Reply #153: Protect them from whom? [View All]

Sadaam? I don't think he's a threat any more.

The Iraq war was a fuck-up in the beginning, the middle, and if we don't withdraw immediately, it will be in the end, no matter what "exit strategy" we come up with. Because while we're thinking about it, we're killing more Iraqis, spawning more hatred and dissention, provoking more terrorism, and destroying more cities and homes.

It is at least 100,000 too late to worry about the first Iraqi dying. They didn't attack us. The question is now who will be the last American to die while we're preparing an exit strategy instead of withdrawing.

We had no reason to go into Iraq. We have no reason to be there now (unless you count repairing the damage we've done, which we can't do because we're too busy causing more damage), and we have no rational reason not to get out. We were the aggressor in an unjustified war. There is only one thing we can do to regain even a modicum of dignity and respect: admit we were wrong, apologize, and get the hell out.

We started the war in Iraq by invading. We are continuing the war in Iraq as an unwanted occupying force. We are the ones who have been killing Iraqis, not the Taliban, not Al Queda, and not Sadaam Hussein. Sadaam did kill Iraqi Kurds, but it was with our weapons and our approval. While he was in power, the Taliban and Al Queda weren't even in Iraq and had no reason to be there. And we cannot protect the Iraqis from us by staying there. We are the problem and so long as we are the problem we cannot be part of the solution.

I'm sorry if we were lied to. I'm sorry if we were duped. It doesn't matter now. What matters is that for whatever reason, we did a very bad thing: an international war crime--a crime against humanity. And we must stop. What are we, some kind of BTK who can't stop until caught and forced to stop? Are we supposed to discuss all our torture and killing in clinical terms without emotion, as if it is just another day at the office? You don't plan a lengthy exit strategy from a war crime. You stop it. And you see that the culprits are brought to justice, not tortured. Not even BFEE. I am deeply saddened to see that so many of us have completely lost our moorings, but heartened by those who know a war crime when they see one and want it to stop before a single other life is lost for no goddamn reason.