Peace in Iraq

[Dan Moadus]

I am glad to see America leaving center stage in Iraqi affairs, but hope to see a large military presence in Iraq. After all, we still have a large presence in Germany, and as I understand it, we are building a "mega base" there (Iraq).

I supported the war because I support staying on the offense in the "War on Terror" , and as I always say, "You can't fight the war on terror from the deck of a carrier". My take on why we invaded Iraq is threefold.

First, we believed Saddam to have WMD's (actually we know he had them, he used them), and we now know that he and Moammar Kadafi were very close to building a nuclear bomb.

Secondly, Saddam was brutalizing his people. So we ended the suffering and set free 52 million of his people.

And Third but perhaps most important, we needed a big American footprint in the region. Face it, the Middle East is the region that spawns terrorism and Bush decided that we could no longer sit back and wait for the next attack on American soil, or American interests, so he decided that we would take the fight to them. The problem of course is the terrorists don't actually have a country or a standing Army, so how do you do this? Well, Bush's answer to that question, and a good one I think, was to pick a country that was led by a dangerous mad man in the region (take your pick) and invade it. We eliminated a threat, set millions of people free, and enticed our enemy to come out and fight. And come out they did. We killed their fighter by the thousands, and I think prevented further attacks on America.

Sadly, but as in all wars, we suffered the loss of four thousand of America's best young people. Young people die by the thousands each year in America, and nothing is sadder, but at least the loved ones left behind by these young soldiers are left with the knowledge that their sacrifices helped advance world wide freedom and has kept America safe. It should also be noted that American combat deaths have been less than 50 this year http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/ .

[sfc_oliver]

I can't believe in this day of information that people still believe that Iraq had anything to do with Oil.

Fact is that the USA receives 4% (or less) of it's imported oil from Iraq. That is close to 2% of what we use. I doubt anyone would fight a war for 2% that we can drill for ourselves.

[irishbobcat]

In the last six months, the U.S. has taken important steps toward military de-escalation in Iraq.   

The U.S. government has released thousands of Iraqi prisoners detained by U.S. forces. Furthermore, U.S. combat troops have left Iraqi cities, towns, and villages before the June 30th deadline as stipulated in the security agreement signed by the two countries.

In addition, the U.S. has confirmed its commitment to honoring the remaining key provisions of the security agreement. These include removing all U.S. troops from Iraq and closing all U.S. military bases before the end of 2011.

Peace is on the horizon for Iraq. And as we take these important steps toward military withdrawal, it is time for the U.S. to also cede its influence from Iraq's internal political affairs so that the fragile balance of interests in Iraq may have a chance to succeed together. 

After you read this update, please send a letter to the White House asking that the important gains regarding the U.S. military withdrawal be accompanied by political strategies that do not undermine Iraqi sovereignty and self-sufficiency.

In the wake of more than six years of military occupation and outside political control, seemingly minor recommendations from the U.S. can have destructive impacts in this time of transition to self-determination. 

For example, during a recent visit to Iraq, Vice President Biden called for the approval of laws that would privatize Iraq's oil and gas resources. This explosive issue is one of the greatest areas of conflict among Iraqis.

U.S. thirst for oil was widely viewed as a reason for the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, and the oil law itself was initially drafted by the U.S. As a result, Vice President Biden's remarks sparked suspicions over ongoing U.S. involvement in Iraqi politics, demonstrations in the streets and statements of concern from leaders across the political spectrum in Iraq.

To fully end this occupation the U.S. must not only withdraw its military presence, but  must make it clear that Iraq's future belongs to Iraqis, not to U.S. interests. In order for peace to be possible, Iraqis need the U.S. to get out of the way and make space for a healthy and productive internal reconciliation.

Help us encourage the White House that military withdrawal must be accompanied by a withdrawal of U.S. intervention from Iraq's political affairs. This is a critical step to building lasting peace in Iraq.

Wage peace.....

The Green Party