The REAL reason that we are in Iraq has not been publicly stated by the Administration. It can't be. It should NOT be. For those with extreme myopia, political bias, conspiratorial paranoia, or lack of common sense -- NO it is not for the lucrative Haliburton contracts to fatten Cheney's pockets, or for the oil (how much oil have we gotten out of there so far?).
When you build a "fort" in the middle of an area, surrounded by your enemies, you do not declare war on all of those enemies surrounding you until AFTER you've build your fort. Iraq was the best choice for a forward base of operations in the Middle East. It was governed by a a leader who had a history of defying U.N. Resolutions, amony many other things. He was not an Islamic leader, as the leaders of so many other Middle Eastern nations are. Therefore, we were much less likely to incure the wrath of Islamisists everywhere by removing him. Is there chaos and fighting in Iraq? Sure, there is plenty. What would it be like if we had gone into Iran or Syria? Worse. Iraq, for so many reasons, was the ripest for the picking. And it had to be done sooner, rather than later. For those who believe that we should have continued to wait to make our move, are you one of those who was upset that all of our waiting got us the events of 9/11?
Believe what you want. Despise and distrust the Administration if you want. I don't care. Some things needed to be done in the Middle East... NOW. Long before Bush got in the Whitehouse plans for that were being drawn up. President Bill Clinton and Senator John Kerry expressed their desire to remove Saddam from power because they felt he was a threat. Also, to attempt to create an island of democracy in the Middle East, thereby hoping that freedom would spread and militant Islam and terrorism would have it's antidote. The VERY same things that the current Administration has been doing. That is one of the more well-known reasons for removing Saddam. That, along with the not-publicly-stated reason of establishing a solid base from which to combat terrorist states are the REAL reasons we are there.
Scoff, laugh, smirk, and joke. It matters not. But I am glad that someone has the courage to do SOMETHING in an effort to turn the tide of terrorism that has been building in the Middle East. A bunch of dead insurgents in Iraq beats the living hell out of a bunch more dead Americans on our own soil. Our servicemen and women, God bless them ARE protecting our freedoms and they are fight the battle OVER THERE, instead of picking-up the peices of their relatives over here. I have witnessed SO many of these brave men and women, even after being injured or seeing their comrades killed in action, who just want to get back to the front lines with their fellow troops and who STILL support this war and what they're doing over there. So keep track of your grizzly totals of our servicemen who've been killed and tell yourself that makes you their biggest ally. But sometime, just sometime, turn the volume down from the nightly news and actually COMMUNICATE with one of these brave men or women and ask THEM what they think this war is all about and what THEY are fighting for. There are websights all over the net where they are able to communicate via email and internet forum (like this one) and they are more than happy to tell you of their feelings and experiences. Get your news first hand and talk to the people whom you desire to bring home. Find-out what they want for themselves, their families and for America.
For those who think that laying low, passing more resolutions, and cow-towing to terrorist states is the way to peace, I give you 9/11.