Iraq - a lost or a won war?

Now,
after 9 years of war, 4500 troops lost, in excess of 100.000 civilizians dead, a country in complete turmoil, is there anyone out there who believes that at this point in time (December 2011) this war had SOMETHING positive?
Yes, the bastard is gone, but it looked like he had the control over those various tribes, which are killing one another now, and which don't leave any room for Christianity in Iraq.
To me as an Australian, this war was among the most coward and disappointing expiriences in my life that I am aware off, as this war was started based on a simple lie, which left this country in a disastrous state.
We have proven to the world, that as much relaxed as we Australians normally are, that we are among the most aggressive ones, once the subject comes to war. And can't even stand up to admit our mistake!
Any thoughts?

 

We'll see. The entire region is filled with turmoil and fundamentalism. If Iraq can get it together, cooler heads in surrounding countries may prevail.

 

When I can take my Iraqi Dinar and trade them in for $4 a piece, Iraq will be a success.

 

I think it's too early to declare whether the thousands of lost lives, both the Iraqis and Americans, and the billions of dollars, was worth the effort. Whilst I initially supported the invasion of Iraq it's obvious, with hindsight, that the Amercians didn't carry out 'due diligence' before thay invaded Iraq and suffered the consequences.

But events like this need to time to evaluate and maybe, in ten years, we will know.And,of course, will we ever know what influence the invasion of Iraq has had on the Arab Spring. Or was the advent of the internet more influential, or maybe a combinbation thereof?

 

In excess of 4,800 actually.

Did they ever find those WMDs? Hmmm ...

 

....were they ever looking for WMD?

 

Nope.

.......

 

All I hope is those valiant troops' lives weren't in vain.

God bless our troops.

 

All I hope is that those responsible for the illegal invasion that resulted in the deaths of ten of thousands of innocent civilians end up before a tribunal at The Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

 

Bush declared the invasion a success, and now true to their word they have pulled out of occupation and returned it completely to the Iraqi's.

This is a vibrant testimant to the real purpose of the USA in trying to secure freedom and democracy.

Many in the MidEast though still continue to claim its the USA itself intent on expansionism - but those people just do not get it and are pushing a selfish agenda of hate and fear.

Win, yes. I'd say most of the deaths in Iraq during that time are as a result of violance amongst themselves for control, which is not the fault of the US.

 

Like our soldiers? Because if there is a person I CANNOT stand, its someone who thinks our soldiers are to blame. Our soldiers deserve the utmost respect you can muster. I am assuming you mean the politicians that decided to send troops... and well I might consider that a little extreme on the whole I agree invading Iraq was basically retarded.

 

Well we were only looking for the WMDs that we helped them gain...

 

You can't carry out illegal invasions without soldiers. It may not have been their idea - but they didn't have to participate. "Following orders" is not a defence. You roll with pigs - you get covered in mud.

No - the international laws against war crimes and crimes against humanity deserve the utmost respect we can muster. Bad orders shouldn't be followed.

 

Funny. John Howard said they had them:

"The Australian Government knows that Iraq still has chemical and biological weapons and that Iraq wants to develop nuclear weapons." "Iraq continues to work on developing nuclear weapons-uranium has been sought from Africa that has no civil nuclear application in Iraq"
4 February 2003


He didn't lie to us did he?!?!?!

 

First the goal of the so called war must be defined to know if any goals were met.

As an American, this has yet to be determined. So an analysis of win or lose will not be derived. To those who made the sacrifies, this will also haunt them for the rest of their lives. Because it is a war with no goals and no objectives. You can thank the Dick Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz military industrial complex for enginering this war.

That said. when Boooosh said "mission accomplished" in 2003 he ment his job of starting a war was over. From then on he forgot what he did and left the soldiers there with many different goals and objectives. But the reality is that Dick and Bush got their constituents the military contracts they wanted. And for the past 9 years, the american taxpayer has paid trillions for the war, and soldiers paid with their lives. That was the goal of the Boosh administration.

Keep in mind, the USA says it's not too soon to do it all over again. Our government is now using the same tactic to start another war against Iran. see the similarity here? Just change the Q for an N and you have the same thing; Made up lies of the CIA and Secretary of Defense, trying to keep the American citizen terrorized, and get more money for the military industrial complex of the USA. Nevertheless, Americans are gulible and those money grubbing politicians and corporations will fool the USA into another war.

 

Well what a subject,

If what has been posted on the internet is true then George Bush, Tony Blaire and John Howard are war criminals and terrorists.

Firstly if 9/11 was an inside job to get into Iraqi and Afganistan George Bush should be shot in a firing line.

