Congress is about to get sidetracked again. While Mr. Obey and Mr. Murtha are trying to shine some light on how to end this war, the Bush administration is leaking memos to try and dodge the issue. We should not fall prey to the documents leaked about the Justice Department memos on torture. We will see the headlines in the news for a month about this issue if it is allowed to happen. We should continue to work on ways to end this unnecessary war. No one wants this nation to be seen as one that tortures detainees, but it is not something that Congress should allow to become the Main issue of the day.

  Lets start speaking to this so called war for what it is a conflict not a war. Mr. Rangel was right when he said offering a Draft would aid in bringing this conflict to an end, and now Mr. Murtha and Mr. Obey are right when they speak of ways to pay for this conflict with taxes as an aid to ending this conflict. New polls now show that 43 percent of republicans want funding cut for this conflict. People understand what shared sacrifice is, and will come to understand why a fair tax based on income status is right. Though it may never become signed legislation it will serve to move forward the debate. It could serve as a tool to inform the American people why this conflict is not one of much importance to combating Terrorism and thwarting Security threats. This conflict has to be paid for so why push the bill down the road. Future generations did not get us bogged down in Iraq. They should not have to shoulder the expense. This conflict is very expensive mostly due to mismanagement and ignorance on how costly it would be to prosecute an occupation while contracting out vital services and security (Halliburton and Blackwater).

  It would have taken more soldiers in the beginning to prosecute the occupation successfully. The military is more than just grunt soldiers, there are clerks, supply services, mechanics, engineers, and medical. When most people hear more troops were needed they really don’t get the relevance of the strategy. We could had run the entire occupation with our military assets if we sent enough clerks, supply personnel, military police, medical providers, engineers, but most of all the correct amount of combat soldiers. This kind of planning would have rendered most contracting unnecessary. Without the aspect of long term contracting there would be no need of prolonging the occupation. It probably would have taken about three to four years to accomplish securing the nation. It would have meant building bases and keeping a military presence permanently in the region. However the mess we are facing now would have been avoided. President Bush chose to listen to the wrong people in the planning stage (people thinking about padding their pockets), and not those who truly knew how to execute and successfully bring to end major conflicts. Let us not be deceived by those who have agendas. We must stay on the backs of congress forcing them to do what’s right for our nation, our future, and our people.