Let me guess, you are one who believes gun laws keep guns out of the hands of criminals. uh hmmm. right! We could have 50 foot walls on the borders and they would STILL get in. repeat after me....THEY WANT TO KILL US!
I agree with that, with the proviso that it is not the only way. The "war on terror" is rapidly becoming indistinguishable from a war against radical Islam; therefore, the fighting in Iraq is related to the overall defense of the homeland and in keeping with Bush's doctrine of taking the fight to the enemy. I have heard that Iran and Syria have contributed fighters to the current battles, hoping to occupy the US while Iran arms its warheads with nukes.
The potential loss of more of our fine troops is not sufficient reason to shrink from the task and the troops know this. One may debate the wisdom of launching the war in Iraq, but the opportunity to break the back of the radicals in Iraq, as well as kill a lot of imported radical fighters (the only efffective way to deal with them), is worth doing in the context of this war. We can not do it without the sacrifices of our military. We face a unique threat that is much more difficult than achieving military victory; would that was all we had to achieve.Unless and until the radical Islamic message is tempered by muslims themselves, the war will continue. This struggle may occupy the better part of this century unless it is prosecuted ruthlessly. Only if we fail to achieve ultimate victory will our troops have died in vain.