Does anyone really believe that there will ever be peace in the Middle East? Most scientists agree that civilization arose somewhere in this region, and it has been ravaged by wars ever since. I'm no historian, but I cannot think of any prolonged amount of time in history where there wasn't fighting going on in this part of the world.

If we succeed in setting up a stable Iraqi government, do you think it will still be stable 50 years from now with the support of the American government?

Personally, I don't claim to know whether or not it was a good idea to invade Iraq because I don't have the information those in our government do, and I would never assert I know how Iraqi citizens feel while sitting at my computer desk in cozy, old America. I think removing Saddam from power was more than likely a good thing, but on the same token, I highly doubt that Iraq will be a peaceful, democratic society in 50, 100, or 500 years as a result of his removal. I'm sure there will just be another Saddam to take his place. Unfortunately, dictators will never be put on the endangered species list in any of our lifetimes. There are 3 things you can count on in life: death, taxes, and war in the Middle East.

This thread goes hand in hand with the exit strategy thread, but I didn't want to hijack it. What was our motivation for invading Iraq? If it was to remove the WMD, then we have achieved that goal already. If our goal was to establish a democratic government and stay in Iraq until it can function peacefully on its own, then we are never coming home. Do we really think we can end millenia of fighting by simply removing one man? I guess time will tell. Until then, let the debate begin.