The War in Iraq
In 2003, the U.S., the U.K., and other countries invaded Iraq because of reports of WMDs. In the end of 2003, the U.S. captured Sadaam Hussein, the insurgent attacks fell, and a provisional government was created in Iraq. However, in 2004, things soon fell back into dissaray due to internal instablitiy and fighting for leadership within the new government. In November of 2004, the U.S. and its allies went back on the offensive. With Iraq becoming more stable going into 2005, elections for the transitional government were held at the end of January. The hopes for peace were quickly dashed, and May of 2005 became the bloodiest month since the invasion. The beggining of 2006 was marked by new government creation talks. The current Iraqi government took control on may 20th, 2006. In December of 2006, the Iraqi government executed Saddam Hussein, who had remanined in U.S. custody until that time. 2007 brought with it a troop surge from America, bringing 21,500 more troops to Iraq. The effectiveness of this surge is heavily debated.
As we near a new election, we see two candidates with very different views on the war. John McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate, wishes to send more troops to Iraq. His main competitior, Barack Obama, plans to withdraw most troops. What is your opinion on what we should do and who do you agree with.
I am against the war in Iraq,it is a waste of time and expecially money. In my opinon we are only there because of oil and because the first george bush did not sucessfully dethrone hussien. I would like the war to end now
well , me i am republican all the way Mcain is right for wanting to support the war . We are there because al-qwida came too our country and bommed the twin towers . if we take the soliders out then there would be tons of caioise in bolth countrys United States and iraq and countrys around us. We want our soliders to be protected and come back too America safe and sound thats why we spend so much money my father is in the air force and when he goes to iraq i want him to come home safe too me , my mom, and my 3 little sisters . I think that "going green" is the same amount of money with gas and oil and buying all natural stuff. its hard to do that in a one-income family like myself. You should be thanking the soliders and wanting to give they do so much for us were lucky we have them or else we would all be in such bad shape .think about it!
Olivia(14)
It's so good to hear everyone's opinions. I am thankful that people are becoming educated on our situations abroad. I just added information about a project my sister and I have put together to help injured soldiers who are coming back from Iraq with Traumatic Brain Injuries. Please consider supporting our cause. All money is going to a great cause! www.uscauseandeffect.com
War is never right, yes, I sound like a hippy, but why, why do we feel the need to go send troops off to kill each other? And what are we gaining from even being there anymore? Iraq wants us out, along with many other people, it's certain that we should leave the war and start using our money for more important issues going on. With a few million dollars a month, I'm sure we could find some great things we could do with that money.
Well , yes i would not like to have the war . but Also war is apart of this world . this country was founded on wars that make our lives better . we have won every war that we have fought . If we leave now then all the soldiers who died in the iraq war , deid for nothing honor those people . Do we not forget the terroist attake when they bommed our homeland and killed THOUSANDS of our people . Also we are spending all that money too protect our soldiers . And if we leave now then there will be more bad stuff in iraq were trying too save them .MACAIN FOR PRESIDENT
Thank you OliVa FloRa for understanding this great nations war on terror(islamic extreamist)NO OBAMA EVER
I t is to badyou probaly never were told that there are two stories of one thing.The liberal school system does nothing cause they are all fatcats and as long as they dont commit a felony they have a job for life.You never hear of any goverment layoff when pepole all over the u.s.a. are getting laid off.and gess were the money goes when there is no war it goes to the fat cats.the war is a just cause have you frogot that on 9/11 we were attacked by these islam extremist that want to kill you they dont want peace they want bring a end to this world so they may see allah that is what there relgion is based off of.the reason they still fight us is cause of the withdraw of troops in asia in a war which we won and then left before we killed those who want us dead
i feel bad for those of you who think this war is necesary read, thats all i can say learn the truth, and save your money because if we stay in this "war" there will be none for you and your family in the future, enjoy the new great depression mccain supporters ill be in europe laughing unless of course OBAMA wins and youll see how things improve
well if obama wins well be like france a COMUNESTE COUNTREY
macian for president
i dont think im going to respond to anyone who doesnt use proper english, or is uneducated from now on i.e, olivia hunny france is a republic, not a COMMUNIST COUNTRY, do your homework first
osaremip darling how bout you read and you get educated first off republic is NOT a system of government that is a party of government .we have free market and europe is communist which means the government controls free market is when the people get a say in what they belive and also that we work for the money we earn and everybody doesn't get the same amount of money and HUGE tax increaces in Euorpe
People from other counteys are dying to come over here in America because of that
my moms cousin who lives in Lodon (fortuna) says that to me so stop posting stuff when your uninformed
Yo, OliVia FloRa, stop posting stuff when You're uninformed. For one, France is also known as the French Republic. For two, we won't be a communist country if Obama's elected. For three, Republic is a system of government. It says so in the Encyclopedia britannica. Four, Europe is a continent, not a country. The whole continent isn't cmmunist.
