US Military Dead during Iraq War 1062

So we invade, occupy and throw uncounted billions of $ into Iraq (who had nothing to do with terrorism against the west)- and do nothing to Saudi Arabia-Syria to name two who actively helped recruit, school and train the very persons who pulled off 9-11?

I have no problem with mess prevention, but any such efforts should begin with the people likely to make the messes. At this point, your "mess prevention" has made a huge mess in Iraq and pinned down our military for the next 5 years at least. This is not a good long or short-term strategy. Before we invaded Iraq, we had a well-rested & prepared military that could respond anywhere in the world- now it considerably worn, tired and mbuttively understaffed just occupying a single country and no end in sight. How do you propose to free it up to allow an instant response to some other country that decides to throw its weight around?

And since when has the US ever particularly cared about western style trade and self-government in the middle east? As long as business gets done & the oil companies can do their thing, then the other issues sort of lurk unimportantly unless the PR gets too ugly.

It entertains me that you say Iraq is the place to start working on the problem though. When do we start working on it? We've turned the country into a battlefield and the instant we start pulling out, the economy will collapse, civil wars & ethnic cleansing will likely begin and the religious government will start taking over. And now that the persons are there, they'll stay too. OTOH, once the US isn't there holding the country at gunpoint, then maybe the religious government and the persons might start fighting, which would at least keep them all busy. Maybe thats what you mean?

Gregm