Secondly if all the presients and prime ministers knew their were no WMD in Iraqi again they should be shot in a firing line.

You actually believe they went into Iraqi looking for alqeda and Bin Laden or was it for democracy and freedom?

More like for Rothchilds oil, or Rockerfellas oil or Morgans oil.

Yeah our troops died for nothing under the pretence of destroying terrorism and deploying democracy and freedom.

The Rokcerfellas wanted Iraqi oil and they got it, 10 years worth.

Civilian casualties that is Iraqi are close to one million from what i have read.

And all those bombings were done by British and American special forces.

Now that they have left we will see how many bombs go off.

If their is a man upstairs these leaders will have plenty of explaining to do.

 

Hey Clint

I hear you loud and clear.

Lets hope they abandon the Iranian thing because both Russia and China have financial interests there.

Wasn't it nostrodumus that said the 3rd world war would begin from Persia?

Fingers crossed it doesn't happen.

 

Oh yeah? You know what happens to soldiers who disobey big orders? Their lives are ruined by court marshals, and then they are replaced. Our soldiers are slaves to what the masters in government tell them to do. The fact that you would try to put ANY blame on our brave troops is arrogant at best. Most of these people join the military so they can at least earn their way into living off of the government. Most have no other viable option. In fact, I'd love to see respectable soldiers replaced with the likes of you, that way no good man would go to waste. And I don't know what you "think" went on in Iraq, but I would argue that the effort was at least half good. You sound like you would prefer to treat every american soldier that was sent to Iraq like they were Hitler. Which to me, is idiotic.

 

LOL> Lets quote Nostradamus, definitely the most credible source of the last 1000 years.

 

When it started it was obviously a war crime, and vast numbers here marched against it, but Bliar preferred kissing American fundaments to listening to us. We should have blocked the motorways. It turned out much worse than any of us supposed - a wonderful example of the way criminals have taken over governments everywhere, and to hell with people's lives compared to oil.

 

Where are you writing from? North Korea?

Soldier are simply people doing a job. If doing their job would cause them to commit an illegal act - they should find a new job.

An illegal invasion that results in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians is "half good"?
Torture is "half good"

 

Torture was already happening in Iraq, it was just state sponsored. Interrogation is (or was) a term used in the military to specifically mean action against to derive information - and did not imply torture. The term is used in technical circles as well for the same reason. The media spins stuff everday, but yes torture did occur but it was never legal (thats why they sent to them to Arab countries for the hard cases like Egypt etc, because torture is the norm for many Arab countries).

Most of the civilians killed in Iraq was because of the infighting which occured during US occupation between themselves and other MidEast foreigners - not the US. This was going to happen as soon as Saddam's dictatorship fell anyway as the society was only being kept in line at the end of Saddams shotgun barrel.

All the US did was try to make the change as easy for them as possible. Sure they now sit back and say they preferred how it was under Saddam, but that is fake bravado and all they can muster for national pride - let them have it but dont be fools and believe it.

 

Although I get your drift and think you are somehow right, you cannot take away to blame the soldiers to some degree as well.
We all know, not only since Iraq, that the US wants to see things developing in a way, they think is right. Saddam broke with the US some time earlier, big mistake!
See, if the soldiers would have stood up and said no to Mr. Bush, this war might not have happened. You cannot soley blame Hitler for WW2, but the German troops as well, as they marched on his orders. Or would you regard them as heroes, invading Poland in 1939?
Same applies to the troops invading Iraq!
Whether this war was any good, who knows, and as some said, only time will tell. But we have to free our minds, that the US has only the best interest for those nations in mind, which hey conquer.
Heroes don't invade foreign countries, they protect their own...

 

If it was illegal, people would be in jail. Oh and we tortured regular ole Iraqi's on a daily basis? You do more than just watch the news, right? You saw all the little children and women and even men hugging our 'evil' soldiers right? You saw the GOOD things that the media doesn't cover I hope? You act like we went there and raped and pillaged their villages or something.

 

I find it somewhat incredulous that some here think soldiers sit around thinking Hmmmm should we obey this order to go to Iraq? Where would morons that think this, believe that soldier should get his information from?

Sure if they line up people and say “shoot them all” then the soldier can question the order. Not when the country says “we are joining xyz in conflict”. Honestly, grown some brains.

My nephew (engineer) went as part of an army construction crew to help build homes and schools etc. Never fired a shot in anger. I ask Bugs “Is he covered in pig (*)(*)(*)(*) as well?”

Pathetic bunch you are, you’ll be the ones sitting there (*)(*)(*)(*)ting your pants looking for help from these men and women should you ever need it. In the mean time you try and degrade them from the comfort of the seat in front of your computer.

Cowards.