Ok, we got ourselves a factual site, done iraqbodycount.org
<<i - I wouldn't say I'm enthusiastic about it, but I see progress being made, and I think pulling out would be worse than continuing the effort at this time>>
... I, OTOH, am very enthusiastic about it, for it will help to bring about a better world; progress are indeed being made, and pulling out will most assuredly be materially worse than continuing the effort. So, we do not have much disagreement here, so it seems.
<<ii - The US did invade Iraq. At this point they aren't invadeing any more, nor are they occupying Iraq as part of some American conquest. Instead they are supporting the democratically elected government of Iraq.>>
... by passing congressional this and that that would ultimately result in the splitting up of the nation and enable a ethnic cleansing on a significant scale? So, let us agree that (i) Iraq was invaded, (ii) conquered, (iii) a puppet regime of choosen few was put in place, (iv) an election was set, to choose amongst the chosen, and (v) the chosen has no mandate to matter, to speak of, to give meaning to the set piece election, while the invaders, now invaders who will neither go away nor adored to stay, goes around killing with impunity and maiming with immunity, to keep the chosen in power
<<iii - Any decent sized army, deployed in a war zone for a reasonable length of time, is going to have some soldiers commit war crimes. So yes American soldiers have committed war crimes in Iraq. That doesn't mean war crimes by American soldiers are common, or are accepted, or are typical of the way American soldiers act>>
define 'common', 'accepted' and 'typical'.
<<iv - Probably true. The reasons why its not certainly true are>>
Probably is good enough for now, and full revelation will be once the rooftop evacuations are completed and helicopters are dumped into the mediterranean.
As to your ... <<I would also add that the current war will end at some point>>
Yes, with rooftop evacuations and helicopters dumped in the mediterranean would be one guess.
<<Baathist regime could have gone on for decades, and the sanctions would have either continued, or failed>>
Yes, and so what? The moon is dusty, but I do not recommend trying to sweep the place.
<<If they failed than eventually Iraqi WMD programs would have been a more realistic issued to be worried about>>
I am guessing that now WMD will be more popular around the planet, and the probability of its use against civilians during peace times have gone up materially.
Let's get down to brass tacks, in summary, the Iraq episode is a senseless strategic error based on manipulated stupidity that is costing mucho monetary inflation actioned by folks who cares not one iota for truth and innocent lives, cannot be lost, not likely to be won, cannot be stopped, and has no one obvious counterparty to negotiate with in order to end. IOW, it is endless hell for millions within Mesopotamia, and for countless wallets all around the planet, full stop. |
