[richw]

We have been in Iraq 3 1/2 years

So Cali highways have killed 14000 Americans... Well its California so say 12000 Americans and 2000 Mexicans.

The above statement is simply to clarify the calculations comparing USA troop deaths with California highway deaths. That during the same period approximately 4.6 times as many Americans died on the highways of California as our troops died in Iraq.

The next comment was intended to be a humorous remark about the state of failed immigration policy.

I do not have an opinion on the relevance just clarifying the mathematical relationship.

War Sucks

Iraq War Sucks

These to remarks are intended to point out that there are no good wars. That it will never be fun and it will always be painful and costly in blood and treasure. I will interject that this does not mean that they should be avoided only entered into with the expectation of that loss.

But supposedly we have lost near 3000 there, there are estimated by the libs 650000 dead Iraqis.

This ratio is about 200 to one.

This is a relevant fact I heard on the news last week on somewhat of an FYI basis. I do not know if this estimate is at all accurate but you would think that the Iraqis themselves would start to believe that what they are currently doing must stop soon.


Pull back guard the boarder with Syria and Iran and mostly guard their oil infrastructure.

I do not believe that it is important for USA interest to attempt to secure neighborhoods any longer. We have an interest in Iraqi oil. We also have a great interest in containing terrorism and an ambitious Iran. I think both of these would be best served by establishing bases near the oil fields and facilities that also conveniently are near the Iranian border. The Syrian border must also be controlled because the Iranians and Syrians themselves can also cross there.



I hate to tell you this there are situations that do not have a happy ending. You have the Hobson's choice of the lesser of 2 evils. USA soldiers in a permanent occupation or Oil resources in the hands of the Iranians and terrorists on a rampage.

The Hobson's choice here is a result that we have removed the Iraqi government. If we leave now the Iranians or Shiite factions will take over and we will have more radical Muslim Terrorists. The Jihad will proclaim their victory and be spurred on to greater attacks through out the world including the USA.

Yes in hindsight we should have reconnoitered in force from Afghanistan into Iran.

It is my opinion that Iran is looming as a bigger threat to world peace and the USA then Saddam ever was. We could have brought a very large force into Afghanistan to help rid the Taliban and then could have struck across into Iran. I allude to what I believe was a quote from Patton in Sicily when they asked what he was doing and he said he was
"reconnoitering in force" when in reality his entire army had pushed through.


I hope we are still smart enough to have an active destabilization program in Iran.... Thank You Jimmy Carter for giving us modern Iran.

I am a little hazy but I do believe that 1st Ford then definitely Carter stopped our CIA from meddling in the internal politics of small countries. The when the Shah of Iran would have needed propping up with our troops Jimmy Carter let him fall and the Ayatollah take over. This created fundamentalist Islam in Iran we are force to deal with today. Frankly I fear this is the path that a democratic controlled government will take. It will lay the foundations for a world wide Jihad where millions will die on both sides.