Alyssa+A

“The situation in Iraq will be long, it will be expensive and it will be difficult. But in the end, Iraq will very much be worth it” (Robert Foster Bennett). March 19, 2003 the United States bombed Baghdad. Was President Bush’s actions for the best interest of our nation or did he have alternative motives? I firmly believe that this now, 5 year war, was completely unnecessary. It is time to figure out how to fix the disarray that our nation’s leaders created. Ultimately, the next [|Presidential election] is what many Americans turn to for the answers to the war in Iraq. Nonetheless, will the next President be enough to send our troops home? All in all, the Iraq war should end with the right person as President and the [|common American voice].
 * 5 Years Too Many**

This war began March 19, 2003 with the bombing of Baghdad. President Bush expressed to the newly engaged in warfare nation that the purpose of invading Iraq is "to disarm Iraq, to free its people, and to defend the world from grave danger"(Bush). Already many disagree with President Bush. He has spoken one sentence and had millions of supporters and also millions that saw the long disastrous path Bush set. Initially, was it our nation’s responsibility to disarm Iraq? In March 14, 2003 of the Washington Post, Bush tries to link Sept 11th and Saddam Hussein along with Iraq. The fears and dangers come from al Qaeda and their radical groups that have bases in Iraq. This is Bush’s connection with Sept 11th and Iraq. At the time everything made sense- protecting our nation was the President’s duty. However, as war and time has passed the necessity of the war does not seem apparent. In 2003 many believed that if the war and aftermath went well it was worth the money and time. However, if it failed, Bush would have to live with that. Bush now lives with that. Still it is unclear why we must disarm Iraq, especially to Daniel Ellsberg an antiwar activist whom states, "Americans have been told by their president [that Hussein is] a threat to security, and so they believe that”(Ellsberg). This is very true, the common Americans that knew very little believed in Bush for protecting the United States. In conclusion, many Americans were not well informed on the issue of war before it began.

Bush’s second point in his purpose of invading Iraq is to free its people. Whose responsibility is it to free the people? I firmly believe that freedom comes from devotion and determination by the people. Many Americans also believed that as one of the superpowers of the world it is our nation’s right to help those who can not help themselves. In my opinion, Bush came off as arrogant believing that he could free one of the most corrupt nations from oppression and terrorism. Those Iraqi people do not want Americans, who have a safe home to return to, living among themselves instructing them what to do and how to live their lives. Who honestly, believed the Iraqi people would want and enjoy our military presence in their dangerous nation? I agree that there is some good that has been done throughout the years in Iraq. I agree that some Iraqi people have benefited and now live a better life because of our military. In spite of this, when one day of the Iraq War cost 720 million dollars, the freedom of Iraqi people means nothing in terms of all the suffering American families. The money is not even the bigger issue when looking at this war. The way the war has affected the American families is what needs to be looked at. Almost every family knows someone in Iraq. Everywhere families have lost love ones. While looking at the 720 million dollars spent is outrageous, what is even more outrageous is the innumerable domestic homeless people and programs that could benefit from all that money being put into the war in Iraq.

Who and what will end this war? Many Americans turn to the next President to end this war. Determining the next president begins with the common American voice. Here are the Presidential candidates; McCain, Clinton and Obama. I believe that Obama and Clinton have the assets to save this nation from struggling even farther with the Iraq war. McCain’s viewpoints on this war is that “…the invasion of Iraq was justified and the war there must be pursued (Page). McCain understands that the American people are not for this war, even with this knowledge he continues to be a strong supporter of the war in Iraq. I believe if McCain became president the nation would not see change in the Iraq war status. The only change one might see is more troops sent to Iraq, the exact opposite of what the nation is looking for. Although, when looking at both Clinton and Obama they have definite plans to start evacuating troops now. Both candidates’ first step is to immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. Clinton goes even further by providing health care and benefits to each member that served in the war. Obama will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. This is hint to the American people that Obama has no plans of backing down from his strategy of discontinuing the war. Both promise as President to help aid the Iraq until they become stabilized. Clinton has plans to stabilize by non-interference, mediation, and reconstruction funding. Obama has plans to secure Iraq’s borders, isolate al Qaeda, support settlement between the Iraq’s religious groups, and provide financial support. These plans of Obama and Clinton provide hope for the nation. It creates peace and support for sending our troops home.

All in all, it is time to end this long war. This war is somewhat considered a scandal, because the government has lied to the American people. “This war is not about fighting for democracy” (Klein). This war has stolen the meaning of true democracy and freedom. Our loved ones in a extremely dangerous nation that is corrupt and evil is not freedom. Our loved ones dying and fighting for someone else’s freedom is not democracy. We must look at the truths and lies of the war in Iraq. The next President, whether it be Clinton or Obama, will free our nation from this war. This concept goes back hundreds of years of Americans fighting for their freedom. Now that we are free let this nation remain free. The common American voice extends their grief and hopelessness of the Iraq war to the candidates of the next election. The last bit of hope is found in these democratic candidates. The American persons’ votes for the right individual in office will end this war. Five years is too many.

Works Cited Bennett, Robert Foster. "Robert Foster Bennett Quotes." __Brainy Quote__. 2008. Brainy Media.com. 26 Apr. 2008 <[|http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/robertfost175886.html]>. "Clinton Says Only She Can End Iraq War." __CBS News__. 10 Apr. 2008. CBS Interactive Inc. 3 May 2008 . Coll, Behrend. "The End of Iraq." __Business Source Premier__. EBSCOhost. 1 May 2008 <[|http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=102&sid=29d74512-50fa-459b- 8ed2-d4ae747b1f5e%40sessionmgr104>.] Klein, Naomi. "How to End the War." __In These Times__. 5 May 2005. 27 Apr. 2008 . Shear, Michael D. "McCain Calls War 'Necessary and Just.'" __The Washington Post__ 12 Apr. 2007. 24 Apr. 2008 <[article/2007/04/11/AR2007041100203.html|http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/11/AR2007041100203.html]>. Singal, Jesse, Christine Lim, and M.J. Stephey. "5 Years In Iraq." __Time__ Mar. 2003. 28 Apr. 2008 . Soldier End the War. 2007. __Legislators for Ending the War.__ 27 April 2008. . Who will join me to help Senator Obama end the Iraq war? Dir. Lovingj1. 2008. __Youtube__. 3 May 2008 .