Enough is Enough- It’s time for the U.S to Leave Iraq 

By:  Ben Hayward, Staff Writer

The war in Iraq has been an ongoing issue of endless controversy. The American occupation of Iraq has gone on for far too long and it must end now. The entry into this war was a bad decision and from the start the world could see, should have seen, the disastrous consequences that inevitably lay ahead. Millions suffer, thousands die, a dictator has been removed, and still this occupation has not ended. The Americans are rapidly running out of ways to justify this war.

After having made a mess of Iraq, they now plan to rebuild what they have destroyed. To me, this seems to be a way of continuing an occupation of a sovereign nation, a move that simply has no grounds. The Americans have found no weapons of mass destruction, which was supposedly their primary reason behind the decision to invade Iraq. Saddam Hussein, the notoriously ruthless dictator, has been overthrown. He is now perceived as someone who is no longer a “threat” to the world. So, with the threats removed, what reason remains to still be in Iraq?

The Americans claim that it is their duty to save the Iraqi people. Although this is a noble goal to take upon oneself, I beg to differ. During the Iran-Iraq war, the Americans cut off all trade to Iraq, starving the masses and killing thousands. Where was their concern then? When the Americans began bombing Iraq and wounding thousands of innocent Iraqi people, where again was this so-called concern?

The answer is simple, this “concern” that they are now experiencing, is not a concern for the Iraqi people, but for their own needs. But that’s not what they want us to hear and, most definitely, they’ve danced around this issue. The bottom line is that, when all said and done, the Americans are in it for the oil. Western society needs oil to function and unfortunately the United States has lost the ability to be completely self sufficient in its oil production. So what does one do in this sort of situation?

Step 1: Find a country with questionable leadership and ethics, and more importantly, lots of oil.

Step 2: Have your government make some excuses for the invasion of the country of your choice, let’s say Iraq.

Step 3: Invade, and get your hands on some oil, glorious oil!

This is where the concern for the Iraqi people comes in. Isn’t it convenient that the Iraqi people are suffering at the same time that America needs oil?

To base a war on the foundation that a country needs resources is immoral. If everyone decided to blow up another country because of such selfish reasons the world would be in chaos and disarray. America does not have the right to be an exception.

To make matters worse, this occupation is filled with senseless killing. Since the war has begun, over 650 American troops have been killed, 8,750 civilians have been killed, by a variety of terrorist attacks, bombings and open combat. This killing not only affects the citizens of Iraq, but also their families living in other countries. How many lives must the war claim and ruin before it is deemed cruel?

As if the occupation itself wasn’t bad enough the repercussions that will be seen back in America are grave. To date, the United States has spent 122 billion dollars on the war in Iraq. That sum of money is going to put the U.S government in a deficit for many years, not to mention that they have lost their respect among most of the United Nations community. Because of this, their trade and tourism will decrease drastically.

After all this force and deception, it’s no wonder why the world is questioning why the Americans have occupied Iraq for any length of time. The fact remains that they are still there and it is hurting them from not only a military but an economic standpoint. Some of the world leaders need to tell Mr. Bush that if he wants oil he’s just going to have to bring himself to actually buy it, like every other country. The bottom line is… GET OUT OF IRAQ!