War in Iraq: This Mothers Opinion

On Monday September 13th, CBS Evening news showed an angry Iraqi crowd holding a dead infant over their heads. The infant died as a direct result of a building collapse, due to military strike on insurgents. CBS also had footage of screaming children in hospital receiving treatment for various wounds.

We have been in Iraq for 18 months. We have captured Saddam Hussein, killed his sons and toppled his regime. We have given Iraq back to the people. At what cost? What cost to the Iraqis, who didn't ASK for liberation? What cost to the American armed forces, with over 1000 lost to date?

We went to Iraq to find weapons of mass destruction, on false information from the CIA, and harsh words and strong language from our president. When the WMD's were not found, the focus became finding Saddam and his sons and bringing them to justice for crimes they committed against the Iraqi people. Then, things changed again, "there is a connection between Saddam and Osama" although no such evidence existed.

Iraq is a mess.

We have lost over 1000 troops. I know, on September 11th, 2001, 4000 Americans died when the twin towers collapsed. Was Iraq and Saddam responsible for those horrific acts? The answer is NO. Did we really have a right to go over there and tear up their country and kill innocent people?

As a Muslim woman and a mother it breaks my heart to see what I saw on television last night. To me, it really brought home how horrible and senseless this war really is. We have no idea how many innocents have died in this. We know how many soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice; that is really the only number the media hammers home to us nightly.

I think that it is time that we see the coffins coming home. It is time that we see more of what I saw on CBS last night: injured children in hospitals crying. Mothers wailing over dead children and family members. Without these images we're only seeing a portion of the true Iraq war.

There are some people who say that showing those images would anesthetize the American public. I think we already are anesthetized--this senseless war is still going on. We are being bullied by scare tactics of the Bush administration, in the name of safety and security. How safe are the Iraqis? How secure? How will this situation be resolved? I don't think anyone knows how to resolve the situation. There truly is no end in sight.

This war is good for the president, and good for Dick Cheney and his Halliburton cronies. That seems to be it. Troops are going over there with out proper body armor, Iraqi neighborhoods are being leveled. Our country is billions in debt, and most of the world hates us. How is this war and Bush policy helping us to build "a safer more hopeful America"?

We are due for a change. In November we have the opportunity to let our voices be heard. We need to remove this administration that doesn't have our best interests at heart. So in November remember: Anybody but Bush.