The way I see it we need to be getting out of Iraq, and fast. Just look at May and June 2006 and you will see what I mean. We can not control that country with our backward politicking and poor planning. Unfortunately it is not the soldiers and paramilitary organizations taking the brunt of the attacks, instead it is the civilians (aka non-combatants). Yeah, we aren't the ones doing the targeting of civilians but what can we do if we can not stop the violence against them, should we stay there and let it get so much worse because of our occupation?
Let us not forget that the entire region is becoming more unstable each day as factions of the Lebanese government (Hezbollah) kidnap soldiers and perhaps forcing the hand of Israel (or so thinks Israel). Now we have Iran getting involved. It seems to me that we are constantly on the verge of war these days and already our hands are full. What is a country to do? I believe that to be a true patriot you must not allow wrongful decisions to continue to be made...
As we look at our future in Iraq we realize that we are there for the long haul because someone doesn't want to even think about a possible timeline of withdrawal.
8 comments:
I know. What can be done with so many madmen in control of governments throughout the world? Where are the voices of reason?
I'm so glad you are home safe.
Bring the troops home now and take care of them when they get here!
Dude youve written utter rubbish here regarding Israel. Israel is killing and slaughtering in Gaza and Lebanon, and much of the targets have nothing to do with Hizbullah.
Israel is causing the instability in the region. Therefore Isreal is NOT justified in its actions and your are a liar or a fool to say it is.
Golly Opinionated...that's not how I read this post.
Zach,
I agree - this is not a world I recognize either. Having been over there and knowing the costs, it must break your heart to see this start again in that region (as it does mine).
Such a damn waste.
You'll find your break soon. Mom's house is just a port in the storm!
All events in Iraq now show that our continuing occupation is causing more disruption than it is helping anyone. Our young soldiers are being killed and grievously wounded and we are financing this occupation on money borrowed from Japanese and Chinese banks. Our occupation is only giving Iraqis a reason to avoid coming to terms with each other as they must ultimately do. The Bush administration cannot seem to imagine that there is anything we can do in Iraq except continue a military occupation. If we withdrew our military maybe the Iraqis would want help or a partnership with American teachers, doctors and engineers. That type of partnership has worked in other countries and it could work in Iraq.
more to "opinionated"... what facts are you using to arrive at your opinion? Or life experience like the previous comment said about Zach's far-reaching experiences in Iraq? Or are you just spouting knee-jerk anti-semetic hyperbole
because you've never formed an original opinion of your own? Twits like you seem to conviently forget that it was Lebanon and Jordan that took more land from the Palestinians than Israel ever has. The Arab world for the most part have treated the Palestinians like camel dung. The Palestinians are just a convienent excuse for most of the Arab world to attack Israel. If some of the arayan nation neo nazi groups(couldn't bring myself to capitalize) in Idaho decided to start sending rockets into Canada because they don't like us or perhaps our same-sex marriage laws, would we be expected to stand for it if the American government didn't stop them? That may seem like too much of a generality to you but it is a good example. Hezbollah has consistently hit "soft" or civilian targets in Israel, suicide bombs, etc. Nobody ever had a chance to find a bomb shelter in a crowded market, or on a bus in Israel.
"opinionated probably has a shrine built, worshipping psychos like Timothy McVeigh...
Kate MacKay
Hey Zach,
While this isn't completely related to your recent post, I just wanted to say "Hi." If you don't remember me, we knew each other in high school. My mom told me last night that she read an article about you and your blog in The Daily News, and my first response about your getting published was, "I'm not surprised." I'm so proud of you for speaking out-- and again, not surprised!-- and sharing your thoughts with the world. It takes guts to do that, especially if you're in the army. My fiance was in the army-- thankfully after Desert Storm and before the current war-- but we have talked quite frequently about the war in Iraq. Our personal fear is that this war may end up like our generation's Vietnam, which would be awful. And with the current state of things, unfortunately that could be one way this situation could go.
Anyway, I always wondered what happened to you. Congratulations on getting published! I wish you and your beautiful family all the best. And good luck finding a job! Steve would love to live in the NW-- we're in New England right now-- but the job market isn't the best out there for children's librarians like me!
Best wishes,
Necia :-)
Opinionated, Zach did not endorse Israel and believe me, I read allot of blogs especially Israeli blogs and I totally agree with Zach. Zach you are right on, we are getting in a bigger mess because our government does not know how to get out of this situation and doesn't realize that we got into a hornets nest out of ignorance and "cowboy" mentality. The world is not a safer place for americans and we have not been fighting terrorists. If anything, we created more hatred for the US.
As regards to Israel, I want Israel to be safe (my hometown has been getting hit by missile's and allot of family involved) but they went extremely overboard destroying Lebanon when they were on the brink of returning to normal they are just creating more and more resentment by killing civilians and infrastructure. The Lebanese are more peaceful to Israelis than Iranians are and they went after the lebanese people, not the Hizbolla.
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