent to help bring freedom to these people. If America keeps interfering then more event like 9/11 will occur.

I hope you are not offended by my review because that was truely not my intention.

Well, I actually AM a soldier in Iraq right now, and frankly this 'story' is nothing but crap. There never were WMD, Hussein never had anything to do with Al Quaeda and we 'liberated' a country only to do so with such inadequate numbers of soldiers that we can't patrol the borders and keep the terrorists out. Far from being the 'freedom hating' savages depicted in this right-wing screed, the Iraqis are more moderate in their habits and religion than are many members of the Republican Party. They are being killed daily, and they did nothing to deserve it.
If there was a grade lower than an F, this piece would get it.

u do realise that what you want is exactly what happened a few years back and resulted in the happening of the two towers??
i agree with you...the american soldiers should not be there...they should get their filthy arses out of the country and they should not of have been there in the first place
they had NO reason to be there in teh frist place

Never in my life have i been this disgusted in reading something. You are an ignorant ** just like mant american, now you wonder why none of the other countries like you. YOu think England likes you? huh, you are more stupid than we thought. England simply pretend to like your country cause you have what we want and nothing more. Any american life is worth more valuable. Bush was just finish unfinished business and he just wants the oil. All arab countries are blessed with having oil and america is just ** off it's not them so they say they have terrorists, every country has terrorist!
America was the morons who gave the weapons and taught them all the illegal stuff and suddenly when they feel as though they want some land in Iraq they go to war hiding their true feelings behind 'war against terror' terror my **!
At first i felt sorry for all those american who died in the twin towers but after watching al jazeera (and no i ain't arab i'm pure english)and saw how many childerns, wives and family were dieing in Afgan and Iraq i knew that no life was worth more than americans.
You are a selfish bastard and i hope one day that a country blows up americans, not the NATIVE american that the land belongs to but all those idiots that are on Bush's side.
go in hell! ;)

Bush did not declare war on Iraq. He declared war or terror. Iraq happens to be where the terrorists are. Bush is trying, he really is.

