Keeping an American Military Presence in Iraq

I like the end of the beginning

Chicken dinner is what I want to have before this useless attempt to save humanity from a religious destiny. I do believe there are things out of our control and that the usa is not prolonging the end, just making an alternative oute.

Pathetic people need to enjoy what we have not what we need or want.

The end is all too near..

Would the truth shock you? part two

We don't mention religion as much because that's between God and us-so it's not necessary.

The future: The Iranians will tire of their leaders and depose them-at which point, things between the Iranians and Americans will return to normal. Quietly friendly. Exchanging food and fashion ideas again.

The women of the middle east will wake up one day in a pile of rubble with their dead children in their arms and get angry. It's then they will realize that they outnumber the men. By a lot. The war of the sexes will keep them all busy for awhile. After that, with more women in power, there may be a chance for real peace.

When it is achieved, the world will rejoice. Both East and West.

Would the truth shock you? part one

Would The Middle East Be Surprised By The Truth?

I'm average, I think.

If I live to be one hundred, I have already lived half my life away.

Until 9-11:

I never heard of a "Zionist". I thought it might have something to do with Zoos and Lions.

I hadn't met a Jewish person until I was about twenty-five. Now I know two. Maybe three. The subject never came up with the third one.

When I asked one of them if "Jewish" was a race or religion, she stared at me and said, "You're kidding, right?" But never answered me. I still don't exactly know. I don't much care either. She's my friend. That's all I need to know.

I worked in a place where there were many Lebanese, an Iranian and some others from somewhere in the middle east. It didn't matter to any of us. Every time they'd tell us, most of us would forget. I knew each as who they were. One Lebanese man was my boss and my friend. Two others were serious playboys. The Iranian was a gentle, refined man that looked like he dropped off of GQ. (well dressed)

I knew Iraq and Iran were at war. I didn't know why.

I never heard of a "Palestinian". To be quite honest, I'm still not sure what it means except that on TV they are always fighting with someone. If no one fights with them, then they fight among themselves. That can't be right…is it?

Israel had something to do with the bible. Wasn't it Jesus' hangout? Home?

The most common reaction to the trade towers was "What on earth?" That kind of shock comes only from those that are innocent.

What is it that we are supposed to have done? To who? That can't be right. Is it?

Occupation? Middle eastern countries that are covertly under the rule of the west?

You've got to be kidding. We get oil there. It was a business relationship born out of need. Our leaders have their hands full. Why doesn't anyone look at the people we did go to war with. If we were going to occupy a country, one of those would be closer to what we are used to climate-wise. As it is, there is more than enough land to get in trouble with here. (just check the newspapers)

Osama who? Thought we wanted to what?

Again. You've got to be kidding. Why would we take what we can buy for a lot less than what war costs?

Why on earth would we care what religion anyone practiced? We don't even care what religion people practice here. Freedom of religion taught me that all religions share one thing: that it can be difficult to practice holy duties if you work all the time. If it's ----day, you better let Dad sleep.

If, the towers hadn't been hit. A lot more people would be alive. The poor Iraqi's would still be terrorized by their "leader". American's wouldn't be as disgusted as they are now.

By the way, Americans are nothing like we are portrayed by the media and American advertisers. We're just like anyone else. We love our families and we just want to get along with our health and a little time to enjoy them.

Obama

From the books that I have read on Islam, Barakat Hussein Obama is a Muslim, will and should remain so being the son of a Kenyan Muslim. In Islam the mother does not count, only the father does, and all Muslim's offspring are "born Muslims" and they dare not be Converts to any other religion under the threat of the Sword of Islam.

When did Obama convert, where was he at the time?

Why he did/does not change his name?

Do we want a Born Muslim in the White House and guard him all the time so that he is not aimed at since he calls himself a Christian with a Muslim name?

He is an Apostate by the Islamic Laws!!

Hey, Saddam Hussein and sons are gone

For all that is written in the comments about how illegal Bush and company waged this war, Saddam Hussein is gone. Remember the look on that child's face after he invaded Kuwait? Saddam tried to put his hand on his head to pacify him and the child froze in fear.

Can't remember? I'm not surprised, lots of people have short memories / selective amnesia.

And Saddam's invasion of Kuwait set in motion our bases in Saudi Arabia which set in motion Osama's call for jihad to kick America out of the land of Mecca and Medina.

Saddam worshipped Stalin, and employed his tactics. His sons were even worse. Remember how Saddam forgave his son-in-laws, invited them back, and summarily had them killed.