Also, We lost the Vietnam war! War is wrong, if we do something about it, it would not be a part of this world! Iraq isn't a problem, anyway! We don't need to "defend" America from them! And we do not need to "keep the Iraq war going for one hundred years", as McCain said. I'm in a, what did you say, one income home, and we're as green as possible! Compact fluorescent lights, organic food and clothes, recycling, it's all green, and even money SAVING! And the twin towers weren't bombed, they were flown into by airplanes. Though yes, they were hijacked by terrorists. And, since your father is in the Air Force, wouldn't you want the war over, so he can come home and stay there? War endangers the troops, not protects them! Yeah, I'm a drug free hippie, and there's nothing wrong with it! Democrat? Yeah! Rock on, America!!
I never said that I want people to die and i think that everyone should be in the war, but what i am saying is that the reason why we are in war is because we are fighting with our freedom. So you all need to stop being hippys.
This war was never about freedom, it was and still is about oil. The target was Obama who is in Afghanistan but all the energy has gone toward Iraq. Let's not be gullible here. Whatever the case, we can't just leave now that we've destroyed the country. We have to help rebuild it... It's just the way it is. Yes, we should start pulling out steadily but we can't just abandon the country now that our needs have been met. The last time we did this was to Afghanistan when they were at war with Russia ... and you know what happened after that - it became a breeding ground for terrorists.
but the iraq people want to fight us because we are friends with the jews and they hate the jews they dont think that our way of liveing is right they want people to be slaves and not to be free thats why there fighting us but were fighting to because we want to maintain out freedum
I AM a hippie, and there's nothing wrong with it!!! There are better ways to solve problems, even if it WERE about freedom. I agree with WriterGirl75, this war was started about oil. And it was destroyed by us, and we do need to help out with rebuilding, but there is no need to fight!!! War is bad for children and other living things!
Peace!
~time2fly13, the drug-free, peaceful hippie girl.
Thou shalt not kill.
One of the ten commandments.
God said that, and even if you don't believe in God, you should still go by that commandment!!!
To be a hippie you must believe in peace as the way to resolve differences among peoples, ideologies and religions. The way to peace is through love and tolerance. Loving means accepting others as they are, giving them freedom to express themselves and not judging them based on appearances. This is the core of the hippie philosophy... Hippies reject the 9-5 lifestyle and therefore are objects of ridicule by those who live by the clock.
~From Hippies A-Z, which you can read for free (hippies believe in sharing)at http://www.hipplanet.com/books/atoz/atoz.htm
See, there's nothing wrong with being a hippie!!
We need world peace!!! Innocent people are dying in war everyday!!! The sad truth is that throughout all of history, there has never been peace. Someone's always fighting!!!!!
