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What we do in Iraq determines how stable and calm the Middle East will be 20 years from now.

Do you really think free elections in Iraq will convert all Muslims? Do you think the US Constitution will replace the Koran? These people hate us - always have, always will. As long a Israel and Muslims are both in the Middle East, nothing will change.

>>>Do you think the US Constitution will replace the Koran?

Hasn't the US Gov already tried retranslating the koran?

The koran already has multiple translations.

The US Gov has a translation.

Strategy.

Do you really think free elections in Iraq will convert all Muslims? Do you think the US Constitution will replace the Koran? These people hate us - always have, always will. As long a Israel and Muslims are both in the Middle East, nothing will change.

I apologize in advance for rambling so much, in answer to your comments/question
If you mean conversion of Muslims in Iraq to supporting a true representative government/democracy - I don't think they need conversion. They need time. We did something that is very rare in history, and we did it so fast, that I don't think many of them are ready or understand this. We took them from a brutal dictatorship to a benevolent occupation and are going into elections to make them free, in the span of a couple of years. It's almost traumatic in some ways. We have to give them some time to get their feet under them, and President Bush and the others know this. You can't just take out Saddam and say "your free". We have to buy them enough time to realize what the alternatives are - something potentially as bad as Saddam or worse - rule by fanatical Saudis and Iranians.

Does the US Constitution need to replace the Koran? That's like asking if the US Consitution should replace the Bible. Of course it shouldn't replace the Koran or the Bible. As a matter of fact, it would be hard to push the US Constitution as it is, on a newly free country, because the Constitution is so unique, that there almost have to be ideal conditions for it to work in a new country. That's why we are setting up a slightly different government in Iraq (if you get a chance, read up on it, it's very interesting how much it differs from our nation).

In regards to the issue of Israel, which is a very good point you bring up, Arafat's passing is one step towards peace. Let's not forget he was an Egyptian soldier, that fought against Israel. As time goes by, and more of his generation pass on, your going to have a change in attitude. Your going to reach a point where the palestinians are going to realize they are going to have to accept the state of Israel. The Jews have been kicked around for thousands of years, and they've always outlasted their enemies. They aren't looking for a Moses to lead them anywhere either, they are staying put. At a national level, those nations that border Israel have finally accepted that. At the personal level, it's going to take another decade or two, but at some point parents will be tired of watching their children die, and the pride of sending their kid off to blow themselves up will evaporate.

I guess I could sum up all my views by saying this: There are 25 million people in Iraq. If the majority did not freedom and did not want us there, we would not be there. Our troops could not survive very long under those conditions. It's bad when we lose half a dozen troops a day. Multiply that by a thousand. It doesn't matter how well-trained or how high-tech our troops are, 150,000 vs 25 million is no contest, if the 25 million wanted us gone. This has been proven throughout history, most recently with Afghanistanis holding out and driving out the Soviets in the '80s and the Soviets driving the Germans out in the '40s.

I'll also say this: If we can build true democracies in Iraq and in Afghanistan, then that is going to be a buffer to Saudi Arabia and to Iran, and it's also going to set an example to others in the region. It's going to remove a large pool of potential fanaticals as well. Most of those blowing themselves up for allah are bored, young, and unemployed, much like the beginnings of the National Socialist Party in Germany (I'm not invoking Godwin's Law, this is one of those times where a comparison is appropriate).

There's also the unspoken idea that we are fighting an active war against radical Islam right this very moment, in Iraq and Afghanistan, because of the fact that many of those we kill or capture are foreigners. I would rather have us fight them in Iraqi or Afghanistan now, than in the US twenty years from now.