Back to the Iraq War

I have just read a couple of pieces on the Iraq war that I thought were great. First, Ted Rall, the most honestly liberal cartoonist and columnist out there gives reasons in his latest column (at uexpress.com) for staying in Iraq. Basically, he says, we have to stay to clean up the mess we started by propping up Saddam in the first place. (Remember Reagan sending Donald Rumsfeld over there to toast and woo Saddam as an ally--three years AFTER the atrocity for which Saddam has since been hanged? Remember the Reagan Administration supplying the poison gas Saddam used on the Kurds?) He says the only way to ensure stability there is to bring in hundreds of thousands of American troops to enforce order 24/7 everywhere in the country. Of course, he is opposed to the war and has been since 2001.

I remember the Roman Empire trying this tactic in the Middle East some time back. They enforced order by crucifying a quarter of a million Jews--one of whom didn't stay dead.

The other thing I read is a 48-page treatise (http://www.americanrespect.com/ads/AmericanRespectTerrorismReport.pdf) by a conservative Republican on how and why to withdraw from Iraq. This essay by Richard W. Vague, founder of American Respect, gives the history of Iraq, from its artificial cobbling together in 1919, through its parallels with Germany after WWI, down to the present time. He also tells about the roots of terrorism worldwide through history. He agrees with the Bush Administration that democracy is the ideal, and the ultimate antidote to terrorism. Bringing it about, however, will require us to withdraw militarily and involve the community of nations in establishing a viable government. He endorses Joseph Biden's approach as introduced in the Senate.

I highly recommend both articles.