Some of you feel that the fighting needs to stop, and in a way, I agree with you. I also believe that we need to help clean up the mess we made over in the middle east. I know that some think we need to get out of there now, but I think that some people forget that there are innocent people who did nothing wrong over in those countries. I feel that we need to help better their lives. I even had someone tell me "why would we want to help them? they're not one of us." I was completely shocked to hear that. I replied by saying that "they are one of us. They're humans right?" People seem to want to help people in places like Africa, but for some reason, people seem to forget that there are many other places in the world that need help. Don't get me wrong, I think it's wonderful that places like Africa are getting some of the help they need, I just think that people forget. There are people over in the middle east that want to change and I believe that the U.S. needs to be the one to help them because I believe that this nation is capable of making it happen.
first off, France is a Republic, which is a form of government. second, al-quaeda is not why we went to iraq. in fact, sadam hussein is the opposite of a religous fanatic or a muslim terrorist. thats not to say i condone his actions, but his dictatorship was not a theocracy, it was a completely secular government. third, as much as i opposed the war in the first place, by now, we are in up to our necks and we need to fix it. still, OBAMA WON!!!!!!
YAY, OBAMA!
OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA
GO OBAMA
Jonathan-Foreman@hotmail.com
all of you bring up good points prsonally, i was for obama, but whats personal doesnt always matter on something as broad scale as this. i think, we need to figure out how much america really messed with iraq.
but more so, what can we do about it?
and the troops. i think the troops need to come home, at least until we know what we're doing in Iraq. they are risking their lives every single day for a war that might not even be nessecary
a lot of people say oil is why the war started...
i dont know. i dont like the idea, but id rather drill in alaska than go to war over something like that.
but again. what can we do about it?
maybe we need a spokesman/woman?
maybe we could (with dosomething's help) set up a sister website. maybe something on youtube? just with normal people istead of celebrities....
im not sure. but we have to do something. fast
NO matter what they say, changing the world is totally G
McCain chica, where do you get this information? I don't care what Bush says but the reason we went in to Iraq was (and still is) for oil. Bush used the "War on Terror" in Afghanistan as an excuse! Al Qaeda was concentrated in Afghanistan, that's where Osama Bin Laden was, and all these years later, Iraq is in shambles, Al Qaeda has increased in strength and numbers (thanks Bush!) and we still don't have Osama. Before you judge an entire people, do your research. The reality is that the extreme Muslims are in the minority and as with all extremism, have taken the Koran and interpreted it to fit their own needs and ideologies. Our freedom was never at stake and has NOTHING to do with this war. RESEARCH PLEASE before you spew this unfounded information.
I think we should stop the war in Iraq because its a waste of time and money. We are spending way to much money on a war thats not worth fighting for. Watch CNN or any news program and you'll see how much debt we are in. Ending the war in Iraq would be really smart and I think our troops need to come home safely soon!
This war is an oil war, and as long as it's taking place, and as long as it has, it was and will be an oil war. NO BLOOD FOR OIL!!!!
http://bloodforoil.com/
Unfortunately, I don't have the time to make a huge post on this topic right now. Soon, I'll go and read all of these comments and perhaps form a more specific response.
(Incidentally...I visited these forums often about 3 years ago, back when dosomething.org was a simple page and hadn't even decided what format its forums should be in yet...it's good to be back)
From my perspective as both a teenager and a soldier (I recently left the U.S. Army), let me try to lay things down as I see them. I voted for Obama and my politics trend towards the moderate, so please don't call me extremist merely because I'm ex-military.
Iraq as a war is over, and we won it. Now, nothing I was taught gave me rigid rules that determine when a war is over and who won it. However, back in 2003 we crushed Iraq, military. But did we win Iraq as a campaign - as an overall effort?
In the summer of '07, I trained with soldiers from the 10th Mountain, most of who had served 1 or more tours in Iraq. They had been there in '05 and '06, when things were still pretty hot. A typical month for one of them would involve MAYBE 1 or 2 brief firefights, and being 'blown up' by IED's 12 times. This is average - it's common for soldiers to be blown up several times while on patrol. Remember, this is two years ago, before the surge.
Last summer, I saw soldiers from the 10th Mountain that had JUST gotten back from deployment in '08. They said it was quiet over there - almost boring. There're stories of LTs letting soldiers take their armor off inside the green zone. The insurgency is slowly dying.
