Bush broke it, we bought it...

I would really like to believe that recent visit by our President would create in someway a positive outcome for Iraq, but remember that when Saddam was caught it did not slow down the violence in any way. Killing one insurgent leader is not going to slow down the violence, there's a deeper resentment against the occupation. This is just the perfect timing for the administration to overstate the "positive" progress being made. The president's poll numbers are low and he's party is up for re-election in a few months. Great photo op.

Thank you, Richard, for taking time to write for us here. I never realized that the people of Iraq are without international recognition, e.g. can't get a visa, etc. I wish the "regular" reporting on TV and Newspapers and Magazines would cover this issue. I have a better appreciation for their longings thanks to you.

My only wish for the future generations is to learn from our previous mistakes, provide shelter,food,education,medical care for our OWN, then and only then give support to those around the world who desire our assistance. When other nations see how well we do at solving problems peacefully internally we will win their respect.

America needs REAL leadership, not Republican or Democrat, just leaders. From the beginning, I’ve not seen that in Bush. He’s not totally incompetent. He knows when to show up and when to leave. The problem is that he seems to only show up for photo ops that will turn the American public’s attention away from our real problems @home. We are not Iraqis, and at this point we can’t actually do anything to save them. No matter when we leave there will be a civil war, and after that it will be between Iraq and Iran. When will we wake up America? Why are we so easily fooled by Bushes deceptive acts of non-leadership?

When things go right in Iraq (ie. killing al-Zarqawi) Bush is willing to take credit. But when things go wrong (ie. Abu Ghraib) its not Bush's fault. Bush likes to think of himself as a "stand up" president, but he never admits his own mistakes. You can't have it both ways. Bush is directly responsible to the 2,500 dead Americans. Freedoom is worth dying for, but sacrificing our children because of "lack of inttelligence" is plain wrong. Bush will go down in history as "a Big Mistake!"

I BELIEVE THAT THE PRESIDENT AND HIS ADMINISTRATION ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME IN THE COURSE OF EVENTS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IRAQ TAKE CARE OF ITSELF,BUT I AM AFRAID THAT WILL NOT COME TO SOON? WHEN IT DOES COME,IRAQ NEEDS TO SETTLE TERRITORIES FOR EACH SECT OF PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP IRAQ. CIVIL WAR LIKE WE HAD??? WHO KNOWS??? WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT MOST OF OUR LEADERS ARE GOOD HUMAN BEINGS AND WE NEED TO PRAY FOR ALL OF THEM AND ASK GOD TO HELP IN THEIR DECISIONS.

You know I just read that Bush is talking about how it sadends him to send our military young men and women into harms way. He is such a major coward because he couldn't do what he is sending our military to do. He snuck into Iraq at a minimal risk. He said that you know he is a target over there so that is why it was so secrect. Does he not look at himself in the mirror because this war that he had created has made Americans even more of a target. This man has no spine and is a major coward, sneeking into Iraq of the bodies of the dead mean and women who he has sent over there.

Mr. Bush is doing what Politicians do, the Meet and Greet hiding in the Green Zone, along with the now "complete" Iraqi Govt. The President appears to be overmedicated with amphetamines and prozac, it is the only possible explaination for the confused Iraq Policy and lack of a way to "win", what ever that means, as well as "stay the course". Does anyone remember Viet Nam?

How did all this war start in the first place?

So now we have over 2500 Americans killed in Iraq! I wonder what the Bush quota for killings of Americans is before he comes to his senses, and declares victory and brings back all the troops. So Iraq develops into a civil war, who cares except the companies making out? Surely not the mothers and parents who agonize every day about sons and daughters being sacrificed for the political hacks????????????

As a country we are too quick to except positive gestures and photo opts as progress. It is very disrepectful to say that our troops are fighting in Iraq for our freedoms. Our freedoms were never threatened by Iraq. I hope the President's trip boosts the morale of our troops but that was not the purpose of the very political trip.

Mr. Engals, as usual I look forward to your segment on the nightly news. You are the only credable 'on the scene' reporter that seems to be on the americian news. You are a brave soul for staying in harms way, no less important than what our soldiers do for us.

NOW THAT THE PRESIDENT IS BACK FROM IRAQ, LET'S GET TO THE MOST PRESSING PROBLEM, HERE IN THE U.S.OF A.
IMMIGRATION!!!!!USE THE "SEARCH & DESTROY" TACTIC

Mr. Engals,
This may not be the place to write this; however, my comments are about Iraq. The Today show just ran an interview with Mr. Carvel and during his comments he stated that high ranking military said that we would still have 50,000 troops in Iraq in 10 years. I am an Army retired First Sergeant. The United States has 35,000 troops stationed in South Korea 55 years after the end of the conflict. This is in spite of South Korean having over 1,000,000 highly trained troops in there own army. We also had over 250,000 troops in Germany 45 years after WWII. The military must have strong holds strategically located in different regions of the world. I would be disappointed if we did not have a large body of troops permanently stationed in Iraq. I know that both the Korean Conflict and WWII are part of history, and the Iraq War is the war of this generation; however, it would be nice if the news media could put this war in context to past wars and conflicts.

Thanks you

As a veteran from Operation Iraqi Freedom, it makes me sick to see how little people really know about what is going on over there. During my year long tour in Iraq I saw firsthand how the quality of life itself has improved. Families are again able to farm land that Sadamm had stolen away from their families. People now have access to the world thru uncensored media, if they so choose. The oppurtunity now exists for a country to grow out of the dark ages it was forced to live in. I didn't ask for reasons when I was sent, governement officials have access to much more information than the general public, and rightly so, most people do not understand the complexities of global realtionships. The definition for Weapons of Mass Destruction is grossly miss leading. If everyone saw firsthand how littered Iraq was/is with items whose only purpose is to destroy human life, they might begin to understand that our government has been right on target with every action taken in Iraq.

Mr Engel, it is refreshing to hear about the positive things being acheived in Iraq.
Have we Americans learned anything from History? The world has never triumphed over evil through isolationism or appeasement! Does Sept 11 mean nothing to us anymore? We must stay the course!!
I truly believe that America must follow the Bush policy of engaging terrorism abroad to prevent innocent American deaths at home. Radical Islamic terrorists have launched a war on the free world! They must be stopped now and we can only win by continuing our mission in Iraq. To believe we have failed in Iraq is to believe that human beings will not embrace freedom when they finally taste it! We must help secure a free and democratic society. Sadly, many Americans do not understand that the efforts in Iraq today will greatly increase the safety of our country and our world in the future.

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