We need to get our soldiers out. But then we need to make up for the fact that we smashed their country -- a country run by a crappy dictator, but one in which people had the necessities of life, in which a woman could hope to go to university and become anything she wanted to become, a country in which Islam was practiced as a religion and not a form of government -- in short, a functioning state. We smashed it to bits and we owe them more than an apology. Let them put their own house back in order and then let us give them whatever they need for the furtherance of the lives and careers of their young people who've had -- at least at the moment -- their futures stolen from them by Bush's unconscionable invasion. This is what we should be talking about: how to make it up to the Iraqis for what we've done. Keeping our soldiers there isn't helping; unfortunately it's up to them to put things back together. But then, we really have to open our hearts and our wallets to them.

Bull. The Baathist government was functional only in the way any kleptocracy functions. People were only treated decently if they were a Sunni or useful to the regime. What we found when we took over was a crumbling infrastructure and services that could hardly warrant the name.

Though I'm sure you admired it quite a bit, it was a basketcase before we invaded.

Unluckily for you, we won, so while we will continue to help rebuild the country, it won't be called reparations. As you undoubtedly know from your lifelong study of history, reparations are paid by the losers.

Dude we've already wasted gazillions on that money pit.

We made best efforts to repair the country. We need to get out sooner so we can stop wasting money. Federal deficit is already too high.

This article by Kaplan (and this comment) seem to assume that money is no object.

If there hadnt been any resistance their country wouldnt have been "smashed to bits". If anything, we ought to to be entitled to a portion of their oil earnings- or simply some of their oil fields- to pay the taxpayers back for this war. Our govt owes everything to our own taxpayers and NOTHING to Iraqis. If you think that reparations out to be paid then get out your own checkbook and write a check to your favorite charity that may help Iraq. you bleeding heart weakling

bill sullivan:

you bleeding heart weakling

Bill actually means "You human being with a conscience;" don't take it personally.

Your ignorance astonishes me.

And you lack of unity with YOUR OWN COUNTRYMEN astounds me. Move to Iraq!