Iraq question no. 2461.

[nedflanders]

Do you think we should bring the troops back from Iraq as per the Lib Dems calls or do we have a moral obligation to finish what we started and withdraw only when the area is stable and self policing.  I personally beleive that we have the obligation to the Iraqi people to protect them until they are capable of doing so themselves.

[metagirl]

agree with you ned, but some may say that our presence itself makes the country unsafe.

personally, i could not imagine the stress that Iraqis must live through, constantly hearing the roaring noise of military tanks and aircraft, seeing military guys in fatigues walkin' round my neighborhood with big scary guns and hearing the boom of bombs going off in the distance. frankly, hearing the helicopters flying overhead in London makes me a bit edgy!

[OBonio]

They should stay there until they start producing cheaper oil.

[jake-the-peg]

I don't think there are any morals in foreign policy - I don't think that figures in anybodies calculations.

More to the point if we withdraw will we

a) Precipitate a position where we have a "failed state" in the middle east where groups like Al Qaeda can set up shop again

b) P*ss of the Americans to the extent that it would be disadvantageous to us.

I also don't think that anybody in Iraq thinks of themselves as part of an "Iraqi people" but rather as Kurds or Sunnis or Marsh Arabs or whatever - and therein lies the rub.

Iraq itself was created after WWI by western countries (mostly us) and we drew lines right through established ethnic groups and tried to glue them together without so much as a "by your leave" - we're still doing the same thing. Nobody's asking the "Iraqis" if they want to be part of a unified country we're dictating it to them again.

It's a bit like US tanks in London telling us to be part of the EU.

But I digress If we leave now the Americans would probably move out too early too and yes they would be peeved so it's probably not in our best long term interests to do so.

[vespaboy]

I think we should have pulled out when there were no WMDs found...wasn't that the reason we went in there in the first place?

[Stretts]

Bring the boys (men) home - the Iraqis don't seem to want us there so bring them home - the British armed forces have done a great job now the politicians should do the same and bring them home. The Iraq of Saddam, in hindsight seems to have been a buffer to Iran and now we see Iran developing nukes. I don't think the blood one of one British armed forces personnel is worth a thousand Iraqis. If Britain should be intervening anywhere it should be Zimbabwe which is (was) part of the Commonwealth.

[lampgb]

Iraq is not a country, it's a geographical statement. The British government created the place after WW1. The mess stems from then.There will never be peace in a country so dominated by religious fundamentalism, where education revolves soley around the teachings of religious text's and where there will be no developement or progress along those lines known only in western democracies.The people of that tortured country however wish it to be so, that is their right. Pull the troops out and let them sort it out amongst themselves 

[Ward-Minter]

The moral West has a world duty to rid the world of evil religons that promote terrorism. As these evil hate breeding individuals are on our streets we should declare war in UK aswell.

We shall never, never, never bow down to evil. I have fought for this country over land 95% of Brits couldn't even pinpoint. I will not cower away from evil, sodomising Arabs.

[january_bug]

I agree with you Ned.

In addition, I feel that although the problem is horribly complicated, and our presence is not wanted by some, and at times it causes serious problems, to withdraw now would be selfish and cowardly.  You should never start something, if you don't intend finishing it (apart from marriage!) and I think that if we pulled out now, it would do more harm than good. 

Withdrawal of UK+US troops would NOT solve all the problems in Iraq, NOR would it have prevented terrorist attacks in this country, nor will it prevent future assaults on British people. 

[jno]

no, you should never turn your back on sodomising Arabs, Ward-Minter. But could we just hand over to straight ones? If a western presence there is making things worse for the people we claim to be protecting, is there an ethical reason for staying?

[Ward-Minter]

Play Jerusalem followed by Land of Hope and Glory very loud whilst looking at pictures of our Queen and any Regiment currently serving in the Gulf and tell me you want out of there.

All the time Allah and his cronies spread evil messages across the world stating the West are "Infidels" we should fight. They want a jihad???? Bloody give them one. With USA and the might of The Red Army (who oppose religious oppression) I bet you my house we will win.

If the pen is mightier than the sword then we will stab them with bics. Though I don't care much for the French, so we will use Parker Pens.

[andizuki1982]

I think we should stay! This may be controversial, but everyone I knew who joined the army said they wanted to travel the world, meet new people, get a good pension and retire wealthy! I didn`t join because I don`t want to get shot at. Troops know the dangers before they join, and make their own choice, not like national service. As soon as they don`t do their job well enough and get injured or killed that is when people say Bring them back! I have noticed it is predominently victims families who want them withdrawn, and don`t say a word when they are alive. The be all and end all, is they know the dangers, made their choice, and now have to stay until it is finished.