While in a FOB in the north of Iraq, a SFC I spoke with told me that an Iraqi farmer pulling a cart approached the base. Inside the cart, under a tarp, was a dead Al Qaeda operative. See, day to day, American soldiers treat Iraqis well. These Iraqis, well, they started to like us more than the terrorists. And when they found out this guy was with Al Qaeda, they stabbed him to death with pitchforks and brought him to the Americans.
We aren't perfect, and there is still violence. But if you look it up, it's at the lowest level since '03 when we invaded. Stick a fork in Iraq - it's done. Regardless of why we invaded - and I don't know if it was right or not - I think we won this fight. Our boys over there did a great job. Don't deny them that glory by saying we lost.
I just want this thing to be over. I'm tired of seeing people, no matter which side they're on, dying. it completely disgusts me. Then I think of what would happen to us if we leave. There's no telling. I believe George Bussh was right in sending us over there, but I think he was wrong in keepng us there so long... let's face it: it's a lose-lose situation.
im with you people should relize that war is wrong. they should have had already got the troops home and stoped this war
War can't be described as right or wrong. War is simply a fact of life. I support our troops and to and extent our government. USA didn't become a country over tea, and the world is full of violence. Sometimes "we" feel a responcibility to help those who are persecuted and abused. I hope all of our troops come home safely when the time is right.
Peace didn't make the USA a free country. Peace is nice to have, but isn't possible in some situations. Not a fact but a opinion.
Question: How are we supposed to prevent violence in schools and teach students why you shouldn't use violence to fix problems when our own country is in a war? I live in a community with a lot of republicans. I am a democrat. There are a lot of fights in my school, and I see teachers telling students all the time that you don't use violence to solve your problems. Those same teachers are the ones who support the war in Iraq. I know that we need to protect our country, but I do not think this war was a smart idea. Have we not learned from our past? War only leads to tragedy for many people. My cousin is in the army. He watched his friend die in his arms. His best friend. Do you know what that can do to people?
I also believe that we should really be focusing on the state of the economy instead of Iraq.
Ok, so we go into this war thinking we have good reasons... now it seems our reasons have run out, but we can't pull out because we've been in too long. If we hadn't gone into war in the first place, then we wouldn't have to worry about things like that. I believe that war should be avoided at all costs.
I agree. There is no reason to fight. We are spending loads of money on this war. Barrak Obama should pull all the troops out of Iraq ASAP. There is a rumor that Obama is going to pull troops out in 2012. I think they should do it next year. But the other side of me says that we shouldnt pull them out because they could do another disaster like 9/11.
Well my brother is out risking his life in the Army to protect his country! Its something that he has imagined himself doing his whole life, and he is finally doing it. I myself son't want to see him in the war, just because he is my brother, and I don't know if one moment will be the last moment I see him. So I would say no to the war...
Here's my view, and I'll be straight up I'm a republican.
When I was little and my mom took me to the store she told me, "don't pick up something you can't afford to buy because remember, you break it, you bought it."
Well we broke Iraq. Should we be there in the first place? LEAVE THAT QUESTION TO THE HISTORIANS! Like it or not we are there in Iraq, and we have some fixing up to do.
How would you feel if someone bombed the shit out of us, took our government, and pulled the troops out and left. I'd be really pissed.
Didn't support Bush? Whatever. Don't support Obama? Whatever. Last time I checked when it comes to being a country we are the United States of America, not "The Divided states of America." One bad choice is a country's bad, choice. One great movement is our country's great movement.
I HATE war!
Thats one thing i truely hate about this world is WAR!
I think its useless, it just kills innocent people, nothing good comes out of it, wastes money, oh did i mention KILLS PEOPLE!
War is just sins written all over it!
I know i dont know much about this and im sorta clueless.
But I mean we all live in 1 planet why do we claim countries and such?
We all live on earth countries arent a big deal to fight over if you think about it.
