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So, to start off my ranting journal off with a bang, I've decided to to a serious topic -- my opinion on the Iraq war. I'm just going to get this over with: I'm *for* the Iraq war. But, any negative remarks should be restricted to my opinions and NOT making judgements about me because of them. This rant is actually an essay I did for Global Studies (I got an A on it, so it shouldn't be too bad) that I slightly edited to be more journal-friendly.

Without further ado, here it goes.

How did we get into this mess?
Roger Cohen, a columnist for the International Herald Tribune, describes his views on the Iraq war by saying, "The Iraqi conflict is going to be with us for years if not decades" (Cohen). This conflict could be said to have began sometime after the death of Muhammad, the Islamic prophet. It was disputed whether the next leader of their religion should be a blood relative of the prophet or someone best suited for the job. This eventually caused the Islamic faith to be split into two groups, the Shiites and the Sunnis. When the Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein came into power, he favored the Sunnis, offering them more power and resources. However, it soon became clear that Saddam wanted to take over much of the Middle East and kept himself in power by using terror. The United States intervened and took him out of power. Many people argue if we should have gone into Iraq or not, but that is not the point. The point is that if the United States were to leave, Iraq would not be able to stand on it's own. It is the United States' duty to stay and protect Iraq while their government, military and infrastructure is rebuilt.

Step 1 - Rebuild Government
One major thing that needs to be done in Iraq is to establish a government. Although Saddam Hussein was a deplorable person, he was still a form of government. Since we took out their government, we need to replace it. This proves to be difficult, but there is hope. Bosnia is a country who was "torn apart by ethnic cleansing and facing it's demise as a single country...the United States...kept the country whole by, paradoxically, dividing it into ethnic factions...Bosnians have lived a decade in relative peace and are now slowly strengthening their common central government..." (Biden and Gelb). So, Bosnia is a lot like Iraq in the sense that there are different factions. And since this form of government has been proven to work with multiple factions, there's little reason to think it would not work with Iraq. Some people may argue that this form of government is too drastic. However, it is not because "the Iraqi Constitution, in fact, already provides for a federal structure and a procedure for provinces to combine into regional government" (Biden and Gelb). Iraq obviously is headed towards this type of government if they have it outlined in their Constitution. Having a central government will be able to restore a sense of order that many people had been lost long ago and help reduce terror by properly punishing people for their crimes. Since the United States decided to interfere in Iraqi politics, justly or unjustly, we need to replace what we destroyed.

Step 2 - Rebuild the Military
As well as establishing a government, the United States needs to help Iraq rebuild it's military. The Iraqi people have little to defend themselves against these ruthless terrorist attacks. Iraq's ambassador to the US, Samir al-Sumaidaie addressed this issue by saying, "I think there is almost an unanimity amongst all Iraqi leaders that we absolutely need the help of American troops...to remain with us until we build up new security forces...we have expectations from the United States to supply weapons to our security forces..." ("Iraqi Diplomat Says U.S. Must Clean up in Iraq" wink . Because many people in the Middle East believe that the Unites States is supposed to supply the new security forces, it would be in their best interest to do so.Otherwise, it would mean risking causing many people further believing the Anti-American message. As al-Sumaidaie said, "The price will be a destabilized Middle East, rampant international terrorism, which is bound to visit you here at home sooner or later" (Iraqi Diplomat...). So, if nothing else, we need to help end terrorism in Iraq so that we are not left with scars on top of the ones America received on September 11th. By helping Iraq rebuild it's military and security, it will help everyone involved.

Step 3 - Rebuild Infrastructure
After a military is established in Iraq, the infrastructure will need help as well to create a sense of normalcy in the community. During bombings and other attacks on Iraq, many schools, homes and hospitals were caught in the crossfire and destroyed. Al-Sumaidaie discussed what life is like in Iraqi neighborhoods by saying, "Iraq is a small country and the attack is relentless. It is natural...that there is fear" ("Iraqi diplomat..." wink . But, while there is fear surrounding everyday lives, there is hope. The ambassador of Iraq to the United States adressed this when he said, "There are areas of Baghdad that have returned to normality or something approximating normality. It's a gradual process" ("Iraqi diplomat..." wink . While Iraq is not going to be completely peaceful overnight, there is hope that with some effort, it one day will be. Not everyone living in Iraq is a terrorist who hates America. Some people are just innocent bystanders in this war, so by rebuilding what they lost, their lives can achieve a certain amount of normalcy.

The Look Ahead
The United States took out Saddam Hussein to liberate the Iraqi people, but simply taking him out of power was not enough. It will be a long process to establish a working, agreeable government, a military that can fight and provide needed services for the victims. Until these three things have been achieved, the United States does not have the right to leave.

Note: I'm not entirely sure where I placed my Works Cited, but I will look for it. o.O So, anything in quotes is not my own words.