After seven years and five months the U.S. ended its combat role in Iraq. 50,000 support troops will stay until the end of 2011. The U.S. lost over 4400 good Americans in that war that were killed and over 30,000 wounded, many who will never walk again on their own. Many of our troops served two and three deployments in that war.
The American people including our servicemen were told by President Bush that Iraq was a threat to our national security because they possessed WMD and that Iraq reconstituted its nuclear program, but those weapons and program never existed at any time during the Bush administration. The Bush administration even tried to plant the seed in the American people's mind that Saddam played a part in the tragic attacks on 9-11. That too never existed.
Such a war must never be repeated again by an American President nor should any future President think he can reshape a country by launching such a war. President Obama should do all in his power to bring the rest of our support troops home before the end of 2011, the sooner the better. Iraq still has no government six months after their election and our support troops still there are bound to get caught up in Iraq's various squabbles. After seven years and five months what else can we do to help Iraq? Very little actually.
The shame in the war in Iraq is that our leaders took advantage of our men and women in uniform who not only go where they are told to go, they serve with honor, do their jobs and never complain. They ended up paying the ultimate price with their lives in this unnecessary war over WMD that did not exist. Just as shameful was the news media and many retired generals in the run up to the war who were telling the American people they knew for sure Iraq had WMD. They themselves played into the hand of President Bush and also took advantage of our men and women in uniform and their devotion to duty.
Never, ever again should America let history repeat itself in regard to this war.
