over 100,000 Iraqi dead and no trials of american leaders for this illegal war

C'mon now. While there are certainly Americans who view the actions of the last ten years as "good", there is also certainly a very large percentage of the population who are disgusted and horrifeid by it. Don't generalize.

As far as what's in the history books, well, its up to each and every individual to educate themselves and not have everything spoonfed to them, isn't it.

Uhh, sorry we didn't kill 100,000 Iraqis. I'm sure we killed a bunch but not all of them. Most of them were killed by their own countrymen in the civil war that goes on between the Sunnis and the Shiites. And let's not forget the Taliban. They love to bomb their own as much as they do our soldiers. This war was unconscionable and we accomplished nothing and spent a lot of money doing it. And maybe that's just as big a crime.

This may be one of the few occupations/wars in recent history that has been effectively ended by the new government.

Basically, the new government has become strong enough demand that it will only accept a continued US presence if it can prosecute the troops for actions it deems criminal.

In response, we have withdrawn our troops.

...no nation could conduct effective military action while being subject to external authority of this nature.

Like it or not, there are reasons that the military is allowed to judge its own, and the public is rarely given the authority to do so: War is ugly.

Civilian laws and norms are often not achievable.

related reading:

http://www.military.com/news/article/iraq-may-end-legal-immunity-for-us-troops.html

While our military is often active in small conflicts throughout the world, any predictions about where the next big conflict will be?

...surely someplace needs what will be called "democracy".

Smart folks know that if you want to prevent the next war, you need to focus on getting the equipment, not the troops, back to the US.

After all, personnel can be put in place in days. Equipment and supplies for the personnel takes much longer...

Let me know when you see the APCs and tanks return to the US; that is when we may have a peaceful period.

Without the equipment coming home, it is safe to say they are merely staged for the next conflict.

P.S. Once the last widow of World War II and Korea is deceased, we will finally close our bases in Okinawa and Korea.

Word has it some will be bound for Australia, but still other overseas bases may be closed entirely.

nothing new about it.

Although this time, I don't expect it to work very well or for very long.

...it is going to take folks a while to realize that we are no longer the referee; we are merely a player in a game with very few refs.

As long as the human race lives there will always be war. War is based on possession. Whether it's for resources, race, ethnicity, religion, lifestyle, wife & kids, etc. Ideology makes a convenient accompaniment.

Idlewild said:

As long as the human race lives there will always be war. War is based on possession. Whether it's for resources, race, ethnicity, religion, lifestyle, wife & kids, etc. Ideology makes a convenient accompaniment.

well said