“Enjoy! Or don’t, as long as you review with good points and not personal attacks.” Because you never attack people personally when you review, oh no. *shakes head* Then again, according to you, I’m a ** idiot, so what would I know?
“It was a just cause that was carried out more swiftly, precisely, and humanly than any previous military campaign.” Tell that to the families of the 80 civvies who died. Not only that, what makes you assume that the war in Iraq is over? It’s not by a long shot. Coalition soldiers are stilling dying left right front and centre. Watch the honour rolls on your news every night. The silence is eerie.
“But that’s not what is happening. They are dying in the streets of Baghdad trying to restore food and electricity to the Iraqis at the hands of freedom hating primitives. Well, if the Iraqis would stop shooting our troops, maybe they would have more time to try and return (or maybe more precisely establish) the necessities of living.” Dude, maybe if our troops hadn’t destroyed the infrastructure through high altitude air strikes or invaded their country and taken our land, they wouldn’t be shooting at us in the first place.
But this is not about the legality or moral right of the war. Quite frankly, this is a very black and white, naïve perspective of the current situation in Iraq. If we pull out now, then we may as well sign ourselves up for another war in 10 years time, because hey, Gulf I will be bigger and better than Desert Storm or Iraqi Freedom. The current environment in Iraq is NOT one in which we should be willing to hand over power. Firstly, there are militant civvies shooting at us from all directions, and it simply does not seem smart to let people like that, with those guns, run a country. Secondly, if we pull out now, the situation will be another Afghanistan. Afghanistan. Do any of you know what happened there? Well here’s the story:
Osama bin Laden has still not yet been apprehended, and hostilities are once again breaking out in parts of Afghanistan. This Iraq business was also an opportune excuse for the American-led coalition’s support for the new central government in Afghanistan to dwindle. As the public spotlight turns to Iraq, the “humanitarian” American pocket conveniently turns away from Afghanistan while no one is watching. Despite the fact that Afghanistan is almost, as President Hamid Karzai os quoted as saying, “the poorest country in the world”, it will receive the least foreign sponsorship per head than any other post-conflict zone in the past 20 years. The country is reportedly in a far worse state than either Bosnia or Kosovo, yet these areas received $488 per head and $431 per head respectively, in comparison with just $63 per head to spent in Afghanistan over the next five years. After 23 years of war it is virtually impossible to take a death toll, it will take 40 years to clear all the landmines in the country at the present rate and the country has almost no roads. I km of road costs $600 0 in Afghanistan’s hostile terrain. The 3 600 km main road linking the countries 3 main cities will cost over $2 billion. The West has pledged just $450 million. Downtown Kabul is a mass of rubble and buildings gutted by American bombs and years of warfare. An estimated $US 15 billion will be needed to rebuild the city and its surrounds.
*sighs* Do we want this to happen in Iraq? If we let it happen, it will not be pretty. We will not achieve anything good in the long-term which will just add injury to the insult of having this war in the first place. It may not have been a good idea, I hate to say it, but I told you so. I’ve been saying for years that a war with Iraq was probably not smart. But we went ahead and had a war in Iraq didn’t we? And now, it’s not really going according to plan, and too many young Americans are dying because we didn’t have a proper war in the first place and we pussyfooted around, trying not to kill civvies. In war, civvies die. It happens. You don’t want civilian deaths? Become a pacifist like me, and be ANTI-WAR. If we had actually planned a co-ordinated attack on Saddam’s regime and DONE OUR JOB in the first place, maybe we would not have this problem of militant Iraqis who really don’t like the fact that we’ve killed their wives and children. Instead, we might have something resembling control over the country and the governments involved would NOT be considering pulling out in an attempt to save face before the upcoming elections all around the world. If you think that bringing the troops home is anything more than a pre-election ploy, then think again. Oppositions and governments are using it all over the world to get into power. It’s not really about what’s best for Iraq. It’s about who’s going to get elected come Election Day. If we pull out now, then we have created more problems than we (arguably) have fixed.
So I don’t think I’m the “** idiot”, to use your own words.

"Everyone in that country, or any other country, isn’t worth the life of one American soldier."
I'm sorry, to mention this, but this essay is more sentiment than fact and that quote from your essay sounds so pretentious it is unbelievable. It is that kind of attitude, whether in your case it was intentional or not, that makes people despise Americans so much and if you want people to be sympathetic you do not state that.
Also, like another essay I read (not by you, by the way), there are few facts to back up any of the arguments you present. When I read an essay, I want to see facts, cited references, the arguments for and against, a general whole out attack on the entire subject.
And if you seriously think these people hate freedom, then you're believing in Bush a little bit too much. What sane person out there would not want freedom, the freedom to practise what they believe, the freedom to worship who they want, the freedom to read what they want? Do you really think they would rather have some dictator ruling over them, a dictator that would ban them from reading the Koran or what have you? I think not.

Heil, mein Führer des Unrechtes!
I suppose we're free from obscure eastern-bloc tanks and missiles that almost reach the border.
But I agree with SOME of it. Get the ** out of there ASAP. We did our 'job'.
I think that we had no buisness there, though.

