Now that I-Raq has been handed back to it's people.

[nedflanders]

Surely it is time for all the anti war protestors to stand up and admit that they were wrong after all the war has been an overwhelming success story for the coalition. come on everyone just admit you were wrong !

[derbyram]

Kind of depends on your definition of 'success'.

Removing Saddam? Mission accomplished Reducing the threat of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism? Nope Bringing Democracy to a totalitarian state? Not yet Improving the lives of the Iraqi population? In some small enclaves then possibly yes but on the whole this is far from a success story yet.

[bernardo]

No they won't. The fact that the war for the libneration of Iraq (not I-Raq, as you put it) was going to be a success was obvious from long before it started. Any normal logical sensible person would have supprted the war wholeheartedly all the way through. The only people who opposed the war are those who (a) prefer people to live under hideous dictatorships, and who would therefore not regard it as a success anyway, or (b) are incapable of rational thought and logic, and are therefore incapable of recognising, let alone admitting, that they were wrong.

[TommyC]

Hmmm... 634 American and over 50 British servicemen dead as at this morning, and rising with every new bombing and sniper shooting; upwards of 2000 Iraqi soldiers dead, and at least the same number of Iraqi civilians; a fanatical hardcore of fundamentalists still at large in Iraq happily blowing up anyone and anything - themselves included, as reprisal for invasion of (to them) a holy Muslim territory; Iraq's own civilian police service now set to be the main new target once the Americans finally pull out (which as a matter of fact still isn't scheduled to happen before this time next year); and all the indications of more major al-Qaeda attacks still to come in the west. Personally, that's not my idea of "overwhelming success".

[bernardo]

It is when you compare it with the alternative, which is Saddam Hussein still in power torturing and murdering hundreds of thousands of people, and threatening the development of WMDs for future use against Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Jordan and/or Israel.

[cobweb]

And the award for humanitarian of the year goes to......

[cobweb]

Do nedflanders and kos share the same brain(cell) ???

[sft42]

As so often on the 'bank there are no shades of grey only black or white......The truth lies somewhere in the middle of all the views.....

Should Saddam have been removed from power...Yes, he was a evil dicator who killed his own countrymen for his own ends and used chemical weapons.

Were Bush and Blair wrong for using WMD as a diversionary tactic to authorise a war?.....Yes, though the ends may well have been justified they lied and fabricated evidence and twisted the democratic processes in both countries to use their armed forces to remove a foreign nations leader.

When the dust settles in a few years will the war be seen as a good thing?.....Who knows....if you have lost a loved one as a direct result of a war that was chasing it's own tail from day one you would perhaps say no....if you were a Kurd in Northern Iraq you may be persuaded to say yes now that you seemingly have a democartic nation.....huge changes in the politics of such a large region are never going to be a smooth process but lets hope that, given time, it works out well for the people of that part of the world.

[nedflanders]

My sarcasm and wit is wasted on youse lot ! Firstly I-Raq was a pi$$ take of how George W would pronounce it. Secondly I was stating sarcastically that the war was a success. I was right behind the pro war arguments as regulars will know but I have to admit that it has been a bit of a disaster.

[bernardo]

You've got me confused now - why were you "stating sarcastically that the war was a success" when in fact it was a real success and not a sarcastic success?

[nedflanders]

because bernado I do not agree with you ! I thought it would be a success well over a year ago but now I have changed my mind. Whilst I agree that we have removed a maddas from power I think that with the current situation over there with regards to suicide bombings etc. the price has been very high and no WMD have been found (which I assumed would have been found quickly if there was any). If TB had sold the war on human rights issues nobody would have argued with him.

[spiff]

What has happened,has happened.Nothing can detract from that. I think it matters little to the people of Iraq which stance the population of "the west" took. To them the state of their country/culture/stability is a very real and tangible thing.To me,a kind of "Marshall Plan" is needed.The people of any country or state (us included) wish for stability. Take that away,and hell breaks loose.

[miranda_123]

No.just go and see michael moore's new film, that should put you right..its much more complicated than a simple 'right' or 'wrong'..

[Kaiyatep]

Tommy C Said it right. 6,000 dead Iraqi's and still rising! Liberation? More like OCCUPATION. NEDFLANDERS get your facts straight before you come on here apologising for our government's policy of BLOOD for OIL.

[nedflanders]

HELLO ! I said I was being sarcastic !

[stevie21]

If TB had sold the war on human rights issues nobody would have argued with him Possibly not, but he would then have to justify going to war with Iraq, but not with a long list of other human rights foulers.

[tvanwinkle]

The main question here and was before the war. Do we wait around for the next terror attempt? Which countries land mark would have been next. The point here is that there was a clear aggressor to not only to his own people but the countries around him that had to be dealt with. Lets see if your singing this pity party when you become the next victim of such atrocities. Pull your panties up and get on with life already

[tvanwinkle]

(Quote: No.just go and see michael moore's new film, that should put you right..its much more complicated than a simple 'right' or 'wrong'..) Michael Moore is seen as the village idiot in the US. It's best to watch this documentary but do your re-search after words. You will find that most of what is spoken about is rubbish.