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Support Iraq War

Introduction

On March 20, 2003, U.S. forces with assistance from coalition forces invaded Iraq. The U.S. led invasion quickly defeated the Iraqi Army, and on May 1 of the same year President Bush declared "mission accomplished." However, since the defeat of the regular Iraqi Army, Iraqi insurgents have wage a guerrilla-style war against occupying U.S. troops and civil unrest has persisted. Since the occupation began, the United States has averaged 140,000 troops in Iraq battling the insurgency. 

The United States and its allies cited numerous reasons for the invasion, most notably claims that Iraq possessed and was further developing weapons of mass destruction.

A little more than a decade earlier, U.S forces with assistance from United Nations forces swiftly defeated Iraq in the First Gulf War. The invasion was prompted by Iraq's invasion of neighboring Kuwait. The ground portion of the conflict lasted approximately 100 hours between Feb. 24 and Feb. 28, 1991. After the war's conclusion, the United States and its allies left Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in power.  

Yes: Support Iraq War

The world is a safer place since the U.S. led invasion of Iraq deposed Saddam Hussein, and the Iraqi people are better off with a chance for democracy and without a tyrant abusing them. Yes, war is terribly costly in money and far more importantly in human suffering. But freedom isn't free. The United States is morally obligated to keep its commitment to the Iraqi people and to fully support its own forces in Iraq so that they can as quickly and safely as possible complete their mission.  

The war is winnable, but only if U.S. troops stay the course. Furthermore, if the United States were to withdraw now, Iraq would almost certainly deteriorate into civil war, and in just a few years U.S. troops would need to return to Iraq, increasing the cost in dollars and human suffering. Now that the U.S. military is already in Iraq, this is its best opportunity to defeat the insurgency, stabilize Iraq, and show the world that the United States keeps its word and is willing to protect freedom. Honor U.S. troops by supporting their mission in Iraq.

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No: Against Iraq War

The insurgency is gaining strength, and violence is rising with no realistic hopes of stabilizing Iraq. The primary justification for the invasion, that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, has been proven false. Additionally, the 9-11 Commission Report disproved another main justification for the war, that Al Qaeda and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were connected to Saddam Hussein and his regime. 

The Iraq War is overextending the U.S. military. National Guard, Reserves and active-duty units are on their second, third and even fourth tours, often extended tours at that. More importantly, as of October 2007, the Department of Defense has reported that 3,800 U.S. soldiers have died in combat and 28,000 have been wounded, in addition to hundreds of coalition causalities and varying estimates of Iraqi civilian causalities, as high as 100,000.

The extended presence of U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf has weakened U.S. readiness in other parts of the world. Additionally, the war will cost trillions of dollars before its end, resources that could have been used for domestic and other military needs. And even if the United States could stem the tide of the insurgency, the prospect of rebuilding Iraq into a stabilize democracy or merely a stable nation are slim. Furthermore, the Iraq War has damaged the United States' relationships with most of its allies.

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