Posted: Mar 26, 2008, 9:27 AM CST
Konigsberg wrote:and it gets closer to a time frame of War in Vietnam
Most here see this vastly different than Vet Nam. We have had the
will and resolve to stay in South Korea, for over 50 years....to achieve what has been done there.
It Iraq would ever calm to such a state as the Korean conflict did, sure we would have to be there longer for both real reconstruction and real
change in Iraqi society to occur from the democratic institutions now in place. Like you, I have the feeling that car bombs and suciede bombers will keep that from happening. There are other parties that don't want that calm to occur.
For many here, after 9/11..time is not a real factor to achieving our National Security again. What needs to be done, needs to be done.
If one take Iraq and Iran into a combined regional perspective, the
threat of Iranian possible coming nuclear devices. The existing threat of dirty nucs with the nuclear material program of Iran. Having US Forces nearby makes a lot of sense.
Many are saying it is time to get out. Look at Vet Nam and the cost there. Vet Nam cost us 58,000 lives in that time span....Iraq has cost us 4,000 in the near the same. A very big difference. We know our cost here. That kind of cost, tragic as it is, we can sustain for a very long time.
Many say the war cannot be won. So again get out. We leave, a vacumm in Iraq opening it for Islamic terror bases. The very thing that gave us 9/11. We leave, a potential middle east democracy can fail, and a major victory for Pan Islam occurs. A major victory to AlQeada occurs. One is not is habit of winning wars or conflicts by giving victories to the enemy.
You say they are not your enemy. I listen to binLaden words, to the Iran president's words, I see the Mosque chants on America, I see the AlQeada video of bombings in Iraq. If that is not being both hostile and an enemy of the United States, you tell me what is?
Vet Nam was never coming to the streets of the United States with with people jumbing of buildings from the acts of planes being flown into them. Since 9/11 literally globally 100s of terrorist attacks have been failed, against both European and American targets. These attacks are on your streets in Europe as they are on our streets here.
So there are some very big differences between Vet Nam and Iraq.
One is that with terrorism, civilians are the targets. Vet Nam was a nation state conflict for the large part. Vet Nam terrorism did occur against the S.Vet Nam people. But never struck at American homeland. The common to both Iraq and Vet Nam, that terrorism does strike at the civilians of both countries. Bringing our troops home to soon, will only encourage and vacialite terrorism in Iraq and here and there.
Many words that have been spoken and written, only give hope to terrorists, that they will have a free hand someday in the world to attack as they please and how they desire. Those words encourage them, rather than condem them. Comparing Vet Nam and Iraq unless done objectively and honestly, only gives hope to them that day draws near.jmo