Mohammed has a a great deal to say in a recent entry over at ITM. Tucked into the middle of it, we see this:
… For example so far I have never met one Iraqi who could answer the few simple questions I usually use in a conversation that begins with “they’re stealing our oil”. The questions are “do you know the GDP of the US?” or “do you know how much money the US military spends in Iraq alone?”
The common answer is “I don’t know” and sadly the people I usually talk to have at least finished a college.
Then comes the other question “Ok, so do you know what Iraq’s GDP is? Or the UK’s or Spain’s or Israel’s or Iran’s…?”
Almost in every case I get no answers …
Reading this makes me wonder: do you suppose that this is the source of the shrill cry of ignorant bandwagon jumpers in the United States? People who are so desperate for a cause that they will latch on to anything, no matter how flimsy the case may be, in order to pursue their own agenda, ultimately at the expense of the Iraqi people?
Whatever you believe regarding the necessity for the United States’ invasion of Iraq in the first place, the simple fact is that what’s done is done. It’s long since time to stop wishing we hadn’t and pretending that an exit will take place in the next few months, or worse, that this is something that will benefit Iraq. As PFC Torin Howling Wolf said in a recent documentary:
Our goal here is to help an oppressed people. Our goal here is to restore one of the most ancient and beautiful civilizations of all time.
Some will call these honorable men and women misguided. While it is true that there are criminals in the military, there are also criminals in any group or society. These are the exception rather than the norm. Most U.S. soldiers believe they are there to help the people of Iraq. Most want Iraqis to control their own destiny. Most simply want to go home, but only as soon as their job is done.
Let us hope that Mohammed is not a lone voice in the wilderness, for our sake and particularly for the sake of the Iraqi people.