The end of the Iraq War has finally occurred, in the sense of combat operations! 🙂
After seven years, five months, the third longest war in US History, after Vietnam and the ongoing Afghanistan War, the American government is leaving that country at a time when political turmoil is worse than it is in this nation, and one wonders what has been gained! 🙁
We have spent $700 billion, lost 4, 415 men and women, and over 32,000 wounded, many severely in physical and mental ways! 🙁
The war was based on false intelligence, manipulation of the truth, bad motivations, and effects many of which are not yet known! 🙁
It seems to many that the winner has been the nation of Iran, which no longer has to worry about its neighbor being a counter balance to them, and Iran remains a much greater threat now than it has ever been! 🙁
The question arises as to whether Israel will decide that Iran is a threat with its development of nuclear capability, and will therefore, decide to intervene militarily as it did in Iraq in 1981 and Syria in 2007!
And the question will arise as to how the United States will deal with such an eventuality, and whether we will decide we must intervene in any conflict that occurs, and how that will affect the whole Middle East!
So while celebrating the end of the combat mission in Iraq, we must remain sober as to the effects it has had, and will continue to have in the future! 🙁