I've got a couple of opinions about the whole Iraq thing. First, I suspect that the Bush administration decided to invade Iraq for a variety of reasons. Not simply because of WMDs, but not just for oil, either. People who claim one reason or the other as absolute are being naive.

Once they decided to make a move against Iraq, they knew they had to sell it. They did this primarily through the threat of WMDs. The case that they put forth was probably exaggerated, but then nearly every claim made by a political figure is either exaggerated or, at the very least, phrased in a way that is intended to make it support that figure's stance on the issue in question. It seems likely that the Bush administration felt like there was a real threat, but had no good gauge on the size or immediacy of the threat. The analysts provided a spectrum of possibilites based on the intelligence available and the Bush administration used the worst case scenarios for their attempt to sell the attack. I doubt that they blatantly lied to us. I don't doubt that they knowingly gave us only the worst possibilities presented by the intelligence available.

Having said all that, let me also say that none of it really matters anymore. The fact of the matter is that we've seized the country and removed Hussein from power. Having been in Iraq during the first Gulf War, I think that's a good thing, regardless of the administration's stated reasons for doing it.

I was an infantry paratrooper in the 82d Airborne Division. It's why I now live in North Carolina just outside of Fort Bragg. I just never left after I got out of the service. I worry about 'the troops' as much as anyone, believe me. Several of my friends and buddies from my old unit are over there now. Some have been injured, at least one is dead. Still, I don't think it's time for us to be bringing troops back just yet. Pulling out now would be throwing away all that we've accomplished so far. People like to point out that Iraq is in chaos, they say that it's too dangerous to have our soldiers there. Can you imagine what it'd be like without us there trying to hold things together?

I want to see my buddies come home. I know that they want to come home. I also know that most of them don't want to leave the job half finished. If we do, and Iraq slides back into the kind of tyranny that we've seen in the past, then we really will have failed, no matter what the original reason was for going. At this point, I'd say that we owe the Iraqi people something. We're responsible for the upheaval in their country and we need to do everything that we can to get them back on their feet.

I'm glad that we caught Saddam and I hope that his capture helps to bring the end of our time in Iraq a little closer. I'm disappointed that Bush & his gang stretched the truth about things like they did, but as I said before, I've seen Iraq and Saddam's removal from power is enough of a good thing that I can probably forgive Bush for his over zealous use of questionable intelligence. If, however, American political maneuvering, liberal activists, outspoken Hollywood celebrities, or even just well meaning concern for our troops manages to bring us back before it's time, then I'll be sorely disappointed in both Bush and American behaviour in general.