6th Anniversary Iraq War

[nerdgirl 0]

6 years ago Operation Iraqi Freedom began.

Lots one could say about it.

On 19 March 2003, perhaps in some combination of selfishlessness and in resignation to the choices my government had made, my most pressing concern was would DHS up the threat level to red and close commercial air traffic: I was scheduled to fly to Thailand on the 20st.

The Washington Post had a major article in Sunday’s paper on the anniversary. Today’s USA Today has an article: "6 years after invasion, Iraq slow to regain confidence." Most of the other major newspapers don’t have anything (“most” because I’m sure someone can find something I missed.) There’s an AP Article, “As Iraq war enters 7th year, focus on politics” that is likely to get a fair number of reprints. NPR had a story on a Baghdad heavy metal band; tomorrow Morning Edition will be a story on a family in Fallujah as a human interest perspective to consider the impact of the war on Iraqis. PBS Newshour had a substantive feature. Is the lack of stories a signal of (relative) success? After all we don’t hear events in South Korea regularly, and there are ~25k US service members stationed there.

Because of the demographics of this sport almost all of us have lost friends or colleagues; many in America aren’t connected to anyone who’s been to Iraq. 4,261 American soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and DoD civilians; two Australians; 1 Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, 1 Czech, 7 Danes, 2 Dutch, 2 Estonians, 1 Fijian, 5 Georgians, 1 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Kazakhstani, 1 Korean, 3 Latvians, 22 Poles, 3 Romanians, 5 Salvadoran, 4 Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, 3 Thai, 18 Ukrainians, and an uncounted number of Iraqis have died. Yesterday I was at University of Georgia for a forum on nuclear nonproliferation. One of the Egyptian participants commented that over a million Iraqi had been killed and that the world notices that.

Imo, it’s hard to argue that Iraq is not better than it was under Saddam Hussayn. I recognize that some will try, so be it.

/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[SimonBones 1]

Quote

There’s an AP Article, “As Iraq war enters 7th year, focus on politics” that is likely to get a fair number of reprints.

The media is still referring to OEF as the War in Iraq. Who are we still at war with? Iraq? Baghdad fell in April 2003. Sadam was captured in December 2003. We won the Iraq war before 2004 was over and ended the "war" against Iraq.

108 way head down world record!!!
http://www.simonbones.com
Hit me up on Facebook

[jcd11235 0]

Quote

Imo, it’s hard to argue that Iraq is not better than it was under Saddam Hussayn. I recognize that some will try, so be it.

I think it's hard to argue that Iraq are better off today than pre-invasion.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[nerdgirl 0]

Quote

The media is still referring to OEF as the War in Iraq.

OEF = Operation Enduring Freedom, is in Afghanistan.

OIF is Iraq.

Quote

Who are we still at war with? Iraq?

Overwhelmingly it has been domestic insurgents, with some very small number of external actors. Largely from Morroco & Yemen, iirc.

The effort has largely been to prevent Iraq from becoming a failed state ... failed states are generally unstable and can contribute to regional instability. That is counter to our strategic interests.

/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[SimonBones 1]

The point was that this has not been a "War with Iraq" for 5 years now. The media can't seem to figure that out at all. Plus it's great leverage to use for political purposes.

I just get tired of hearing it over and over again. The war with Iraq is over. It's been over.

108 way head down world record!!!
http://www.simonbones.com
Hit me up on Facebook

[nerdgirl 0]

Quote

The point was that this has not been a "War with Iraq" for 5 years now. The media can't seem to figure that out at all. Plus it's great leverage to use for political purposes.

I just get tired of hearing it over and over again. The war with Iraq is over. It's been over.

Perhaps, then what I cited confirms your assertions, eh? "Most of the other major newspapers don’t have anything ...."

That lack of coverage and what it suggests for stability in Iraq is what struck me.

/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[rhys 0]

That war was a waste of time, money and human life on both sides of the fence.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[philh 0]

Estimates of the Iraqi death count is between 654,965 (2006 Lancet Survey) and 1,220580 (2007 ORB survey).
To be fair this doesnt mean the Us caused these deaths. Most of them were due to the Sunni and Shia killing each other, not the US killing Iraqis. However by invading and then failing to police the situation the Us must shoulder some (but not all) of the blame for this .
No Wmd's were ever found so we must conclude the original rational for the war was wrong.
A dictatorship was replaced by a democaracy so thats a plus. But not as much as it might seem. The increase in religious tyranny by non government forces eg militia , meanns that this democracy is not as free as one might hope.

The financial cost fo the war officialy was just under $1 trillion , but the cost in terms of secondary effects has been estimated as a high a $3trillion.
Would tthe current fincial crises be so bad if there was a few extra trillion dollars in the economy that wasnt burnt in the deserts of the Middle East?

My conclusion is the same as the preivous poster , it was a waste of time, life and money . But I would also add political captial. After 9/11 Us flags flew everywhere, there was a lot fo sympathy that Us that could have built on to isolate AQ. That was all desroyed after Iraq and then some .