Tom,

"Bloggers" are a very innaccurate source of information. Fact is, there are millions of Iraqis who oppose their country's occupation by U.S. forces. This is why its been so easy for the insurgency to recruit so many willing suicide bombers. They have a near endless supply of fundamentalists willing to be "martyred." And the recent news about additional abuse of Moslem prisoners in U.S. custody in Afghanistan only feeds the frenzy and invites more to their ranks.

All of this was easily predicted simply by observing the prolonged 50 years of violence between the Palestinians and Israelis. The only difference there is that we don't have U.S. troops smack dab in the middle of it.

We are going to be in Iraq watching our soldiers killed and billions spent for a very, very long time. Meanwhile, here in the United States, we can't afford to meet our own needs. Social Security and Medicare are tanking. Our vital transportation infrastructure is failing in many locations. Many of our communities can no longer afford to build and operate their own local jails and have to let criminals loose. Homelessness is an increasing affliction in our urban centers. Gasoline prices have skyrocketed. Many Americans can't afford basic health care services. Methamphetamine manufacturing is now one of our most prolific rural enterprises. Many mentally ill individuals are no longer able to access treatment. Meanwhile the federal deficit has hit records levels. Its a despicable condition of national neglect while we waste our rare and endangered national resources on a population of people who have been engaged in sectarian violence for eons...people who aren't particularly grateful for our interference in the first place.