Why Nick Berg’s Beheading Changed my Mind about Iraq

I have been busy all day responding to comments over at blogcritics and not able to post until now because I accidentally lost my articles (twice) while being interrupted by said commentators. And I have a headache to boot so you can tell what kind of mood I’m in.

Nevertheless, all is not lost and I will summarize our heated conversations which I think are fairly well representative of this debate.

I can see that many people are set in their thinking and I do understand where they’re coming from because I used to think (if I may dare say) more conservatively, but recent events have changed all that.

I suppose in their defence, unless one has actually lived abroad you cannot really comprehend why the world perceives the US as a bully, and why its policies have fuelled the flames of discontent and hatred.

History demonstrates the middle east region has been in turmoil for eons and we will not change that. At least not this generation anyhow. It will require the educating of generations to come.

In the mean time, the killing of innocent muslim civilians in the name of a holy crusade against terrorism will only make matters worse in the long term.

If I read between the lines correctly, the June deadline for turning over the reigns to Iraqis is only the first stage. A complete handing over of the country will take much longer for reasons not satisfactorily explained.

For crying out loud, they haven’t even set a date for Saddam’s trial yet!

The best bet is Bush wants to stay there as long as it takes to ensure a pro-American puppet government is in place. And every time a terrorist act happens, Bush only exacerbates the matter with his tough Texan bravado speeches - i.e. “we will stay the course”, “remember the Alamo“ (whoops, sorry about that one) etc., etc.

If you were an Iraqi who mistrusts Americans, what kind of message does that send? In the mean time, more and more people continue to die (on both sides). All I’m saying is cut to the chase and get a democratic government set up NOW, and get out - PRONTO.

I mean really. It’s a simple concept. Nick Berg’s murder demonstrates the ruthlessness of these fanatics. You will not re-create them in your own image, and you cannot break their will. And violence only begets more violence.

Nobody is proposing an immediate pullout. That’s not possible now is it? We are already there. The point is you are not going to kill all the terrorists and are only creating more for future generations. That is the point. I’m sorry for those who don’t get it.

I say stop the dilly-daddling and finish what we went there for. Get an Iraqis government set up, get out and be quick about it. Why should that be such a difficult concept?

After all, that was the mission wasn’t it?