If all your preceding paragraphs point out how much the US valued the geographic power and central striking ability proffered up by Iraqi land, who on earth should the US pull out? Because of 2500 casualties in several years? Because you buy-into socialist-european sponsored rhetoric about the US losing allies?.............

My thesis was not about the merit of the Bush plan, good or bad. It was how they bungled it through sheer stupidity. And as for your last sentence, yes, I have stopped beating my wife.

Any military-minded strategist would say the lands acquired in Iraq are worth far more. And these lands, bases and capabilities can only be maintained with a US presence...................

The strategic value of a conquered foreign country is pretty much diluted when you are constantly fighting an insurgency just to be able to stay there.

The race to evacuate held territory so centrally located in the worlds oldest global troublespot would be unbelievably foolish - bordering on criminal............................

I'm sure Hitler felt the same way about the Ukraine.

Who wants the US out? I certainly don't. The US was in sovereign Germany for fifty years. So what? Our presence was beneficial to both Europe and specifically Germany and now many Germans miss the money the US brought to their cities once the US started pulling out a few years ago. The US presence in Iraq will have the same influence on culture and life there. US servicemen and women get to know Iraqis and vice-versa. Germans are still wearing jeans, listening to rock and roll and drinking Coca-Cola (& that awful tasting Fanta) thanks to the US influence........................

In order, first, what you want doesn't matter. Second, our occupations of Germany and Japan were carefully prepared and planned for, way ahead of time. Nothing like this was set up for a post-war Iraq. Third, our contributions to world civilization, Coke, rock, and Levis, spread into every country effortlessly without the need for armed invasion. Besides, if our cultural superiority is so welcomed by our vanquished enemies, why did the Germans stab us in the back in the UN over Iraq. You can't have it both ways.

Few mention this cultural influence the US has around its global bases, but it is a huge influence on these nations. Like it or not Germany has been Americanized. Iraq is no different and as the next decade rolls out we will see inroads in the youth that grow up in Iraq. Less religious indoctrination, more tolerance and firsthand knowledge of foreigners - and their freedoms...................................

I've been in some of those bases, Naha, Subic, Yokosuka, Sasebo,"Hey sailor, I love you no shit, buy me dlink!" Right, they really love us there.

Terrorists and guerrillas fear most this unspoken influence in the Middle East. They fear losing a generation of would-be jihadists to the world of video games, mp3s, blogs and healthy relationships........................

Believe it or not, I agree with you on this completely.

The war in Iraq has already been won. It was won when they pulled down the statues of Saddam in Baghdad. The whole region is now subject to this internal change and that's why Iran is flailing and kicking. Now our presence alone acts as the slow & steady catalyst for change, reform, tolerance and modern cultural evolution in an arrested development region kowtowed by Islam, inbred mating practices and low literacy rates.............................

The war will be won when the enemy no longer has the capability to resist. That is the military's definition of victory. We ain't quite there yet. Not even close.

Folks who want the US out, generally, are either politically motivated US-haters or are uninformed and simply don't realize the HUGE influence & good the US has done for the world - via occupation..............

I am not a politically motivated US-hater, in fact, I happen to love this country. I also am quite well informed. I don't expect you're going to accept that no matter what I say, so I'm not going to bother to try. As for the benefits of US occupation, they are mixed, they have been good for some countries, tragic for others, but you could say that about the Romans, too.

And one more thing, if you disagree with me, fine. I've been known to be wrong, sometimes I've even admitted it. If you want to argue, great, I love to mix it up. But don't ever talk to me again in the tone you adopted in this letter. Next time I'm not going to answer and you'll wind up just screaming at yourself.