War not worth the cost of human lives

It has been nearly five years since the United States invaded Iraq. While I remember the start of the war, I cannot see an end in sight.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, approximately 4,000 American soldiers have been killed since the start of the war, and trillions of dollars ($11 billion per month, to be more precise) have been spent on our country’s goal to establish a democracy in Iraq.

We are all continuously informed of the costs and consequences of going to war with the Middle Eastern country; however, we know little about the advancements our soldiers have made in this war. President Bush and his administration assure the public that we are making progress in stabilizing Iraq, but what does that really mean in terms of our initial motivation to occupy Iraq?

We are told that the violence has been down for awhile now as a result of President Bush’s troop surge last year, but in comparison to what? Having more soldiers in Iraq to decrease the sectarian violence will only cause more casualties in the end.

Since Sen. John McCain has secured the Republican nomination, there is still a chance that the Iraq War will be prolonged for several more years. People have begun making the point that the war has surpassed the duration of U.S. involvement in World War II. It won’t be long before we start hearing people compare the length of the Iraq War to Vietnam.

McCain stated on TheHill.com that there would be a disastrous outcome if we withdrew the troops. His plan is to keep them there until Iraq is “stabilized,” something that has still yet to be defined in a specific manner.

Congressional testimony by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker in April will determine whether or not the current war policy is working. Even if their report states that the policy is failing though, the administration can conveniently interpret it in different ways or choose to ignore the general’s advice and continue to “stay the course,” as Bush has done in years past.

Although I support and commend the troops and veterans who are serving in this war, I do not believe we will ever reach our goal in Iraq. If we are going to be left in the dark about the progress of a war that does not have clearly defined purposes, then it is not worth human lives and an increasing national debt.