Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

Either
1) The majority of troops STILL believe Iraq was involved in 9/11

or
2) The majority of troops believe that retaliating against Iraq was a rational response to 9/11

or
3) Both

Let me demonstrate why that is a problem.

When President Bush and Prime Minister Blair were asked if they believed there was a link between Saddam and 9/11 they stood shoulder to shoulder in the same room, on the same day, at the same time and gave the same response to that question... they said "No."

If it was simply a question of believing something that is known to be false... that wouldn't be news.  It might not even be a problem.  It might even be funny.  Of course it's only funny until someone gets hurt.  Which brings me to my next point.

2,986 people were killed by terrorists on 9/11.
2,310 American troops have been killed in Iraq since we invaded in March 2003.
At the present mortality rate, we will pass the 2,986 number shortly before Christmas (somewhere between 12/14 and 12/21).

That means that our Christmas gift to ourself this year is going to be the loss of MORE men and women in Iraq than we lost on 9/11.  

No one who is sane questions the importance of protecting the US from international terrorists. What people like me have been saying since BEFORE we invaded is that pouring valuable resources into Iraq will NOT do that.

If people are making that sacrifice under the mistaken notion that there is some relationship between the two, we have a serious problem. It means we are going to keep making that mistake for a looooong time.