First of all, how can you say that America is now a safer country without Saddam Hussein in power? Sure he didn't like us but what could he seriously do to us? He apparantly has no WMD's, and it has been shown that he has no ties with Al Queada and has not been proven to even the smallest degree that he has ties with any other terrorist groups. What could he have possibly done? Invade us? For us to pull out now is a completely foolish move politically, socially, morally, as well as economically. Politically because the world would hate the United States with a passion (not to mention half of the United States itself). The United Nations would be furious. We would be seen as selfish isolationalists thinking we can meddle in other countries anytime we want. Socially because, I mean come on. It's pretty straight forward the backlash that would come from human rights groups. Morally because we, a predominantly Christian nation, would be invading a Muslim country, killing untold thousands of Iraqi young men defending their land because of propoganda, killing 6,0 civillians in our wake (TWO 9/11's), removing the only thing that brings even a little order to the reigon...and...um...leaving. What do you think will happen afterwards? Some crazy will take over again, pay no heed to us and more blood shed will occur. Then the is the economic factor. Do you know how much money we will get from contracting it now? How much this will boost the economy (depending on which international corporations get the deal)? I do think that it justifies going in. Hell, I wasn't for the war to begin with, but we're capitalist aren't we? All we did by going in was generate more anti-Americansim, and destroy more lives than you probably know. By leaving we will only make matters worse. I hope that by reading this you can seriously consider that you just might be wrong, and perhaps spread the message.

Iraq was never a threat to America. It did not invaded America, it did not have the capacity to invade America, and since the war it has been proven that Iraq had no links to Al Quida. (That, also means, for those you were unaware, that Iraq had NOTHING to do with 9/11. It never ceases to amaze me how Americans never seem to get that point)
I agree that the troops should not remain. The US is very good at killing, but not good at rebuilding.
But it could be argued that the troops are still participating in a gurilla campaign. It takes more than a banner on a ship to end a war.
Lets remember that from the start the UN has offered to run the war with its own troops. The US refused, because it would have to wive up control of Iraq (and control of Iraqs assets, ie oil, and rebuilding contracts.)

I can see how you feel that way, but there's one thing to consider. The job isn't completed. We don't want a repeat of Mogadishu. It's pretty much a given that when we pull out of anywhere because of American casualties, it only bolsters the resolve of those who wish to do harm against America. "Let's kill more Americans, Habib, because when we do they run like chickens." We have to stand and finish the job. We're still in Germany and Japan, and the end of World War 2 was how long ago? The reconstruction of those two countries took years, not months.

Regarding Jago's statement "Given the spectacular mess that the US Army seems to be making of peacekeeping anyway."

As compared to the spectacular successes of the British, French, and other peacekeeping missions?

Okay, you quote Tony Blair for God's sake. That should be bad enough. But no, you actually think the war had a 'just' cause. Erm, no. That's really all I have to say. I would have a big go at you like I did at Admiral, a similiar disillusioned person, but frankly I don't like wasting my breath because people like you aren't going to listen to anyone else, are you? And about Tony Blair. I'm British, he's the Prime Minister and everything, sure, but I don't quote him. Patriotism in Britain doesn't happen, because unlike you US people we know when our leader has a fault. So, you think about that. Btw, I'm using my mate's account, so if you want to get back to me my real name's shtarfish. I look forward to it.

"Personally, I couldn’t care less who helps them. Everyone in that country, or any other country, isn’t worth the life of one American soldier. If the UN wants to send forces to help stabilize Iraq, then that’s great. The US should contribute money and any diplomatic power within reason to help. I hope Iraq does become a free and democratic state. I wish nothing but good things for them. But I do not wish it at the price of the lives of American soldiers."

Hnmn,
I don't disagree with everything in your essay, and I'm not interested in starting a fight with you, but I couldn't let the above quote go.

I don't follow your reasoning at all. If you think that going to war is what America *should* have done, and are glad that we did it, why do you want us to pull out? Don't you realize that by your words, you are advocating that we completely demolish a country full of innocent people, only to pull out and leave them to find a way to survive? It is precisely this sort of behavior which lends justification for anti-American sentiment within and without our nation. If we start something, we are OBLIGATED to finish it. And the end of a war is NOT the end of the job. Cleanup MUST follow, especially if we want or expect the Iraqi people to continue to support us. You tell me, honestly now. Even if you WERE glad to see a bigger, stronger nation than yours come along and remove a bloodthirsty dictator, would you continue to be happy with your 'savior' if after they came in and completely annhilated everything, up to and including the deaths of civilians, which is an unfortunate fact of any war, would you still be happy with them if they abandoned you to clean up the mess they created?
Don't give me an instant, American response. Try for a moment to look at it from the point of view of a people who have NOTHING that we have. Try to look at America from the eyes of people who are seeing a nation which has ignored them for a long time, suddenly come in and demolish everything, then just up and disappear, leaving them with even less than they had before. Sure, they're without a dictator, but that's going to be a cold comfort given the state their nation and lives will be in.

