I think it is a good thing that now we as Americans are debating the conduct of our leaders in thier choice conflcit in Iraq.  However, I am somewhat put off by the timidness in words and phrases used to discribe the justification and motives for the act itself.  If one listens to the debate, even the dissenters are not giving righteous meaning the way the American people were sold into using military force in Iraq.  Somehow, when I listen to the debate, I see that ALL sides use the words and phrases that those who support this conflict most often use, and that it implies that we had a legal and noble cause to invade Iraq that somehow went wrong that placed us in this dark time we must deal with now.

We seem, as Americans to often be afraid to admit we were fooled into this conflict.  Somehow, our misplaced pride blinds us from the frankness we need to have in admiting that there is a problem and we must deal with it.  We continue to coddle our language as not to offend ourselves and those who think like us, and more so, not to outwardly admit that we were wrong in supporting this foolish venture because we belived those who used fear to convince us.  I know, I am one of those who belived it, and honestly, more than most of you who write in this forum, I should have known better.  One day though, I stood faced with stark naked reality, with no choice than to admit that I was fooled.  I admit, it is not pretty, but it is honest. 

I noticed that we have many of these kinds of issues in America.  We talk vaguely about issues, with spineless, half-hearted terms and call it debate.  We are afraid to be frank, honest, and to tell ALL of the truth because we are afriad to "offend" someone or some group.  We seem to have to be on the propaganda wagon, or angry because we have to walk behind it.  To me, this kind of half assed tactic is not debate, but complicity by aiding those who support lying, cheating, thievery and mental terrorism by changing the arguement from it's root causes into a vague ideological rant that has no solid basis, and masks the original problem.  We give those who benefit from keeping us in the dark happy by providing the veil they use to cover our face from the truth.  I somehow belive that alot of the problems we have in America have festered so long because we have not been able to lay all the burdens on the alter, and deal with them honestly, openly, and frankly.  In my opinion, we need to use the tools that free expression has given us, and in dealing with our problems, there should be no sacred cows.

We have let our leaders get away with much over the past 6 years.  They have tied our hands and vieled our eyes to thier doings.  They have used tactics that quite frankly have ranged from "just plain wrong" to outright evil, treasonous, and inhumane to promote, and execute this conflcit in Iraq, and now are threatening to broaden it's boundries to other nations with the same rhetoric and propaganda that fooled us and feared us before.  They have abused human and civil rights, and constitutional guarantees that they fooled us into giving up for the sake of safety, and have wrapped all of thier justifications in the ideals of patriotism, freedom and righteousness.  It is time that those in our leadership talk in terms that get the point across to the American people that this conflict was illegal, unjust, and was not necessary in the first place.  Everything after that is a result of this. 

You have to ask yourself, who really is the terrorist here.  Well, let me put it another way.  You already know what groups like al Quieda will do.  They don't hide thier hatred, nor thier evil intent towords us.  They tell us they hate us and will kill us on sight...period...without question. (yep, even me)  But as the song says "...smiling faces sometimes pretend to be your friend...Smiling faces hide the evil that lerks within..."

Remember, the only friend the emperor had in the end, was the child that told him he was naked.   The truth is our friend.  Where ya at ??!!

Assalamu 'alaykum

Zanubiyah