IRAQ WAR

When do we say enough is enough?

When do we bring our soldiers home?

How many more soldiers need to die or be wounded?

When do we stop spending our money to support this war and begin utilizing Iraq’s money?

When do we finally say “Mission Accomplished” and it’s true?

As much as I would like to bring every single soldier home today, or tomorrow, or in the next couple of months we, as a nation, need to realize terrible consequences will ensue. The instability it will cause, not only to our country but throughout the world, would be devastating.

Don’t get me wrong. I was not, nor am I, an advocate of this war. I do believe we were misled about the facts and the intentions of the Iraqi government during the preliminary stages of this war. That said, what needs to be accomplished now is what steps need to be implemented to resolve this situation.

I strongly believe an exit strategy not only needs to be thought out but implemented as soon as possible. This war will not and cannot be won through our military efforts. We are not only fighting a war on terrorism, as originally planned, but an escalating religious war on the radical Muslim faith.

First and foremost, diplomatic avenues need to be implemented. Diplomacy is a must. The United Nations needs to be not only included in this process but also physically involved. I believe this is the only way we could begin to bring our troops home and the Iraqi people would have any chance at stabilizing their country.

Secondly, the Iraqi government needs to open up their checkbook and begin funding their fight for freedom. We can no longer continue to fund this war. The monetary value of this war is having a grave impact on our nation.

Only then can we begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel. If we don’t attempt to explore these avenues we will be doing an injustice not only to ourselves but also to the men and women in our military.

We as Americans need to get beyond the blame game. This is the only way progress can be made to not only bring our troops home but have some stability in the Middle East and around the world.