I've had a few people ask me questions about Iraq. I was reticent to answer them, until now, as I was still over there. But, now I'm not, and so now I will.
An example is when CStroman wrote:
quote:Please tell me, do the majority of people over there hate us and want to kill us? Some people here seem to think so.
People in Iraq are just like people in the rest of the world in many respects. They care about being safe, not going hungry or being exposed to the elements, and they want to believe that their children have a chance for a better life than they've had.
There are people there that do not like us. Some have reason, but most are partisans imported from abroad. Insofar as the coalition can continue to keep accidents to a minimum, the people of Iraq will, by and large, continue to support our presence there. However, this will not last forever. I can forsee us staying there, en force, for a couple more years. After that, when the Iraqi national security forces are stronger and better trained, we would find a bit more opposition to our presence. The Iraqis will soon learn that, unlike most others in their long past, if they want us to leave, all they have to do is ask.
As a general rule, we got along rather well with the Iraqis in our area. There are definite cultural barriers which are hard to overcome, but for every bad encounter I had with a local national, I had twenty good ones.
Anyway, now that I'm back... ask away.
ATTN Moderator: I just realized this is probably not in the right forum. If you feel the need to move it, go right ahead.
[ October 31, 2004, 08:54 AM: Message edited by: ephealy ]
Posted by Bean Counter (Member # 6001) on :
I am just geting ready to go! I hope we still have George W as our President, OSC hit the nail on the head with his latest Essay!
Welcome back.
BC
Posted by ephealy (Member # 2219) on :
Which article is that? Do you have the URL?
Posted by chase (Member # 6988) on :
That is about what I've heard that the media just takes what’s going on over there and skews it out of proportion. Everyone I know who has been over there has told me that 90% of the people are either glad we are there or don’t care and that the rest of them are imported from abroad.
What concerns me most is that I keep hearing that every month the number of casualties increases rather than decreases. Is this true? Are we making progress? Are we falling further back or are they simply getting more proficient at hiding and then taking lives?
I have not been impressed with the way the war has been carried out over there, and how whenever there is major resistance we seem to back out (usually because they are occupying some religious structure) and I feel that when we back out it encourages them to keep fighting and for others to join. It makes them feel like they are driving us back and that they are making a difference.