Contrary to denial, turning the US into a pacifist nation is exactly what the writer of this editorial and many other liberals in our country would love to see. There has not been a single conflict since WW11 that the media felt was justifiable. War is never popular with anyone, but it is, and always will be a function of society and a necessary evil to maintain our lives as we have become accustomed to living. We have never lived in a society where you can get your hand amputated for theft or jailed for believing in a different religion or executed for speaking out against authority. Maintaining a strong military and yes, even fighting wars that are unpopular will insure that we maintain our status quo longer than those that sit back and do nothing.

Ted is right on the money with his post.

Tragically for Democrats and the Decatur Daily, Iraq my yet emerge as the first significant Islamic Arab democracy in decades, an enduring monument to the enormous effort of American soldiers. There is a reason Al-Qaida, "favors," (the word used in the AP article today), indiscriminate and increasingly infrequent car bombing rather than sustained military assault. To those who participated in and supported this endeavor, the nation's gratitude, apart from Democrats, is unbounded, as with each passing day Iraq's democratic institutions continue to strengthen. Matched by the Decatur Daily's increasingly infrequent reportage, Al-Qaida in Iraq is in decline. While still in its infancy, unable yet to effect profound regional change, a mature Islamic democracy strategically placed between Iran and Syria will, in time, reshape the Middle East in a different way from the premature "Arab Spring" that brought the Muslim Brotherhood to power in Egypt, a testament to the foresight of the previous administration. Clearly the, "painful lessons," narrative is beginning to crumble, revived only when increasingly infrequent bombing occurs. The public does not accept the competing, and opposite, concepts of lessening violence and impending collapse, particularly when they are contained within the same article.

Kudos to Ted.

HUGE mistake. and yes, i was there.

Much like Vietnam, Iraq will be viewed by historians as a war where American soldiers fought bravely, paid a heavy price in lost lives and others that returned home with permanent "scars" of war and in the endit was all for naught. The decision to "invade" Iraq was based on a well orchestrated series of lies and misrepresentations. Stupidity on the part of the POTUS at the time eas a huge factor. Is it a good thing that Saddam Hussein is dead? Yes. No one can argue otherwise. But was his death worth the price?

The WMD Iraq war won the election for the Democrats in 2008. Cheney and Rumsfield lied to Bush to get him to go into Iraq. Americans do not trust those that lie so they voted Democrat.

Was the war worth the lost of live for 5,000 Americans and over 35,000 that were seriously injured in the war? That's for those that fought in the war to answer. Not the ones sitting at home getting giddy watching FOX news.