Quote:
Originally posted by ronbotx
Since the conflict with the insugents in Iraq still continues, it is hardly a failure at this point in time. That remains to be seen.
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It will "continue" until we leave. That is failure. It's too late to 'win the hearts and minds'. We had a very brief window of opportunity and we blew it. Now we are occupiers. Saddam is gone, and soldiers with american flags on their sleeves are still shooting civilians in the streets. Our flying tanks are firing rockets into crowds. Our bombs are still destroying their homes. It is estimated up to 30,000+ dead; virtually every family would have suffered a relative being killed by an American. They won't forgive that. We have given their religious leaders so much material to work with there is no doubt who will control the future of Iraq. It doesn't matter what Americans believe; it's what the Iraqis think. Bush isn't fooling them with his delusional speeches. The goal, if not to find imaginary WMD, was to establish a pro-american government in Iraq. That is not going to happen now. We lost. The best we can hope for is to have the UN help arbitrate this in such a way that Iraq will feel it can benefit from the international community regardless of its animosity toward America. The alternative is Iraq will isolate themselves behind an islamic union with other theocracies in the region.