Let me first start this with a bit of information of why I have started this thread.

I was in NY on 9-11, and I saw first hand the devastation that ensued due to this horrific event. I was watching the news that morning and actually saw the plane hit the second building, and thought WOW, whoever made this mistake is in SOOOOO much trouble.

I like so many other NYer's knew about the first attempt on the WTC, and even with that knowledge never thought that this could be pulled off, without it being an accident. I went to a friends after words, she was sort of a nerd (to me at least), and said immediately as I walked in... it was Bin Laden.

I had never heard of this man at the time, and just listened to her rant for about an hour, and then I went home. I watched as the horror unfolded over the months, and though I didn't lose anyone that day, but what I do lose was what I thought at the time freedom.

I stayed scared, I swore there was going to be a war after this, most likely on American soil. In November of 2001, there was another plane crash going to the Dominican Republic, and I thought OH NO! Not again. I found out 2 days later that my in-laws and my x-husbands Aunt was on that flight and passed away.

I was angry, I was scared, and I thought that someone should pay. Even though we later found out that it was an accident, I wasn't satisfied. As time went by I ignored everything around me, still scared that if I turned on the news, I was going to see something else.

As time went by, we found out who the culprit was. Bin Laden. I didn't find out about much about him from the news, and I didn't care. I would walk the streets of NY, seeing wanted posters for his head, and Muslims getting harassed every where I turned, and I never thought twice.

We are America dammit and we were going to fry this guy at all cost's, and I was behind this all the way. As time went on, I started to notice that we weren't talking about BL anymore, but now we were going to concentrate our efforts on a guy we could catch, that could make America relive 9-11 all over again, and maybe even worse.

Of course we all now know that guy was Saddam Hussein. He had weapons, I watched all the MSM, every channel, I couldn't sleep, all I knew is that he wasn't a very nice guy, and if he treats his people that way, why would he spare us? I saw X-Pres Bush talking on TV about how we gave him an ultimatum, and boy if he does give up his weapons, were gonna whip him good.

Now of course I knew that if they had meeting, and they had Presidential Officials all over the place saying, OH YEAH HES GOT EM', then why would I not be supportive. Hey I wasn't a big GO BUSH fan, but he wasn't the only one who said it.

I watched the SHOCK AND AWE of Iraq, and I was not disappointed, it was like the 4th of July. I didn't think about the people there, I didn't think about overall consequences of War. All I knew is not in my town again, this will not happen, and America WILL not allow it. BTW, I still seemed to be all wrapped up in the Saddam thing that I haven't really noticed that we weren't talking about BL anymore.

BTW this isn't a story of moment by moment because we all have our views of 9-11.

Time went by, we were tearing the place apart, we took it all, then something caught me, that I thought was strange. It was the moment that they took down his statue, the people were happy, and America seemed to be happy, and I thought to myself, now wait, what were we there for again?

I then realized that I was confused about who the enemy was. Was it Iraq (everyone there), or just Saddam? I wasn't a researcher then, but I began to listen a little more clearer now. During his trail, there was no discussion of WMD's, he was on trail for what he had done to his own country, his own people.

That's when I realized that maybe something got lost along the way and I missed it. Of course after it was established that there were no WMD did we then say MY BAD. It didnt end there, after we removed their President, and looted and destroyed and killed lots of civilians, did we then decide that we were going to liberate them. Make them FREE, you know like the U.S, we were going to liberate those poor women, and children, and show them that they can be just-like-us.

9 years later, I have come to some conclusions, and I have not questions, but statements on where I figure this has gone and where it may be going.

Here it is.
We under complete false pretense went openly (again, might I add) to a country), and either tried to eliminate or liberate, (BTW those words are way to similar if you ask me), a people based on our view of freedom. We didn't ask Iraq after we walked in and changed their lives forever if they wanted our form of liberation, we didn't say, um, here it is we screwed up royally, and though we cannot give you any of the lives that you've lost, or the beautiful and even historical belongings that can never be replaced back to you, we will ask if you choose for us to remain.

NO! We stayed. Were still there.

Some people assume that Iraq was a place of rainbows and roses and needs OUR help to learn how to shoot a gun. They need US (U.S) to teach them about democracy and freedom. We assume that because they choose not to have reality t.v, that they don't know what freedom is. That though we took their lives, homes, schools, children, and lively hoods, that its because they didn't know better.

We treat them as, if we weren't there, they would have eaten each other by now, or built WMD's with sand, and stone. That our FREEDOM (I use that word lightly), is the ONLY FREEDOM, because we got it better than anyone else.

Look around you folk's. Did we need Wiki-leaks, to tell us that something was wrong, that how did people that we were supposed to liberate, started to shoot at us.

Here is what I think we did. I think we just pissed off about another 100 years worth of people to be against us. Oh for those of you that are like they don't like us because woman have jobs, and that all the men are terrorists.

Well thats TRUE! IN EVERY AMERICAN MOVIE EVER MADE, with any middle eastern premise. This isn't the movies. This isn't a video game.

When we leave and we will because there are other countries that need our help (Afghanistan). We will leave millions of upset middle easterners, with American weapons and tactics, and a chip on there shoulder the size of the World.

Continued...

OUR view about what happened there, what we did, and what will happen after-wards, is not only our problem NOW, but the problem that we will leave for the future.

The steps we take now to right the wrongs is whats going to make a difference. I cant change what happened, and whether you believe it was an inside job, or Bin Laden. It happened.

It wasn't our haste judgment that is going to make the history books it our resolve of the issue that we started, and the ones we leave behind. We have to see that when you start something, and never fully take responsibility, it doesn't just go away.

It lingers, and festers, the way that it is doing right now in the people of Iraq. When we finally think that its over, it will be just the beginning.

Peace to you all, and for those who's lives were lost on both sides. It was unnecessary, and when the dust clears, someone will have to take the blame for this, I just hope its not us.

The road will be long for Iraq.It is fraught with sectarian strife of the worst kind.
Though we killed many of them, they will continue to kill each other off after we leave.
Kurds will kill arabs, shias will kill sunnis, and the govement will keep on killing indiscriminately anyone who they think may stand in their way from plundering the countrys vast oil wealth which will remain flowing through iraqi and into american hands.....
That alone will be the source for thousands of deaths by all ways imaginable.
On top of this there will be left in place a highly paid force of private guards and services with hair trigger responses to anything at all.
Blackwater, Dyncorp etc......contracting security for all kinds of endeavours.
All in all the iraqi people not shot shelled or blown up by their own IEDs
Can look forward to a half a billion year half life of the depleted munitions dust poisoning their water and spreading cancer and birth deformity like wildfire through former battle areas.
This is the Freedom that we have wished on the Iraqi people....and the cradle of mankinds present civilisation.

We live in a world where the person holding the bag is to blame, in this case were holding the bag. Though I would like to say that we have the peoples interest at heart I could never tell that to someone who has faced it.

Peace to you...

This is a thought provoking thread and I see where it may have been to much, so I apologize and ask for it to be removed, it wasn't for the purpose of those who would not want to recognize, but for those who would.

Peace to you...