Should U.S. give Iraq a blind eye and focus on the war in Afghanistan only? Afghanistan and Iraq became connected to each other in one way or another despite the 1400 miles that separate us.
The war in Afghanistan didn’t result in capturing Bin Laden or his top aide. It didn’t pacify the country or turn it into a democratic oasis after a long war. What to do next in Afghanistan? That is a question we don’t have the answer for here, but we do know what not to do in Afghanistan.
Do not let Iraqis down. You might then convince Afghanis that you are committed to your promises and their country will not be another failed Iraq.
For all past years I have been against the presence of the U.S. troops in Iraq, and I still am. This war brought nothing but sorrow for families in both countries. But I think the U.S. government and the people of America shouldn’t put Iraq in the dark far corner for good reasons, I believe.
Let the soldiers leave Iraq, let the country restore its national unity. Let it have its problems and solve them internally; let the country find its own way - but don’t let the people down.
Six years after the U.S. led invasion of Iraq, Iraqi civilians are still the biggest casualty of war. Six years after what was supposed to be an easy swift and welcomed liberation, Iraqi civilians and U.S. soldiers are dying because of that invasion.
Some will say: the invasion toppled Saddam’s government which is something that Iraqis dreamed of for decades and Iraqis should be happy and grateful!!
We are happy that we got rid of the terrorist suppressive regime of Saddam. Yes we are. But will any one of you accept, after 8-years long war with Iran, and after 13-years of sanctions and several other wars that resulted in killing more than a million of your own people, to say “kill more hundreds of thousands of civilians to get rid of the ruling regime”?!!!
It is more like a doctor telling a patient that just went through a surgery, that the doctors forced him to take, that a tumor was removed from his body but accidently the kidneys, liver and other vital organs was removed by mistake!!!
But that is done!
Let the foreign military leave Iraq so that the people of other nations will know that you kept your promise to end the occupation.
Don’t give Iraq the blind eye so other nations will see that the United States - as a friend, is better than as a foe.
Giving Iraq the blind eye will help extremists in Afghanistan to convince the people there that you are not there to help them.
Giving Iraq the blind eye will give arguments to dictators all over the world to convince their oppressed nations not to look to a hand from the free world - for the result will be just another Iraq.
Help is not giving contracts for projects to tribal sheiks or to rich people so they will get richer. Help might even be better when you open pharmacies to help the poor or help farmers to buy a cow or even installing a power plant that can give quality to people’s lives. Examples are endless…
I wish to see - one day, that the U.S. government is allocating funds or sending doctors to Baghdad to perform surgeries that are not possible in Baghdad; Iraqis will recognize such support more than sending tens of thousands of dollars to go into the pockets of the corrupt.
The point is: Don’t give Iraq the blind eye so the rest of the world might continue to believe in you when you make promises.