I don't like the way we went about going to war, and I *really* don't like that we disregarded the U.N., but I think that removing Hussein from power was a necessity, not only for Americans, but for the Iraqi people and all people that despise dictators and love freedom.
However, it would be a grievous error for America to go to war against a nation for the *declared* purpose of removing a terrorist from power and freeing the people under his bootheel, and then to abandon those people after we destroy thait nation. By pulling out that is exactly what we would be doing. Surely you can understand why that would be wrong? Surely you can see why it is EXACTLY your reasoing that people think of America as the child that pulls out all its toys, breaks them, then runs away, leaving them scattered, never to think of his toys again?

Don't misunderstand me. I want our boys to come home, too. I hate it whenever an American dies. However, I wouldn't want to have them leave a job half-finished. And no, friend, our job is not done. WE opted to go in and destroy a country--it doesn't matter if the war was only to eliminate ONE man and his cronies and we had no intent of harming innocent civilians. The effort disrupted and destroyed lives of countless innocents by nature of what war is and does. We knew when we went in there what the cost of war would be. And the Iraqis didn't ask us to raze their country. We did it without anyone's approval or permission. So it is our job to clean up our mess.

I also take VERY strong issue against your assertion that only American lives are worthwhile. That may or may not have been what you meant, but it's exactly how it sounded. Now, I can certainly empathize with that feeling if you are comparing a pro-Hussein Iraqi with an American soldier. However, you are wrong to suggest that an American is more valuable than any other human being. The Iraqi innocents who lived in terror of Hussein have as much a right to lives free of fear and torture as Americans or any other people. You are dead, dead wrong to suggest that one American is worth more than all the innocent women and children--and men, too, in Iraq, and in other nations held in the vise grip of an evil leader.
And consider how you would feel if you were, say, a Norwegian hearing that sentiment, that one American life is worth more than that of thousands of others. Or perhaps an Englishman. Or a Frenchman. Or Israeli. Or Grecian. Or whatever. Do you have any non-American friends? Has it occurred to you to consider how they might feel to discover that their lives are worthless in your eyes because they are not Americans?
I don't hold it against you, as an American, to be in favor of American lives. That's natural, and anyone of any nationality is going to reflexively think first and foremost of their fellow countrymen. I do. But I also have enough respect for human life, not simply American life, that I mourn when ANY innocent person is slain. I grieve moreso for the innocent Iraqis that die than American soldiers, because of the difference between a soldier and a civilian. No civilian should have to die in war, regardless of their nationality, and when one does, it is a cause for mourning.

Again: If you're comparing an American with a terrorist, yes, i can certainly understand and agree that the American is the more valuable of the two. (Although I will amend that to mean a freedom loving, anti-terrorist American--sorry, pal, but not all Americans are pro-America and anti-Hussein, anti-Usama, or anyone else).

As for democracy in Iraq. I love democracy better than totalitarianism, but it is up to the Iraqi people what sort of government they have, and it is not our place, or anyone's, to tell them how to live. (I also don't think that democracy is completely and totally the glorious thing people make it out to be. For one thing, most Americans are absolutely ignorant of the fact that ours is not a democracy. it's a democratic republic, and yes, there is a difference).

I would like to talk more about this with you privately. I would have sent this message to you via email, but since yours is not listed, I had to utilize your review board instead. My apologies, and if you would, please email me at the email link provided on my bio page.

I agre with u and tha peeple who dont r all idots!