Do you concider the Iraq War to be "Over"?

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Just wanted to see some opinions.

Can someone add a "It's Not Over" Option? I accidently excluded that.

[King]

In the end, nobody wins in war. [/cliche]

[Bo]

No, the Iraq War will be over on December 31, 2011. We won in a military sense, but not really in a political (or fiscal) sense, since Saddam wasn't that much of a threat to us and since we wasted almost a trillion dollars on this pointless war.

[Eraserhead]

There are still 50,000 troops there, so no, not really.

[exopolitician]

Yes, I CONSIDER the war to be over yes. I don't think we "won" or "lost", we scored a huge win overthrowing the Government then capturing Saddam. Other than that, nothing really big. That country has been and will always be unstable, whether we we're there or not.

[opebo]

In the end, nobody wins in war. [/cliche]

The rich do.

[cannonia]

No, the Iraq War will be over on December 31, 2011. We won in a military sense, but not really in a political (or fiscal) sense, since Saddam wasn't that much of a threat to us and since we wasted almost a trillion dollars on this pointless war.

We ended a state of continuous hostility that dated back to the Gulf War.  We toppled a government that backed terrorist groups.  We scared Qaddafi into playing nice (until Obama became President).  Yes, we achieved political aims.

[Mr. Morden]

In a sense, it's been over for a while now.  In another sense, it'll keep going for many years, well after all US troops leave.

[Eraserhead]

No, the Iraq War will be over on December 31, 2011. We won in a military sense, but not really in a political (or fiscal) sense, since Saddam wasn't that much of a threat to us and since we wasted almost a trillion dollars on this pointless war.

We ended a state of continuous hostility that dated back to the Gulf War.  We toppled a government that backed terrorist groups.  We scared Qaddafi into playing nice (until Obama became President).  Yes, we achieved political aims.

We have a pretty hostile relationship with North Korea, Iran, etc. Should we go to war with those countries too? Also, what terrorist groups are you referring to?

[cannonia]

No, the Iraq War will be over on December 31, 2011. We won in a military sense, but not really in a political (or fiscal) sense, since Saddam wasn't that much of a threat to us and since we wasted almost a trillion dollars on this pointless war.

We ended a state of continuous hostility that dated back to the Gulf War.  We toppled a government that backed terrorist groups.  We scared Qaddafi into playing nice (until Obama became President).  Yes, we achieved political aims.

We have a pretty hostile relationship with North Korea, Iran, etc. Should we go to war with those countries too? Also, what terrorist groups are you referring to?

We had open hostilities, airstrikes and such.  And Saddam helped Abu Nidal among others.

[Oakvale]

It's over by any reasonable definition of the word. If you think that leaving support troops behind means that a war hasn't ended, the United States is still at war with Germany.

[Donald Trump’s Toupée]

It's over by any reasonable definition of the word. If you think that leaving support troops behind means that a war hasn't ended, the United States is still at war with Germany.

To be fair, the Korean War isn't technically over, is it?

As for the post: The Iraq War was essentially over when we toppled and then captured Saddam. We removed his regime. The problem has been with the post-war and fighting insurgents.

If Iraq spirals into a mess, Obama will be blamed, not Bush. If Iraq is able to get it's act together and govern itself well, Bush will be praised (in due time), not Obama.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

As for the post: The Iraq War was essentially over when we toppled and then captured Saddam. We removed his regime. The problem has been with the post-war and fighting insurgents.

Well, yes, the US war is over for a while now. War actions stopped there when the last big insurgency, Falludja, fell, other things have mainly been terrorism, and most of terror attacks weren't directed at US. Though sometimes this terrorism might have been treated by war actions as well, but not for a while now apparently, maybe last time it happened it was against Zarqaoui, 

[Devilman88]

No, it's not over

[Donald Trump’s Toupée]

It's not over until Hillary Clinton sings

[J. J.]

"It's Not Over"

It is only over when it is like Germany or Japan today. 

[Bo]

No, the Iraq War will be over on December 31, 2011. We won in a military sense, but not really in a political (or fiscal) sense, since Saddam wasn't that much of a threat to us and since we wasted almost a trillion dollars on this pointless war.

We ended a state of continuous hostility that dated back to the Gulf War.  We toppled a government that backed terrorist groups.  We scared Qaddafi into playing nice (until Obama became President).  Yes, we achieved political aims.

We have a pretty hostile relationship with North Korea, Iran, etc. Should we go to war with those countries too? Also, what terrorist groups are you referring to?

We had open hostilities, airstrikes and such.  And Saddam helped Abu Nidal among others.

The reason we had open hostilities with Iraq was due to disputes over their WMD program. Since Saddam allowed the inspectors to return in late 2002, that threat disappeared. Had the inspectors been allowed to finish their work and certify that there are no WMDs in Iraq, we could have started normalizing relations with Iraq and removing the sanctions that we placed. So, there was a way to end the hostilities with Iraq without starting a war.

http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2004/0309middleeast_indyk.aspx

Also, Libya first offered to disband their WMD program in 1999, before the Iraq War and even before Bush came to power. Libya knew that those sanctions were hurting them and was willing to do whatever it took to remove them. Thus, Libya's WMD program would have ended regardless of whether or not we invaded Iraq.

Was Saddam the only dictator who was sponsoring Palestinian terrorists? Or were other dictators doing the same? Heck, you could claim that the West was indirectly helping to sponsor Palestinian terrorism by giving a lot of aid that ended up in terrorist hands. Anyway, a diplomatic solution could have been found to this problem as well, not to mention that it was more of an Israel concern than an American concern. Besides, terrorism in Israel would have dramatically declined after Arafat's death regardless of whatever or not Saddam was toppled.

And by invading Iraq, we just strengthened Iran's influence in the Middle East and wasted almost a trillion dollars that could have been used to pay down the debt (considering we had a deficit even before the war) or that could have been used to fund social welfare programs for the American people. Thus, my conclusion still is that the Iraq War wasn't worth it and that strategically, we didn't really accomplish much that we wouldn't have accomplished otherwise.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

It's not over and no one won.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Not as long as flag draped caskets keep flowing back home.

[J. J.]

Not as long as flag draped caskets keep flowing back home.

Like Germany and Japan today.

[© tweed]

it's as over as it is going to be for a generation.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

It's not over and no one won.

The first half is correct...the second is incorrect.

Bush, Cheney, the neocons, the oil companies, the state of 'Israel'...they all won big.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Not as long as flag draped caskets keep flowing back home.

Like Germany and Japan today.

J.J., I knew some smart ass would say that but I'm disappointed it's you.  Every time there's a soldier, sailor, airman or marine killed in training etc. anywhere in the world, they get a flag draped coffin.  But it's not the same thing and you know it.

[patrick1]

Not as long as flag draped caskets keep flowing back home.

Like Germany and Japan today.

J.J., I knew some smart ass would say that but I'm disappointed it's you.  Every time there's a soldier, sailor, airman or marine killed in training etc. anywhere in the world, they get a flag draped coffin.  But it's not the same thing and you know it.

Not to minimize those who did die, but we lost more soldiers in the Fort Hood shooting than we have in the last few couple months or so.  This is even more of an Iraqi fight and tragedy right now as witnessed in the bombing of the recruit depot the other day. After all the blood and treasure we spent, I really hope than some semi sane, pluralistic and non corrupt government will win the day.

[Joe Biden 2020]

It's over and we won.