Yessir, the Iraqis will be able to police themselves and live peacefully in a democracy any day now. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

It's no wonder militias are so widespread in Baghdad. This is what happens in civil war. If the Iraqi government can't protect its citizens from these types of attacks, it is doomed to failure.

No amount of American troops can change the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. A million troops can't alter thousands of years of religious hatred. Only loving your neighbor can do that.

Why can't either the UN forces or the Iraqi government locate a group of 150 people that have been kiddnapped? It would be really difficult to hold, transport or contain that number of people without detection......and next they are going to tell us they can't find them? People in the area didn't notice anything odd? BAH!

Maybe the US should arm everybody in Iraq, move our troops to the perimeter of the country, and when they get tired of killing each other, then perhaps some sort of civilized peace can be created. WHERE are all those people with inked fingers who came out wanting freedom? Did they just want the freedom to kill each other? Saddam kept a tight hand on them - but as soon as he went down - the rest is history. WHERE are all the Muslims in free nations and why are THEY not marching and making known with a LOUD voice that this killing each other is unacceptable to their "Muslim" beliefs? They are quick to march over a cartoon that people in free nations tolerate -tolerance is the KEY word here. They can't tolerate EACH OTHER - how are they going to form a workable government? Where on earth did George Bush get the insane idea that a real democracy could be created there by just overthrowing the dicator?? How on earth are our new people coming on board going to fix his mess? How do you deal rationally with an irrational society and culture? My question is - Do these people REALLY want to be free as we know freedom? If so, did anybody bother to let them know that with freedom one must be willing to practice tolerance of his fellow man and learn to agree to disagree - without blowing him up or torturing and dismembering him? Again - IF so many of those REALLY voted and REALLY wanted freedom - WHERE are they?? Why are they not willing to join together and stand up for freedom AND tolerance and help the military eradicate the militias and murderers? Did they vote and then leave the country instead of standing up and fighting for freedom? Don't they know that they are going to die anyway by cowering to these "bad" apples? Why not die trying to stop them? Does the word UNITED even exist in that culture other than united to kill? If religious zealots are at the root of this almost "civil" war - then why are the masses not protesting by banding together - and TOLERATING each others' differences to overthrow them? So difficult for this American to understand why we are sending our people there to die, wasting so much money that future generations of Americans will have to pay for when those we are supposedly fighting for continue to cower in the shadows and not fight for themselves. If they don't want it enough to fight for it - then why are WE fighting for it?

Here we are (The entire World's Civilazation's) faced with another very possibly horrific example of the crulity and insanity of a few degenerate individuals with the abduction of dozens of fellow human beings in Bagdad. I hope it is not lost, with the perception that this terrist garbage is hoping to develope, that there are millions of very brave and hopeful Iraqi's deserving of the help and sacrifices that we are giving. Thank You, to our Service Men and Women and all of those that are assisting in this rescue of Iraq.

Another example of man's inhumanity to man. One can only hope these people will be released and not found bound and tortured and dumped like garbage. I applaud those brave souls who remain in their homeland awaiting a more peaceful and secure Iraq...as are we all. To those who do these abductions, you only re-inforce the worlds view you are at best... sub-human.

Is this Rumsfeld's "Salvador Option" being played out?

Dont just blame the bloodthirsty Iraqis - the US is to blame, and not just the politicians, but also all of the population who eagerly supported the war. You all have blood of innocent people on your hands.

Heh...told you this stuff was gonna happen. Told you these groups would be at each-others' throats. Experts told you the same thing.

Sucks, but what can you do? Bush stupidly pulled the cork...good luck getting this genie back in the bottle!

I think President Bush would have realize before invading Iraq, Iraq is not going to be easey, he also would have understood that Iraq is not his private play ground to do with as he please and destroy Iraq in the process of his thirsts, dominion, power, and Iraqi's wealth. There are millions of innocent lives being sacrificed for the selfish motives of the ones at helm of affairs in Iraq, Labenon, Afghanistan, and Palestine, for selfish , the world cannon simply accept this.

President Bush's dream for Iraq lost beyond recovery. His dream for Iraq is lost. It was an impossible dream. Only Bush and his acolytes seem not to realize that.

The blame game doesn't solve this problem. I did not support going to war, my thoughts were: these people do not believe or want what we do and therefore there will not be an easy solution. They have fed generations of hate and mistrust and our children will still be objects and targets in years to come.
However, we put ourselves there for whatever misguided and misinformed reasons, and we cannot walk away and let slaughter happen. If we do that then the Canadian will be right.

Seems to me, it's a case of the tail wagging the dog. The relative handful of nut jobs over there don't want the spread of western ideology so they pick on the teachers and inteligencia. Why don't we read about the improvements in their infrastructure. Improvements in waste treatment, electrical power, schools, free markets and widspread religeous tolerance among most reasonable people. What we're fed by the media is analogous to Europe being told everyone in the USA is a racist skin head. And shown constant footage of Aryan Nation training camps. Talk to a service member who's been there. Talk to several to get a balanced viewpoint.

Yea, I remember when the media was reporting how the Shiite militia were infiltrating the police forces. Am sure nothing was done about that. We have had way too few US or Coalition Forces troops to have an effect on security. Now, we are doubtless seeing the result of that infiltration.

