The debate on the War in Iraq has become a black or white issue. People are expected to either want to "stay the course" or "pull the troops out". I do not agree with either of these extreme views. I believe, as with most things in life, that the war is not black or white but Gray. Pulling the troops out of Iraq would be a foolish move because they would only have to return when the full scale Civil War breaks out. This view is argued by liberals who don't understand the culture and religion of the Iraqi people. Of course, there is the flip side of that...which is to say that republicans don't understand Iraqi culture and religion either.
I have argued for years that the administration and Pentagon (NOT the soldiers) lost the war when they pulled the majority of our troops out of Iraq after Baghdad fell. From a strategic point of view, it was a mistake. We pulled a large number of troops out of Iraq too soon. The country was not secure. As soon as we reduced our numbers the violence started to escalate. My opinion is that we send 200,000 or more troops back into Iraq and secure the country. If we can secure the country then we will be able to properly and quickly train Iraqi soldiers and police. The Bush Administration's plan has been to stay on the same course...a course that is not working. The reality is, that it is almost too late for my plan. The country is so close to boiling over. If we wait too much longer we will have no choice but to pull out completely for the safety of our troops or to get involved in a long bloody battle. We can talk about black and white but you can't get any grayer than War.
I have argued for years that the administration and Pentagon (NOT the soldiers) lost the war when they pulled the majority of our troops out of Iraq after Baghdad fell. From a strategic point of view, it was a mistake. We pulled a large number of troops out of Iraq too soon. The country was not secure. As soon as we reduced our numbers the violence started to escalate. My opinion is that we send 200,000 or more troops back into Iraq and secure the country. If we can secure the country then we will be able to properly and quickly train Iraqi soldiers and police. The Bush Administration's plan has been to stay on the same course...a course that is not working. The reality is, that it is almost too late for my plan. The country is so close to boiling over. If we wait too much longer we will have no choice but to pull out completely for the safety of our troops or to get involved in a long bloody battle. We can talk about black and white but you can't get any grayer than War.
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