We must end our military presence as soon as possible; pack our equipment and go. Our responsibility now is to the men and women who served in Iraq. Our government has a responsibility to treat those who served better than they are now being treated. Their physical, psychological and emotional wounds must be properly cared for. Those who have lost family members in Iraq must be helped. We should give whatever realistic and non-corrupt aid we can to the people of Iraq who have suffered because of our invasion. In any event, our military presence there must end.

We should scale back the size of our embassy in Iraq, and establish our presence in a facility more reflective of our future normalized relationship with the Iraqi goverenment.

The war in Iraq was based on false information; quite possibly on lies and /or deceptions. Whatever the reasons given, the war was ill-conceived and wrong, with disatrous results - for us and Iraq, and for our position in the world as a champion of liberty and freedom. The area is more dangerous now than when we invaded and occupied it. We destroyed a regime hated by our direct enemies, the jihadists, and created thousands of new recruits for them. This war has cost more than 4,000 American lives, many thousands more seriously wounded, an untold number of Iraqi dead and wounded and hundreds of billions of dollars - possibly several trillions of dollars in the final accounting. This war has destroyed our economy. Everyday we do more harm to the stability and infrastructure of Iraq, and the middle east in general, than we do good - blowing up neighborhoods and killing residents is not constructive. We must have new leadership in the Congress to ensure we return to a rule of law. We must once again be the "good guys," if we are to have any moral strength among the nations of the world.

First we destroy Iraq and are asked to pay for it. Then we repair Iraq and are asked to pay for that. Meanwhile, our own bridges, levees, highways and rail system are crumbling because of a lack of funding. Our military equipment will have to be re-built and replaced at tremendous cost. Missles, tanks, MRAP’s (Mine Resistant Ambush Protective vehicles), hum-vees and the fuel for transporting and running everything - all are expensive. Long term medical care is expensive.
The cost would not be the point if the invasion had been necessary to our national defense. But again, it wasn't!

Both Jefferson and Washington warned us about entangling ourselves in the affairs of other nations. Today, we have troops in 130 countries. We are spread so thin that we have too few troops defending America. Our wars are being fought by our mercenary all-volunteer army, and American and foreign mercenaries working as contractors. Were our Armed Forces drawn from our citizenry, there would be much more vocal opposition to this war by those about to be called up for active duty. War is to be reserved as a last resort for national defense when all else fails; and the responsibility for carrying out war should be the burden of all Americans. Our recent wars have been for self-defense, in name only. The founding fathers warned us about mercenary armies where soldiers are paid to fight the enemies of those paying their salaries; one of the tools used by the English King in his colonial war against us.

We cannot continue to fund and fight no-win police actions around the globe, and secure America. We must bring the troops home. No war should ever be fought without a declaration of war voted upon by the Congress, as required by the Constitution.

Under no circumstances should the U.S. again go to war as the result of a resolution that comes from an unelected, foreign body, such as the United Nations.

Too often, in the name of cloudy short term goals, we give foreign aid and intervene on behalf of governments that are despised. In turn, we become despised. There are very real reasons why Iran opposes us. From an Iranian point of view, their anger and mistrust is very understandable. Too often we have supported those who turn on us, like the Kosovars who aid Islamic terrorists, or the Afghan jihadists themselves, and their friend Osama bin Laden. We armed and trained them, and now we’re paying the price.

At the same time, we must not isolate ourselves. The generosity of the American people has been felt around the globe. Many have thanked us for it in many languages. Let us have a strong America, conducting open trade, travel, communication, and diplomacy with other nations.