What do you consider "victory" in Iraq? ?

Question

Is it finding WMDs, a link to Osama, or establishing democracy..what is winning this war? Will "victory" be achieved, is it even achievable at this point or will the war quietly go on the back burner? No political bashing please.

Answer 1

When the Iraqi government is able to fully govern and support itself(this means policing also, which includes supressing acts of violence against themselves, thier people or thier allies within the country) then victory will be achieved. Until then we should not withdraw forces.

Why don't we let the troops decide? Most of us feel that we aren't done and think we should stay.

"Of those who pray for peace none pray as much as the soldier. For he is the one who must inevitably fight the war."

This is a quote that has stuck with me for a long time. Because it's true. WE are the ones who will have to leave our families and friends behind, get on a plane to travel halfway around the world to a craphole little country and be shot at on a daily basis by people who will do anything to kill us simply because we don't believe in thier god! WE are the ones who stand to loose yet we are constantly forced to listen to the whinings of people who demand our withdrawl because they have to pay an extra 7 cents for a gallon! There are many out there that are screaming for withdrawl from safely behind thier keyboards that have far less to loose then the men and women who are over in Iraq and Afghanistan right now being mortared and on guard everyday against IED's. Yet the ones who actually stand to loose something are the ones who are asking to stay! There's something fundementally wrong in that. Of those who demand our withdrawl and have never served a day of thier lives in the military I ask "What do you stand to gain if we pull up stakes and leave?" Some might respond because a loved one is serving and they want that troop to be safe. I would retort with "How do you think THEY would feel if you got your way?"

ANY servicemember who supports immediate withdrawl without complete victory is not a true Soldier Sailor Airman or Marine! By saying we should get out now without finishing the job is a slap in the face to any member of our armed forces. Because we don't fight for the politics of this or any war, but for our buddies next to us and we know our buds want to come home victorious. Not with the shame of defeat. We as servicemembers remeber Vietnam and the aftermath. We also remember the end of the Gulf war and 99.9% of us want to be remembered and treated the way the troops who were in the Gulf war were.

Unfortuantely Tom M your opinion and personal preference are in no way difinitive sources of information and that's what posters here are looking for.

Answer 2

Victory would be allowing the Iraqis to decide what form of government they favor, most likely a theocracy, and allowing them to achieve it.

It doesn't take rocket science to see that our "training" of Iraqi security forces has been a monumental failure. If we haven't managed to "train" them in 4+ years, when we can "train" a Marine in a matter of months, clearly something is being done wrong.

We need to step aside and let them form a government or governments and stop trying to steal their oil resources.

Answer 3

We've lost so much that by now, there can be no victory.  Pulling our wives, husbands boy/girlfriends, brothers and sisters out would be the closest thing to a victory.

Answer 4

I forecast a second Korea:

We call cease fire

We pull out some troops

Baghdad becomes someone's duty station.

Answer 5

good question

Answer 6

I consider it victory when we are able to help someone stand on their own two feet and be a democracy when that is what they want!  When they are able to stand on their own against terrorism.  We cannot back out and not finish the job...not this time!

You are not going to find WMD.  They were transferred to Syria you can believe that.  Saddam used them on his own people so we know he had them....

Will it be achieved?  There is a plan to bring our people home...but if you are asking if peace is possible in the middle east...maybe sometime in another lifetime..not mine.

There is too much hatred...too much violence and not enough countries to stand up to it and kick them in their butts and stick to it to get rid of it entirely.

People are afraid...and they would rather give into it than fight for their countries anymore.  We are supposed to be sensitive and good and kind and still do the dirty work while the other side racks up points for sensitivity and terrorism because people in our country and other countries say don't offend them.

I say stop being a  weenie....stop this now so we don't lose more lives than we have to.  If you don't stop it...it is going to get worse and you will wish we had stopped it in its tracks.  It has gone on too long...since the late 40's. Terrorism has been there a long time and they have gotten away with it...especially more since the 1970's when the US started being involved and we never stood up for ourselves...it might cause war...it might cause problems...and now look where we are.

Answer 7

There is no victory in this war. Every time an American soldier or civilian dies I consider it a "loss".

Answer 8

Victory would be finding those "weapons of mass destruction" that Iraq was said to have..We have yet to find them after 4+ years.

Answer 9

Personally, I don't think there is any way to have a "victory" in Iraq. There have been too many mess-ups, broken promises, faulty justifications, flat out lies, and human casualties for any reasonable person to believe that this "war" is winnable.

We should leave as soon as possible and help the people of Iraq to rebuild their country as they want, not as we want.

That is, of course, just my humble opinion.

Answer 10

in my opinion when the iraqi security forces become self-sufficient and can defend iraq from threats inside and outside (iran) of iraq, and the political situation becomes stable we would have acheived victory.

of course there is still a long way to go. but i think if enough money is spent (unfortunatly it probobly will, and then some) and the situation is given time to stablize we'll be able to start withdrawling in large numbers.

Answer 11

victory in the eyes of american republicans will be when all the oil is drained from iraq, as on a new report i did see a rep. quote 'we are now shipping oil out of iraq for the forces but also the economy' economy!? its a want not a need we don't need oil we just choose to use it, and no Osama is hiding in a hole in a mountain in pakistan or Afghanistan. Americas excuse to continue the second gulf war is to keep the iraqi public safe until they can handle it themselves and also to make sure iraq is not weak therefore able to be corrupted by civil war but also other neighbouring countries seeing it as free land.

Answer 12

We have found weapons of mass distruction, Just last month, we pulled out a bunch of the yello cake Uranium that Iraq was hiding, we also have found barrell after barrel of Chemical weapons that have been hidden in the desert.  You dont know this though, cause the liberal democratic media hides the truth.  Cause they know if they tell the truth about what is going on over there, than the democrats will loose the election, Cause we are winning, we are cleaning up town after town, and destroying and killing terrorists by the gutload.

For Me, Total victory in Iraq is establishing peace, and killing all the terrorists over there, so Iraq can become what the prophicies in the bible say it will become.  One of the richest, most open societies on earth.  The scriptures tell us that Iraq will be free, and because of this fact, they will not be involved in armageden.  

We are close to that, Not many more terrorists to take out, before the bad guyz just have no more effect in Iraq.

Answer 13

Iraq is a battle in the war on terror.

Victory in Iraq means that the Iraqis are able to defend themselves politically and militarily against the people who are trying desperately to destabilize it.

Victory in the war on terror, is a different question. Victory there is the utter destruction of any practical terrorist support network and elimination of most potential terrorists.

Answer 14

Victory will be when the ENTIRE middle east is turned into a big sheet of glass and all of them are dead. That's Victory......

Answer 15

thats why we democrats bash republicans, cause they dont tell us what victory IS... we can never win doing what we're doing, because there will always be Iraqis in Iraq trying to kill the occupiers