End the War in Iraq

Seven years have passed since U.S. troops began combat in the Iraq War. The war has wasted countless American lives, and billions of American dollars.

Supporters of continued military action in Iraq say that the troop surge is working and the insurgents are being defeated. They say that continued U.S. presence there is necessary to make sure the democratic government in Iraq will continue. While there may be some advantages to keeping our military in Iraq, the benefits of pulling out our troops hold more weight.

Over 4,300 Americans have died in Iraq, and the War itself has cost Americans over $723 billion. The U.S. is currently spending over $90 billion each year to sustain the Iraq War. Instead of "liberators", U.S. troops have become "occupiers" in the eyes of Iraqis. The longer we keep U.S. troops in Iraq, the more the Iraqis will view the U.S. as an occupying force. For every U.S. bomb that kills an innocent Iraqi child, for every prisoner who is abused, more and more Iraqis resent the U.S. and our presence in their country.

President Obama should continue to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq and end a war that is wasting our money, and more importantly a generation of young U.S. soldiers.