Archive: Opinions

On Tuesday, August 31, 2010 President Obama officially declared an end to our combat mission in Iraq. The war in Iraq will continue as Iraqi Security Forces continue to engage Al Qaeda and other groups opposed to the current regime. Some 50,000 US troops will remain to help the Iraqi Security Forces complete the transition to full responsibility for their own security.

The cost of war can be view from several angels. But no matter how you look at it, the war in Iraq has had an effect on the men and women who served there as well as their families.

More than 4,420 U.S. Troops were killed during the war. The breakdown of these deaths reveals few surprises. 98% were male of which 91% were non-officers. The majority of combat fatalities, 82%, were concentrated among the active duty with some 11% coming from National Guard members. From a racial profile, 74% were Caucasian, 11% Latino and 9% African-American. Over half of the US casualties, 54%, were under 25 years old. The Army suffered the greatest loss of life and account for 72% of all combat deaths.

US Troops wounded in combat reached 32,000 with an estimated 20% with serious brain or spinal injuries. 30% of US troops developed serious mental health problems within 3 to 4 months of returning home.
Iraqi Security Forces suffered much worse than their American allies. Nearly 9,700 were killed. The number of wounded is unknown. The number of Iraqi civilians killed varies as these casualties have been significantly under-reported. The United Nations estimates 125,000 civilian deaths but other sources place that number at 600,000. It is estimated that 55,000 insurgents were killed by coalition forces.
A more alarming number focuses on Iraqis displaced inside Iraq, by the war, at 2,500,000. The number of refugees in Syria and Jordan approaches that 2.5 million people as well.
Clearly, we owe much to the men and women who served in the war. There can be no doubt to the bravery, courage, and patriotism that many demonstrated both on and off the battlefield. That same gratitude goes out to the families of our service men and women who watched the news reports and spent many sleepless nights hoping for the return of their loved ones.

During these seven years, I have been wrestling with many aspects of this war. I must say that those signs on some lawns that read, "War is not the answer", have made me rethink my views on a "just war."

First, countries go to war, not armies. An entire nation experiences the sense of duty, sacrifice and honor. Our country did not go to war. We sent troops into combat and wished them well. Meanwhile, all of us enjoyed the comforts of home. There was no rationing of food items, raw materials or other outward signs that we were in this war together. I did not hear of any "War Bond" drives or calls to aid the civilians caught in the cross fire.

Secondly, most wars come down to a simple comparison of the good people fighting against bad. But the minute you enter into combat, you often become just as bad as those against whom you are fighting. Saddam Hussein was an evil, brutal, maniacal dictator who terrorized his country for 24 years.

When we invaded Iraq, we were seen as liberators. Over the course of seven years, US troops soon became occupiers despised by incidents such as the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse. Unfortunately, those images will last for generations in the hearts and minds of Iraqis.

In the end, history will judge the outcome of waging war in Iraq. Will it bring stability to the Near East by establishing a stronghold for democracy or create an unstable and fractured country plagued by insurgents pitting Sunni against Shiite, secular against religious and training future generations who despise the west. If only Clio, the muse of history, would let us see what she had written on her scroll, then we would all have the answer we are searching for. And that is to the point.