4242

Patrick Michael Maloney

4242, a wholly insignificant number when looked at on its own, but when cast into a greater context, takes on a much larger meaning. 4242 American troops have died in the 6-year Iraqi war. One must ask the question, for what? What did these 4242 brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, die for? We can console ourselves saying they died for their country, fighting an unseen terror of distant shores. We can also say that in joining the military these brave men and women were well aware of the possible outcome of their decision. We can also say that the world is a better place for their sacrifice, that we, as Americans, are safer than before.
I am, however, not convinced. Much of my contention lies with my belief that military force was unreasonable and unjustifiable in Iraq. Admittedly, there were the makings of possible, years in the future, nuclear capabilities discovered. However, if one examines many of the countries around the world they will discover a situation much like that of Iraq, nuclear materials, but no way to manufacture a nuclear device. This preemptive strike was not merited, but merely the product of bad intelligence and an ever growing fear of terror in the United States. This attack was not the well planned out military operations that have ensued in the past, but a haphazard conglomeration of troops assembled, with no clear exits in sight, to fight a preemptive warfare where preemption was not required.
This war was unjust and the injustice clearly violates the agreement between soldier and nation. A soldier swears to uphold justice and maintain peace, while Iraq was a threat to neither, at least domestically. So how can we justly assert the necessity of the casualties? How do we justify these deaths, knowing that they have been for naught?
Furthermore, how do we justify the 800,000 Iraqi casualties? Has the US really left Iraq in a better situation than before? America ethnocentrically forced democracy on a nation that was unready for such a change. Then left that a nation to tear itself to shreds.
And are we really safer for their sacrifice? We leave in a constant state of fear, our liberties have been stripped away, soldiers have lost their lives, and we torture innocents in Guantanamo Bay, but are we really safer because of all of this or is everything merely a product of the Republican fear mongering in a post 9/11 world?
Sometimes situations like these leave us with more questions than answers, as is the case here. However, despite all the questions that we feel the need to ask of the past, there is only one real question about the future, what do we do now?
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/02/09/soldiers.killed.mosul/index.html