I figure that, since we're all cooling down from controversial topics, we could discuss something calming like the Iraq war for a bit . I feel like a politician entering a race - "no mudslinging, I swear!"

It appears that if you repeat something often enough and loudly enough it becomes true.

Iraq = Vietnam. Not by a looooong shot.

The Iraqis are taking heavy casualties now in THEIR fight. The press makes hay. Where were they when Saddam was in power? Why is it OUR fault that the Iraqis are taking casualties fighting their fight? We can't fight the bad guys, and if they do, it's still our fault?

I'm worried over the pressure for a pullout deadline. If it's to pressure Iraq and the world community, fine. But we should be told this behind the scenes so we don't get our hopes too high. If true what are we, crazy? Like it or not we have a great deal of credibility issues at work here. In Azerberjian (sp) they're actually carrying photos of Bush - in the pro democracy movement!

It might be chic in the 1st world, to hate us for going into Iraq. But for those protesters, and the Iraqis, and like minded folks all over (particularly Iran!) what will they do if we walk away? And I can hear the mullahs now: "We TOLD you they were weak! Cowards! They hide behind their missles!"

Won't a unilateral pullout be the same thing we did to Iraq in 1992?

Regardless of the reason we went in, don't we owe it to the dead to continue? If we leave before the jobs' done, or at least until it's clear we gave it our best shot, those dead Americans would have died in vain.

Pete