When I was in Iraq, I asked an interpreter from Samarra about the Golden Dome mosque and Shiites in general. He started out saying how "we" the Sunnis let them come worship at the Golden Dome mosque whenever they wished. With no prompting from me, he quickly started getting into detail about how the Shia have strange beliefs, etc. Unfortunately, the prejudice was always just below the surface, it seems.

lOOK FREEDOM COMES WITH A PRICE...NO ONE SAID IT WOULD BE EASY BUT WHAT WAS DONE NEEDED DONE AND THE POWERS TO BE FELT IT NECESSARY. I STAND BEHIND OUR PRESIDENT AND SOLDIERS...AFTERALL ARE WE NOT THE UNITED AND I EMPHASIZE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT...THATS TO ANYONE THAT SPEAKS NEGATIVELY ABOUT OUR PRESIDENT..WHERE WOULD WE BE IF AMERICANS TOOK THAT ATTITUDE BACK IN THE DAYS OF WW1 &2...

Saddam was a terrible man and a terrible leader. he killed thousands. He needed to be brought down. he strong armed people. he used threats and be-headings. This is a state that has had no leadership, no democracy. yeah, Bush threw us in and yeah we are in the middle and yeah I am not a big fan of the bush administration. but I am frightened for the innocent iraqi's. the kurdish who are trying so hard to BUILD, even under the strong arm of a murderer. They are building. Why can't the rest of iraq do that? They need to be given a chance. I think the dem's taking congress and senate will make a big difference in the way we see this war ending or relinquishing control back.
just 2 cents from just a girl

While the kidnapping shocks us (why anything shocks us anymore is a wonder), I heard from a good source that the ministry in question was known as a "hangout" for Saddam supporters as well as members of Al Qaeda..I have only heard a single report of this on TV news today and is wasnt MSNBC. Hardline did not mention this despite a longish report....what do you know about it

until the Iraqi people band togather in there communities turn these groups in and unrest will run ramped. All Iraqis people must help and protection must be given in return. There are some simuarlites to this and Germany after the WWII but it was not until the people started turning in and getting in volved were are men able to help.

I am confused. I hear today's hardball saying "the Dems are waiting for Baker"
The Dems aren't in office yet so how could they do anything today?

This is .com not .ca keep your onesided propaganda to your side of the internet that the U.S.A. invented. The only reason Canada is a free country is because you live next door to us and in case you didn't notice you are and were knee deep in the war with us.

To A Canadian,

You're missing quite a few people involved in this mess. How about the Jordanians, Syrians, Saudis, Lebanese, and other foreign Arabs who have went in under Al-Qaida's banner? How about the thousands of Irani who have flocked to the borders and gone in? I guess that they don't deserve any blame.

Do you know any Iraqis personally? Can you say "bloodthirsty" Iraqis with any real conviction? That's pretty prejudice. I know a few, and they are Sunna, and they are people who have lived peacefully with Shi'a, even having cousins who married Shi'a. Not because of Saddam's Iron Fist, but because that's who they loved and it wasn't a big deal. Do you have blood on your hands because of the civilians that were killed during WWII, being that Canada was involved?

I'm glad that some people are content with just saying, "Told you so!" That is extremely constructive. Some people seem to put a monetary value on human lives and freedom. Is there a price that suddenly not makes it worth it for people to be free? "Sorry Dr. King, desegragating schools is too expensive," "Sorry General Washington, but you know, this whole independence thing was fine and all, but now you know...it's just costing a lot of money!"

I think not. Millions of Iraqis who voted are still there. Unfortunately a large number of people who could afford it have left. Take most of the educated people out of America and see how it turns out.

It's not easy, fast, or cheap to create a democracy from a dictatorship. We did it though, who's to say they can't?

http://tlocfym.blogspot.com

You might not remember, but Bush said, early on that this was going to be a very -long- battle. He did not make his case as the war went along, and therefore lost the support of a lot of Americans. Planting democracy in this middle of Theocracys IS a worthy mission, and of course a long term mission. When we have another 911, will Americans finally see the long term threat and the work that needs to be done over there, or sit back and hope that the enemy takes a liking to us?

As a PROUD Mother to a soldier serving in Iraq...I support my son. As far as the United States having innocent blood on our hands..DON'T THINK SO!! This was started on 911...what about all of that innocent blood?? We had no choice but to protect our country, our lives and the things we hold dear...and keep this from happening in the future. I and others who have a family member serving HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN..WILL NEVER FORGET!!!

What this incident illustrates is how difficult it is to provide 24/7 security in a city the size of Baghdad where the enemy is hard to identify. Regular citizen by day, kidnapper, murderer by night. Would somebody explain that until these groups stop bombing and shooting the US troops can't leave.

Ummm I wonder how the people who are "weak on defense" will cope when we are fighting the terrorist on American soil...one thing is for certain they won't be able to say, "Cut and run" or "Bring the troops home".

it is amazing to me that our troops are still there, what exactly do you think your going to accomplish, mr. bush. nothing is going to change over there. its just going to get worse,obviously! its only gotten worse. let them fight there own war, if they want to kill each other off let them , bring our troops home now!!