Iraqi’s are sadly worst off than when there were under Saddams rule. After Billions spent there have less eletrcy now fear random bombings, did not complete the bench marks that the surge was supposed to allow, still between 2 million displaced in iraq and 3 million outside. Tension rising with the Kurds over oil, and the prized “Sons of iraq” are slowly being arrested and not paid, as well as giving iran a ally next door. I’m still waiting for the Military to find a way to send the troops that left to Afghanistan.

Will onpoint have anyone critical of iraq with it’s three guest or will it be another pro war journalist’s that are in bed with the military?

Dictatorships, by their very nature, ignore democratic principles. The overthrow of Hussein has resulted in a seedling democracy that will take time to evolve. While there will be occasional setbacks – the path to individual freedoms, over the long haul, has been set in motion. God Bless the United States and all of freedom loving countries.

Michael et al: We learn from our experience that we don’t learn from our experience.

It’s sad and it’s funny. All the patriotic right lined up in lockstep to cram this war down the throats of the world. Lined up behind Bush the tyrant. The family that has it’s fortune why, by kissing the asses of the Saudi’s, by investing in war companies. All the “real Americans”, supported an action that is diametrically apposed to the intent of the founding fathers. And tried to rationalize it in terms of spreading democracy. How can people be so stupid that time and time again they are manipulated by the politicians at the bequest of the Banking/defense industry/Israel. And who do they manage to blame? The poor, the powerless, the defenseless. They have bastardized and corrupted everything their greedy hands have touched, and though their toadies like Limbaugh and Fox, have managed to keep the stupid masses distracted with one polarizing red herring after another. If justice were done Bush, most of the neocons who deceived the nation and the hedge fund managers who became wealthy by ruining America would all be imprisoned for life if not worse. If you vote for incumbents you are directly to blame for this. If you voted for Bush or Reagan or Clinton you are to blame.

Iraq can’t defend itself from abuse by its neighbors. Does Iraq have the ability to defend its airspace or provide air support to ground operations? I don’t think so.

The caller who was a soldier/marine and a contractor had it almost right. There will always be a US military presence in Iraq (and everywhere else for that matter) because they, like the military leaders posturing for CEO positions as the caller called out, and the US government, too, are the protectors of the Corporatocracy. The Corporatocracy’s economic hit men couldn’t penetrate Saddam Hussein’s regime so the Corporatocracy’s tax-paid bodyguards, the US military, was sent in to secure Iraq’s natural resources for them to exploit. This has been going on for 50 years, at least, and it will not stop with Iraq or Afghanistan either. This practice of paying billions in tax dollars to corrupt regimes in order to secure lucrative Corporate contracts where a nation’s infrastructure once resided—and its indigenous people—is the Corporatocracy’s way of driving whole rural populations—now economic captives—to cities after devastating local economies and resources is what US citizens have sown since the 1800′s.

Zeno wrote: “Renegade US installed dictator Saddam Hussein nationalized Iraq’s oil fields, so big oil ordered the US government to get those oil fields back. Once they had been given back to their respective oil corporations… the ‘Mission’ was
‘Accomplished’.” And no one is addressing this that I can determine. I recall pipelines being attacked early on, 2003, 2004, then people stopped reporting on it, and I never heard actual REPORTING on these so-called oil interests, which corporations exactly, and when.

Why is everybody pretending that they care what happens in Iraq. Why should anybody care? If Iraq didn’t have oil no one would even be pretending to care about Iraq’s government or people. Very few people anyway. What you need to really be asking yourself if it was worth the tens of thousands of dollars that it cost you and your children. The fleecing of gold and neurons goes on. Do you really think that you care about Iraq? Or maybe this whole thing is just a triumph of the spin doctors.

I’m a lot more worried about Iran than about Al-Kaida in Iraq, given that we have defanged their entrenched enemy (Iraq), as I see it.

@Gerry, The Red Herring: disagreement with absurdity is American, it’s Democracy. We, the ones who have our eyes open, are no longer willing to roll over for the Corporatocracy’s spin about “hating America” because we call them out, as well as those ignorant masses who think our military is anything but brainwashed assassins for the Corporatocracy’s monetary ends. I don’t blame our troops—not at all. But a little critical thinking, for a change, can go a long way. Call us what you will; your opinions notwithstanding, facts are facts.

