In the days leading up to the war in Iraq, during the war, and for a while after it, I was a staunch supporter of our actions.
But, I was wrong.
I was told that Iraq was a threat to the United States, they had weapons that could kill us, and were making plans to do so. I was told that Iraq and Saddam were part of the attacks on 9/11.
Needless to say I really supported the war.
But what I was told was wrong.
Iraq was no threat to us at all. They had no weapons that could kill us. And they were not associated with 9/11.
In the end, we have 2500 Americans that were around my age killed in Iraq. That number is still growing. Some of them were married, even had children. Some of them were starting great lives for the future. Towns were devastated when they lost a soldier. But at the time, it was comforting to know it was for a great cause. But it was not.
Yes, Saddam was bad. I know all the shit he did in Iraq and that was another reason why I supported the war. But who are we to play world police and crack down on all the bad governments in the world? We have a ways to go past Saddam. Iraqis needed to fight for their own freedom, like we did against the Britains.
Besides the death toll, the war costed us a boat-load when the National Debt is nearing on $9 trillion. But again, it was comforting to know it was going towards a good cause, protecting Americans. But it wasn't.
Oh yeah, and Osama Bin Laden and many of his friends are still running around in the mountains.
We tried to go through the United Nations. They didn't support it. But we spurned them anyways and went to war. Again, it was comfortable knowing it was for a good cause. But it wasn't.
And now looking at the after-effects of this war, they are frightening. The Middle-East hates America even more now. The Palastinians elected the leader of Hamas as their president. And Iraq is very unstable right now.
I don't know if we can ever leave there. Civil War is very possible the second we do. This country wasn't ready for freedom yet. They don't know how to handle it.
So, all-in-all, I'm very dissapointed in myself for being totally wrong on all of this, and I'm dissapointed that Bush & Friends rushed America into this terrible circumstance.
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