I know war is ugly and horrifying work. I am questioning whether or not what is occurring in Iraq can still be considered a 'war'. If you and President Bush wish to call it part of the War on Terror, you may do so. However, we're not exactly making progress on that front, are we?
We are well represented in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Perhaps too well represented.
Maybe you know the answer to this question: Why hasn't Saddam Hussein been brought to trial yet? He was captured...what was it...12/13/03? How many Iraqis are losing steam in their supposed battle for democracy because of his being allowed to live all these months? How many people are starting to 'feel sorry' for the man and no longer see him for the monster he is? Is that what you call winning?
Meanwhile, we citizens of the United States of America are being overtaken right here at home, slowly losing our own democracy in many ways, the invasion of illegal 'immigrants' foremost among them.
We ARE making progress in the WOT - including Iraq. Consider we have liberated 50 million people from tyranny. Free elections have been held in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Iraq's economy is growing at a good pace - despite being smack in the middle of a war zone.
Anyone who thought we weren't going to take casualties during this operation was/is deluded.
This thread is about 14 Marines who were killed. Reading through the thread, I am reminded of the ebb and flow of morale, both at home and on the battlefield.
On the battlefield morale is high whenever a unit inflicts enemy casualties. Morale slips just as quickly when a unit takes casualties of its own. It is my opinion that is the reason you asked in the post I originally responded to as to the nature of "kills" we were inflicting on the Iraqi terrorists. Going back to the first Gulf War, General Schwartzkoph explained that the US Armed Forces were not going to get into the "body count" game.
As for your question about Saddam, he is going to trial very soon and will have his trial on Iraqi TV. I can't think of a better way to raise Iraqi morale than for them to see their former ruler recive justice at the hands of the Iraqi judiciary.
I do agree with you on the matter of illegal immigrants.
As for the war on terror, we were never promised that it would take a short time - rather I understood that this war "would be unlike any we have ever fought" and that it would take a long time to win.