“Those of you who seem to hate America – the most
generous caring country that has ever existed – are slowly destroying yourselves and probably those around you. Lighten up – try love not hate.”
Posted by Gerry, on August 24th, 2010 at 10:36 AM

You mistake love of America for hate of America. The real time to try love not hate was before they started blowing up Iraq. You may have forgotten that Saddam relented. One day after the dead line that Bush gave him. Love would have taken him up in his offer of totally open inspections. Hate sends in the shock and awe. So it is really the opposite of what you think. Those who love America must hate Bush and other self-deluded egocentric who brought us to our position out of their hate. They are the ones who should have tried love. They are the ones who should have loved their country. They are the one who should have supported the troops by not squandering their lives for their own egoism.

Donald Rumsfeld predicted the war would last 3 months.

Hmm, so we should be taxing the heck out of oil and oil-related products in order to get us unaddicted ASAP. Tell that to the campaign financers.

Beginning with “shock and awe,” I was transfixed at the TV wondering not whether we “got” Saddam Hussein but how many of Iraq’s citizens were wounded or killed instead. I recall from the mistaken bombing of the Chinese embassy in Baghdad in the first Iraq enterprise (Kuwait) what a permanent blot we created in our reputation with the Chinese people, who definitely think that could not have been a mistake.
So there are hundreds of thousands of Iraqis as collateral damage to one dictator, plus those who had to leave Iraq, plus those tormented and inconvenienced, internally displaced.
The cost of that easy walk to their freedom in March 2003 maybe “deserves” an equal and opposite being “honored and valued,” as T. Voyd puts it. I am wondering how Iraq could do that. They are hurting. As Americans, how do we honor those Iraqis, or our own veterans? The emotional cost of a young person being thrown into such a morass is beyond my ability to imagine.
I am so sorry you hurt, in body and spirit.
Thank you all for being there for us, and let us all try for better in future.

T. Voyd – Of all the comments today yours was the most telling. Just what did we do with the freedom you and many others fought so hard to preserve? Not only did we run ourselves deeper in debt but we put this “war” on credit as well. Being a vet myself I do honor your service. I only wish the cause and people you fought for were worthy of your sacrifice.

Interesting as well and would love for onpoint or NPR to have more detail into this.

Blackwater fined $42m for breaking US export laws Blackwater staff offered security to US convoys in Iraq Private defence company Blackwater has been fined $42m (£27m) for violating US export and arms traffic laws.

The nearly 300 breaches include the export of illegal weapons to Afghanistan and the unauthorised training of foreign nationals.

The alleged violations were revealed in US State Department documents.

The multi-million dollar settlement means that Blackwater, now known as XE Services, will be able to bid for government contracts.

Breaking the rules

The investigation which covered Blackwater’s business practices between 2005 and 2009 found the company guilty of numerous violations including:

violating provisons of licences involving firearms
unauthorised proposals to a proscribed country
violating terms of authorisations involving military or security training
unauthorised export of technical data
unauthorised export of defence articles
unauthorised exports to foreign persons
violations involving administrative requirements
record-keeping violations.
The State Department documents reveal, for example, a 2007 breach which it said had potential national security implications.

In this instance, Blackwater failed to provide biographical information on Taiwanese nationals being trained in sniper operation. This was despite being aware of the obligation to do so.

The failure to provide adequate biographical information on foreign nationals being trained by Blackwater was repeated throughout the period under investigation.

In one example, trainees for the Afghan border control included one who was born in Pakistan and the other in Iran, a proscribed country.

And in 2008, 113 firearms were lost missing or unaccounted for in Iraq. A fact which was not disclosed to the authorities.

In addition, weapons intended for use in supporting US military operations in Iraq were diverted to Blackwater’s private contracts in the country.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11071717

If Bush I had finished the job, none of this would matter.

We have not yet seen the worst of the Iraq War. Once American troops are completely out it will devolve into the madhouse of religious slaughter and tribal mania that is always just below the surface. Ultimately it will be retaken in a coup by yet another Middle Eastern thug strongman or taken over by Iran. The sacrifice of our brave men and women, sent there by a cohort of cowardly, think-tank, chickenhawk Momma’s Boys (did you hear that Messrs. Cheney, Kristol and Rumsfeld?) and armchair Rambos, as well as the wrecking of our economy with a tsunami of war debt off-budget, will have been for nothing. The madness of that region will always abrogate anything that even approaches rational, secular democracy. I wish I were wrong. I would gladly admit it. However, I know in my gut that I won’t have to. Again, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Thanks President Worst. Your legacy is secure.