[DoughtyOne]

I'm not a bleading heart liberal by any means, but I am a thinking person. Therefore there are parts of this war that I detest, even though they are unavoidable.

Forced conscription is a given in this war. We know that family members have been threatened to get the men to fight. We have seen examples where Iraqis have even been forced to run roadblocks. This cost about nine people their lives yesterday or the day before. The problem is, what can our men do but defend themselves? In short nothing.

On FoxNews this afternoon one of the general consultants estimated that 25,000 Iraqi men had been killed on one of the fronts. I'm sure all of you remember the thousands and thousands of men who surrendered in 1991. Today those men have been blocked from surrendering. Instead they stay with the main Iraqi military body and get blown to smithereens.

Look folks, don't get me wrong. When our men face a force in front of them, they have no choice but to inhialate anyone who opposes them. I think it's pretty bad to think that thousands of these men are being killed, when they didn't even want to fight the United States' troops.

Am I glad it's them instead of our men? You bet your arse. Am I glad that some family with nothing will be losing dads, sons and brothers? No I am not.

This is probably one of the most tragic wars we have fought. There is much to rejoice for in that our men are not dying in large numbers. I wouldn't change that for anything. That doesn't stop me from lamenting a situation which sees many many innocents killed by the devices of a mad genocidal tyrant. This is precisely what Hussein did during the Iraq Iran war too. Those men didn't want to fight. Over 500,000 Iraqi men were sent off to their deaths on the whim of a tyrant with a Euphrates Julip in his hands.

May God have mercy on the innocents.

If we hadn't taken the action we have, thousands would have died at the hands of Hussein and his henchmen anyway. This is one hell of a situation.

[Happy2BMe]

"May God have mercy on the innocents."

[McGavin999]

It is tragic D-1, horribly, horribly tragic. BUT, for every innocent who dies thousands will live free. I just hope these people are able to keep their freedom. I hope they will know what to do with it and will never allow themselves to be thrown into slavery again.

Can we teach them that? Do we have the time and the will? I hope so.

[Reb Raider]

I have the same thoughts as you. I think like you said Saddam would have kept on killing the innocent ones anyway and at least some may have children who survive and are able to live free unlike their fathers who were forced to fight. We have no choice here and the world's solution was to let those people keep being tortured and living hopeless lives. I have prayed for the innocents to be spared as much as possible and God knows we do not want to hurt these poor men with a gun at their back and us at their front. It's good we hate this unfairness, yet accept that in the end so many will be free that never would have had a chance. You expressed how many of us feel beautifully.