He's gone. And the world can breathe a sigh of relief. Good riddance. What was it going to take to get rid of him? Bush the First wasn't going to go out on a limb to do regime change despite encouraging the Kurds and the Shiites to do an uprising.

I just wished we had simply marched all over the place and forget about nation building just yet: after rolling over Bagdad, we could have then taken out Bashir Assad in Syria, the Mullahs in Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon....you know, be the bull(y) in the China shop sort of thing.

Maybe Mubarak, Qaddafi, too.

And then redraw the map.

Those borders were drawn by England and France after World War I and those two powers didn't exactly have the residents' best interest in mind.

Maybe we'd do no better. But we certainly could have done no worse.

We'd be hated either way anyway. So we might as well fix up the mess of Europe's doing in the first place.

As usual.

No Brainer

Of course America will have troops in the IRAQ, permanently and without question. I am really amazed that this subject is up for debate. I mean really, with no serious thought on alternative fuels, does anyone really think that America will pull it's troops out of oil-rich IRAQ in the next half-century??

Conquest and Colonization of Iraq

Ajami goes to some length to lend an air of respectability to the criminal plot to invade and conquer a sovereign country in order to seize their national wealth for private use. Since Cheney-Bush's rationalizations for the invasion and conquest of Iraq have all proven fraudulent, we are left with the glaring truths of the no-bid contracts for Cheney-Bush's Big Oil buddies, and the massive construction of permanent bases from which to launch future waves of conquest and colonization into Iran (in October 2008), Syria, Lebanon, etc.

It seems evident that Cheney-Bush are striving deliberately and specifically to make sure that the next administration's hands are indeed tied, and that there are unavoidable commitments to continue handing over billions of dollars to the crony corporation co-conspirators (Halliburton, KBR, Blackwater, et al.) and continue the entrenchment into America's Iraq Colony.

Mr. Maliki has wisely insisted that any security arrangement be contingent upon a withdrawal timetable for the US occupation force. He must make this insistence in order to pass muster as a patriotic Iraqi worthy of re-election, and to make an attempt at some sort of self-government (as opposed to being governed by diktat from Washington). If al-Maliki won't stand firm for Iraqi self-rule, al-Sadr will.

Cheney-Bush's proposed security arrangements for Iraq demonstrate the imperialist goals and criminal methods of the Bush Gang for all to see, once again bringing shame upon our own country and further shredding the last remnants of respectability the United States once possessed.

It's no surprise that a criminal gang like the Cheney-Bush cabal intends to pursue its agenda of murder and thievery until it is forced from power, but it's depressing to watch a once-great nation like the United States converted into the oppressors of the world, the jack-booted thugs who break down people's doors in the night and haul them off to the state-sponsored dungeon for a round of government-approved torture.

Why would anyone vote for me (John McCain)?

I'm old and out of touch with reality. I have a 1950's "bunker" mentality and people tend to think that I'm a jerk. I flip-flop on the issues and have a political philosophy much like a socialist. I am really not that different from my opponent Barack Obama; who is also a socialist. I have a problem controlling my anger; which is a bad thing for someone who is running for president. I really have no agenda except to keep the war in Iraq going for another 100 years and to make my rich friends even wealthier. I know that Ron Paul is right on every issue, but I can't say that because it would be admitting that I am wrong. I really hate the idea of small government and following the constitution because that is what Ron Paul talks about and I wish I were as smart as he is. I can not possibly win against Obama because I am not popular like he is and no one wants to give me money. I am going to get my clock cleaned by Obama; a guy who speaks well but says nothing. Then again, I don't have much to say myself so maybe I should listen to Ron Paul more often. I know that it is too late now to change the way I am, so I'm just going to run my "campain of fear" and hope that I can scare people into voting for me. That is really all you can do when you are John McCain!

the comments

I see the Nazis are out today in the comments section. Professor Ajami is Shi'ite and is an expert on the Middle East. I treasure his books and opinion pieces.

Iran and Iraq

How convenient to forget how long Iraq and Iran have been at each other's throats.

Iraq's independence got it a dictator for it's money. Perhaps a democratic ally would be more helpful than the many middle eastern countries that saw fit to criticize the U.S. while not lifting a finger to help their "brethren" in Iraq.

Talk is cheap. The U.S. fights the cancerous monster allowed to grow in the middle east with the foolish assumption that evil might be contained and used as a tool.

Anyone that believes that Iran is putting it's nose into Iraq's business out of concern is either foolishly optimistic or just plain foolish.

Judge not a man by his words, but by his actions. and the outcome of those actions.

Is Bin Laden a happy man today? Does he still consider himself part of the middle east's religious fate? What would be different today had he not been the spark for the terrible fires he lit?