The war in Iraq is over. You can’t argue that. Iraq no longer has a standing army, which is essential if you want to fight a war. No army, no war. The danger, however, is not over for the troops still stationed there. Actually, I believe the danger is greater for those men and women that are still overseas. Before, they could see who their enemy was (even though they hid like cowards amid civilians), but now they do not know who is the bad guy.
They have to patrol streets that have thousands of hiding places for snipers. They have to police angry crowds that want to loot banks to make a quick buck. They sleep in places that are easy targets for those that wish to do them harm within the city.
“Why are our troops still there then doing all of this?” one may ask. The answer is this: to try and keep the peace. If we just let the Iraqis people do whatever they wanted, another dictator could rise to power and more blood would be shed. People would kill and steal from each other.
We are preventing them from doing things right now. We have to help the Iraqis stabilize their country and get everything into order. Our presence ensures that things don’t get too out of control while they are doing this.
I still support our troops that are in Iraq. More now than ever, because they are in the greatest danger they have been in yet.
Peacekeeping is going to last a lot longer than the war did and my prayers go out to the men and women that are still overseas. The war was a victory and we have every right to celebrate it, but at the same time we have to realize that people are still over there fighting and dying.
ben dictus