The Iraq War a revisit to the war 2003-2010

For anyone growing up in United States after the 9/11 attacks. You felt many contradictions after the attacks. Whether you felt a sense of hope and patriot pride. You also felt anger, fear and resentment to the attackers on 9/11. No one would of guessed President Bush finally giving that chilling Oval office speech of the war starting in Iraq.

I remember people edging in the T.V and then honking their car horns in support of the bombings of the Iraqi citizens. Now both sides have suffered great loses. Whether you found the war justified or you were against the war. You could not shake the image of what was taking place in Iraq. When the bombings began you just saw what was going through the eyes of news reporters and Iraqis watching Baghdad going up in flames from the huge explosions.

A video of Iraq before the bombings.

After the bombings American and ally troops were on ground in Iraq. Quickly America was in a fascination with finding Saddam Hussein and his family. Still plugged in at the news American's found a sense in destroying those they found responsible and connected to the attackers of 9/11.
Quickly as the war started Saddam and his family were either killed or rounded up. Saddam as the latter was put on trail and then executed.
With the elections on the way of the new Iraqi government. Americans finally found hoped in a new ally in the Middle East. However as time will tell after we came in and kicked butt. Various insurgent groups made their presence known. Finally the controversy surrounding the many deaths of American troops quickly made Americans turn against the war and the various efforts in Iraq. President Bush's approval ratting begin to lower daily. During the election of 2008. Democrats and then Senator Obama capitalized on bringing are troops home after they were elected President. After the victory of the Presidential race. President Obama was then starting to inherent former president Bushes war. two years since his inauguration President Obama lived up his promise as having the end of August as the end of the Iraq War. Bring a eight year war to the end. Still the scars and terrible memories live on. Iraq is no where better then when the war started and the U.S. lost a lot in the war. Still I salute or soldiers for their faith, I pray for the Iraqis and everyone else effected by the war and I would do my best to help American and Iraq relations.

The war is not over. This is a long term, low impact war. This is the way it was planned. Some combat troops left, replaced by mercenaries. Obama is running his war machine even harder than before.

reply to post by earthdude


This battle is over. But American presences; at least the troops are coming home. Bringing this chapter to a close.
www.cnn.com...
Only time will tell what is next for us, the Iraqis and the world.

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel


Considering the violence that will come now that the US troop numbers have fallen to 50,000, I would imagine that the utterly corrupt government will not be able to cope. With the deep political division within Iraq, chances are, civil war could erupt.

The US might be downsizing their involvement, but the country is in a terrible mess. The violence is not over.

reply to post by Tarrok


The war with the U.S. is over. I have been suspecting a Civil War to erupt sooner or later after the U.S. left. Both Sunni and Shia Muslims are most likely going to be the main fractions in the fight with influence from Shia Iran very possible. This could get ugly quick!

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel


There's the argument that they have been able to check the boxes they needed to reach their objectives and finish the 'war'.

Yet there's going to be a difficult ethical choice facing the US Troops still stationed there if/when the Civil War breaks out.

I can't imagine the US will just sit by and let them fight over a country they themselves helped to push into this situation.

It's only my opinion but I feel the US should still be responsible to help create an actual functioning government.

reply to post by Tarrok


Maybe this is the war that has been rumored with Iran. All the U.S. needs is a allaby and then they will pounce to protect their present government in Iraq. Just give it time!

Groundbreaking ideas and opinions.

Shia and Sunni sectarian violence you say? Iranian influence? Both have been going on for years, and it's decreasing, not increasing. The slight spike Iraq has been receiving lately is an insurgency in it's death throes.

The US have not 'pushed' the Shia and Sunni into any 'position'. Violence between the two denominations has been going on since the inception of Islam. If anything, the US has finally given them equal footing and a chance to deliberate, not retaliate. Naturally, changing your thought process does not happen overnight. Regardless, nobody is to blame but themselves for the mass killings and genocidal neighborhood sweeps they were committing against each other. Kindly try not to put all the problems in the world at the US' feet.