What the hell has this world come too?
Where we kill one another to claim things.
Its just not Iraq and the U.S its other countries and war.
Why is war neccasary?
Why cant the presidents have a fighting match and there whoever wins have whatever is worth fighting!
Why do we have to bring out the troops and stuff?
Well thats my opinion i can go on but my fingers are hurting haha.
But anyone else agree?
Listen guys, no matter what opinions any of us have there will always be war. There is no help denying that. IS there better ways to solve things? Absolutely, but, mankind is far too stubborn to figure out any other possible solution. This War in Iraq has its ups and downs. Both good and bad. There's not a lot we can do to stop this. Obama may fix it, Obama may make it worse; we don't know yet. We will see when the troops are pulled out.
War is part of our instincts. Fighting in general is. The same way a dog fights over territory.
Countries are a big deal to fight over, they all have natural resources that we need to live and if push came to shove and you didn't have food or clean water, I am pretty sure your opinion about war would change.
Out of everything horrible that happens in the world like rapes, kidnapping, genocides, and just murders the thing you hate the most is war?
You say it wastes money, but WWII is what brought us out of the great depression. The war effort provides jobs.
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I do NOT support the war, but I most certainly support the troops, as a loved one of mine is in the Army right now. Maybe war may not be necessary, but without it, we wouldn't have the freedom we have now. We wouldn't be able to have this discussion here freely if it wasn't for those troops sacrificing their lives for our freedom. God bless our troops, and may they come home soon <3
Maybe the war started over oil but I think its possible that somewhere along the way the war could have changed and became more about peace. Think about it, why would we be sending more people down there to fight if it was just about oil. I don't think oil is worth losing lives over. I think part of the reson why were fighting is just pride, the U.S. does not want to lose. We want to prove that we are a strong nation and can go the extra mile. Which may or may not be a bad thing but in any case that may have more alterer motives than others put on to this war or are willing to admit.
Prior to us invading Iraq and removing an evil dictator, the Red Cross and Amnesty International reported that 5000 Iraqy women an children per MONTH were being killed or starved by Saddams Govt. All in the name of OIL with the help of the U.N. If we invaded Iraq for the oil, then why are we paying high prices for it, and have we paid so dearly in human life and yet we (the USA people or the oil companies) havent received a drop of free oil...
The democrats of this country want to talk, to these dictators of the world Iraq broke 23 UN resolutions and now Iran has the missles.to attack us, ask the military on what they want to do, since they are the ones risking their lives, not you/
i havent read every single comment, but i noticed a couple having 'winning' and 'losing' the war. how do you determine the 'win' or 'loss' of a war? the way i see it, is killing, and invading. i am fully against the war in iraq. at school, people talk about how 'the soldiers are fighting for our country and our freedom from them' but what are they truly 'fighting for'? absolutely nothing. and the army doent have to fight for our freedom, here, in america, we already have it. and its none of our governments business invading iraq and killing people. thats all war is - murder of people that people disagree with. but, there are many issues with the war and murdering people they disagree with.
1) iraq didnt attack us on 9/11, al-quida did, from afganistan. but, since we get our oil from that country, bush said iraq did. we have been murdering people for 7 years because bush lied. but there is no point to war or murder.
2) if you murder the people that you disagree with, the people on the opposing sides still disagree, and nothing is solved. in this case, most of the men, women, and children murdered in iraq are innocent because the bush administration was "stupid." however, some of the men, women, and children that were murdered were suicide bombers, but war is still not right.
I completly oppose this war. I come from an arab country under seige, and i just dint understand WHY we are there. If it is only for oil, we can just walk places, and not take a car across the street! I have seen a war, and been so close to it, my next-door neighbor was bombed. I have had an Iraqi kid stay with me from the war. He had NO legs. Just imagine that. None. Did he really deserve that? Because he was only 8, and a bomb hit his house, killing ALOT of his family members. And if you blame it on ONE group of people, then just look at how other countries see you. It is totally unessisary and cruel