I think I just saw a poll that showed most people thought going to Iraq was a mistake, and most people want the US to leave, soon. So while Americans may *want* Iraqis to stop killing each other, I don't think most of them think that's a good reason for US troops to be in Iraq. Judging by the polls.
Fine, but the topic I was discussing was on the lines of who is responsible for the failure in Iraq (if that's what it turns out to be). It wasn't about US support for or opposition for the US presence in Iraq. I agree with the poster who wrote that the failure lies mainly with the Iraqis themselves.
The USA removed Saddam from power (that's something our military can achieve). When given their freedom to do what they choose, and given the US's best efforts at assistance to build a normal functional civil society, Iraqis (as a whole) have failed to do so. They have decided instead to kill each other. Whatever it is in their society that drives them to convince an Iraqi teen to put on a vest of explosives and kill himself and as many of his fellow Iraqi Muslims is some "sickness" from their Iraqi society. It is certainly not an American invention.
Who knows - perhaps once the coalition completely leaves Iraq, things will magically turn out fine, but it seems doubtful. And if it descends into civil war, the responsibility for that war lies (IMO) with the Iraqis who take up weapons to kill the person who was their neighbor in the 20+ years of Saddam's rule. You can argue on and on about whether the coalition invasion was a bad idea, was a good idea but poorly executed, was a good idea but should have had more international support, or whatever you want.
I'd argue Iraqis are adults responsible for their actions, not children under the control of the coalition forces, and they've choice of action appears to be one that may wind up being quite unpleasant for them if the coalition does decide to depart before they've made peace with each other. |