As I stated in the other thread concerning this conspiratorial and ludicrous claim that the US is gearing up for war with Iran, somebody should explain to our Generals that pulling/planning to pull our troops out of the region isn't a good way to start an invasion.

I venture to say there was never a real war. If it had been a real war, and we won, by somebody surrendering, we would have a celebration. No celebration happened. The innocent people who died will have family members avenging their death for many decades.

Originally posted by Gainsayer
Groundbreaking ideas and opinions.

Shia and Sunni sectarian violence you say? Iranian influence? Both have been going on for years, and it's decreasing, not increasing. The slight spike Iraq has been receiving lately is an insurgency in it's death throes.

Couldn't agree more.

Even under Saddam Hussein the conflict between Sunni and Shia was brewing. He was able to maintain control with extreme brutality. I've wonder the wisdom of trying to spread "Democracy in Iraq" The issue between Shia and Sunni has been going on for centuries. It would be foolish IMO for the US or anyone else for that matter to think that it could be solved in only 7 or 8 years. Civil war? Sure, why not. It's not like it hasn't already been going on.

Maybe a good old fashion all out civil war between Shiites and Sunnis is whats needed for that region to finally get it's head out of it's backside. Most if not all of the deaths and attacks in Iraq have been sectarian in nature over the past 3 years or so.

As far as Iran's influence goes Iran has had it's tendrils in Iraq for while now. Mahdi Army anyone?

The US have not 'pushed' the Shia and Sunni into any 'position'. Violence between the two denominations has been going on since the inception of Islam. If anything, the US has finally given them equal footing and a chance to deliberate, not retaliate. Naturally, changing your thought process does not happen overnight. Regardless, nobody is to blame but themselves for the mass killings and genocidal neighborhood sweeps they were committing against each other. Kindly try not to put all the problems in the world at the US' feet.

Exactly.
Here is a quick rundown of the history between the two.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f45c2eb451af.jpg[/atsimg]

570: The Prophet Muhammad is born.

598: Ali, who will become the fourth caliph and the first Shiite Imam, is born.

610: The year Muslims cite as the beginning of Muhammad's mission and revelation of the Koran.

613: The public preaching of Islam begins.

630: The Muslims, led by Muhammad, conquer Mecca.

632: Muhammad dies. Abu Bakr is chosen as caliph, his successor. A minority favors Ali. They become known as Shiat Ali, or the partisans of Ali.

656: Ali becomes the fourth caliph after his predecessor is assassinated. Some among the Muslims rebel against him.

661: Violence and turmoil spread among the Muslims; Ali is assassinated.

680: Hussein, son of Ali, marches against the superior army of the caliph at Karbala in Iraq. He is defeated, his army massacred, and he is beheaded. The split between Shia and Sunnis deepens. Shia consider Ali as their first Imam, Hussein as the third Imam.

873: The 11th Shiite Imam dies. No one succeeds him.

873-940: In the period, known as the Lesser Occultation, the son of the 11th Imam disappears, leaving his representatives to head the Shiite faith.

940: The Greater Occultation of the 12th or Hidden Imam begins. No Imam or representative presides over the Shiite faithful.

1258: The Mongols, led by Hulagu, destroy Baghdad, ending the Sunni Arab caliphate.

1501: Ismail I establishes the Safavid Dynasty in Persia, and declares Shiism the state religion.

1900: Ruhollah Khomeini is born in Persia.

1920-1922: Arabs, both Shia and Sunni, revolt against British control of Iraq.

1922-1924: Kemal Ataturk abolishes the Ottoman sultanate and the Turkish Sunni caliphate.

1925: Reza Khan seizes power in Persia, declares himself Shah, establishing the Pahlavi dynasty.

1932: Iraq becomes an independent nation, under King Feisal, a Sunni Arab.

1935: Persia is renamed Iran.

1941: Reza Shah abdicates throne in favor of his son Mohammad Reza Shah. British and Soviet military forces occupy Iran.

1953: A joint CIA/British intelligence operation in Iran keeps the Shah on the throne and ousts nationalist Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.

