Comments from Hessam Khaleeli

I do not think the United States can leave Iraq really. Its a fight the United States picked, and must see through.

But what the US does not understand is it is not the fight with guns that counts. The real fight is in rebuilding the nation. Free and fair elections and new constitutions, however glorious, do not solve the problems of the man on the street. The United States needs a Marshall Plan for Iraq. It needs to show the Iraqi population it is, despite what people in the Middle East think, not an occupation force, but a force of freedom. This means freeing people from the miseries of daily life, not from the miseries of some political entity.

The real troubling fact in Iraq is that two years on, life in Iraq was still better under Saddam Hussein. Despite the sanctions and the bombings in the 90s, life was better then. And then the US comes in and destroys everything while saying "we bring freedom." Who the fuck cares would be my reply. I have no water, I have no electricity, and I have no security of life or property. Saddam lost the battle, but with the US bogged down in the military conflict, and forgetting about the "hearts and minds" of Iraqis, Saddam is winning the war!

America is the bad guy because all they have done is destroy. An Iraqi face on American controlled politics in Iraq will not help. The people know who is in charge and will place the blame as such. Food, water, schools, hospitals... this is the real battle field. If the US shows it is going to help the people of Iraq with these things, not just a constitution - that let's be honest, does nothing for the man on the street - it can and will still win this war.