Iraq War - my Take (Armchair QB)

The initial anger was against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. But there were a few in this country that knew the bigger picture. The reality is that Al-Qaeda declared war on the West in the 1990s. They were a part of an entity that most people still don't understand.

We were waging that in secret since then.

Your suggestion, about sitting back, collecting intel, and striking again, formed the military part of that secret war. We did have problems with incompetence from the Administration back in the 1990s. However, we've done what you suggested and it failed.

I agree that we won the moment we went in, but not for what you're implying. Most people knew what happened to the Soviet Union after they entered Afghanistan. Our going into Iraq ensured that we succeeded there where post powers failed.

Your claims, that democracy will never work there, is nonsense.

People made the same arguments about Japan after World War II. The Japanese had their own system of governing, and of doing things, for centuries. Back then, critics asked, "How could we just change that in a few years?"

People back in the late 1940s didn't think we'd successfully pull it off there.

Thanks to disregarding the nay sayers, we don't have to worry about Japanese kamikaze attacks.

The Iraqis are embracing democracy. If the media reported our success in that area, more people would know that. Many insurgents have stopped fighting against us. They've gone into politics instead to try to sell their ideas.

The Iraqis have demonstrated, they have voted, and now their Parliament is doing things that Parliaments do in other Democracies.

It'll work. We have to change the face of that region. If we don't, then radical elements will change the West's, and the World's face. And it won't be pretty.

The cold hard reality is this.

There's a mortal struggle going on. Two sides are fighting a fight to the death. When this is all over, one of two things is going to happen. One, the Middle East will be westernized. Or, two; the whole world would be practicing a brand of radical Islam that would make the Taliban look like liberal reformers.

There's no third, or other, option. It's either or.

Updated to add:

I combat deployed to Iraq a little under a year after I had this debate on craigslist. Democracy is progressing very well over there. I was there when they held the elections that finally placed their permanent government there.

The Iraqis want to westernize, and they're doing it rapidly.

You said:

The 9-11 anniversary is around the corner. After the initial shock, America was mad. We were going to strike. And that anger fell on to the government of Iraq and the Taliban of Afganistan. A lot has been said about the perception of winning or the losing this war. And it is this perception i have that is diffucult to explain:

We won. We won this war the day we launched. Yes. What other outcome can there be for America to go against another country?

However, why oh why did we ever set foot inside the countries confounds me. We never needed to put troops on the ground. Just sit back collect the intel and strike again and again the targets as presented. Screw the peace and screw Islam.

Iraq is enslaved by their Islamic culture; just as Iran, Syria, Suadi Arabia, etc. The democracy that we have sought to instill in that country of Iraq will FAIL. They will not know freedom nor liberty, nor do they care to.