1963: Amid widespread protests in Iran against the Shah, Ayatollah Khomeini is arrested, then exiled to Najaf in Iraq.

1967: Israel defeats Egypt, Syria and Jordan in the Six Day War.

1968: The Baath Party seizes power in Iraq.

1973: Israel defeats Egypt and Syria in the Yom Kippur War.

1978-79: Widespread protests force the Shah to abdicate and flee Iran. Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran to lead the revolution.

1979: Saddam Hussein seizes power, becomes president of Iraq. Iranian revolutionary students seize the U.S. embassy in Tehran and take diplomats hostage. They are released in January 1981.

1980: Saddam Hussein orders the Iraqi army to attack Iran.

1980-1988: Iran-Iraq war. Hundreds of thousands die on each side and the war ends in a stalemate.

1982: Israel invades Lebanon, seizes Beirut. Hezbollah is formed in Lebanon.

1983: Suicide truck bombers, believed to be Hezbollah, kill 241 American servicemen in Beirut.

1989: Ayatollah Khomeini dies in Iran.

1990: Saddam Hussein orders his army to seize Kuwait.

1991: The U.S. military ousts the Iraqi army from Kuwait. Shia of southern Iraq rebel against Saddam Hussein, who puts down the rebellion brutally. Thousands of Shia are killed.

1991-2003: Iraq is placed under economic sanctions. U.N. weapons inspectors destroy most of Iraq's nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programs.

2001: Al-Qaida, led by Sunni Muslim fundamentalists, mounts attacks in the United States, killing 3,000 people. The United States invades Afghanistan and ousts the Sunni Taliban government.

2003: The U.S. military invades Iraq, topples Saddam. An Iraqi insurgency erupts, led by Sunni Baathists and al-Qaida.

2005-2006: Iraqi elections bring Shiite political parties to power in Baghdad, backed by Iran. Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence intensifies.

2005: Hard-line fundamentalist Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is elected president in Iran. Iran pursues acquisition of nuclear technology.

2006: War breaks out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The U.N. Security Council imposes economic sanctions on Iran in response to nuclear activities.

2007: The United States sends additional troops to Iraq.

Here is a present day break down of
the situation in Iraq between the parties involved.

As I stated in the other thread concerning this conspiratorial and ludicrous claim that the US is gearing up for war with Iran, somebody should explain to our Generals that pulling/planning to pull our troops out of the region isn't a good way to start an invasion.

Don't bother...

First off, there are too many members here who want the war in Iraq to continue even though it's over. If you miss all the war and mayhem may I suggest watching all the countless old Youtube videos over and over again. Second, there seems to be a cheering section at ATS for a war with Iran which by the way is due any second.


ATS-2004
Could Iran pull off a military upset against the US?

ATS-2005
Iran Invasion Plans
Scott Ritter Says Iran Attack in June
Iran plans to knock out U.S. with 1 nuclear bomb with electro-magnetic pulse
US prepares for Iran war with split Nato

ATS-2006
War with Iran predictions

ATS-2007
April 6 Sneak Attack On Iran
Israel seeks US green light for Iran attack -- report
Are we hours away from war with Iran??

ATS-2008
Massive US naval armada heads for Iran
Military official: Iran digging 320,000 graves for invaders
U.S. Intel: Iran Plans Nuclear Strike On U.S.
Bush Plans On Attacking Iran Before Leaving Office!!! CNN Report!!!

ATS-2009
Iran by December 2010
Israel vs Iran War Definitely before August 2009

ATS-2010
There WILL be war with IRAN!

the war isn't over..... They are still recieving mortar and rocket fire on the installations there.....

Originally posted by earthdude
I venture to say there was never a real war. If it had been a real war, and we won, by somebody surrendering, we would have a celebration. No celebration happened. The innocent people who died will have family members avenging their death for many decades.

Trust me I was there... Twice. It was a "real war" It’s an ongoing war, when US troops Are finally out of Afghan and Iraq, then there will be a celebration.

If what you said about Innocent people avenging Dead Relatives, Then we would not have stopped Combat Operations....


[edit on 2-9-2010 by poedxsoldiervet]