The Senate and the House both passed a bill that calls for all US troops pulled out by 2008. Both Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Bush promised the American public that Congress and the White House would work together. However, both the White House and democrats in Congress have taken the wrong steps when it comes to nation-building in Iraq. If the Bush administration wants to see a stable Iraqi government, and if the democrats want US troops out of Iraq- there needs to be successful reconstruction. Sadly, Iraq was in better shape before the US invaded the country. Although the infrastructure was poor to begin with, constant air strikes and fighting within Shia and Sunni neighborhoods have further deteriorated the Iraqi infrastructure. The main reason why the US is still in Iraq is because the Bush administration wants to see more Sunnis involved in the Iraqi government, and the Mahdi army out of power. The Iraqis will support the US' efforts if it starts to rebuild much of the lost infrastructure in Iraq. The State Department and the Pentagon have been working separately to fund individual projects to help rebuild Iraqi infrastructure. With the State Department and the Pentagon now working together as of last week, there is hope for successful reconstruction in Iraq. If Speaker Pelosi and President Bush deliver the bipartisanship they promised, Congress and the White House should be working together to reconstruct Iraq so that there is a stable Iraq, and so that US troops can withdraw as soon as a bulk of the reconstruction is complete.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
With all the talk about the Iraq bill and presidential veto. They are losing time and allowing our soldiers to remain in Iraq. It is great that Bush wants to reconstruct Iraq, but at what cost,soldiers life. It is evident that Bush has led to a bloody war which once started between the US and Hussein, has now evolved to total carnage between neighboring groups who want control of Iraq government. The bill which is said will cut funding to Iraq soldiers, to my belief this is ludicrous. If we are not able to put an end to these terrorist groups as well as these neighboring groups from their governmental fight, we are looking at a civil war as well as government so in turmoil that it has no possibility of succeeding without the US help. We were able to get rid of a tyrant, we cannot let it happen again. The highest possibility that Iraq will continue with a tyrant government is now, it is th US job to fix what it has broken. The US must find a way t gather all these neighboring groups to join together and talk to each other about the way they would like their government set up. They shouldn't be following the US type of governing, as Bush wants to implement. Their values, beliefs and culture are different then ours. What has worked for us for hundreds of years does not necessarily work for them. It is time to fix what Bush has broken. And mend these international wound Bush has implemented in what he called the "enemy."
You make an excellent point. The US must stay in Iraq. Since the Iraqi government has already been formed, Maliki simply needs to reshuffle his cabinet. It is wrong for the US to try and set up a US-style liberal democracy in Iraq. The majority of the people in Iraq want political freedom and are fine with the US helping Maliki's fledgling government. To much dismay- Nouri al-Maliki's government has been reluctant to include more Sunnis in the Iraqi government. Once the Sunnis have more political power, more moderates will arise from the Sunni insurgency. The US should begin negotiating with the Sunni insurgents to show Nouri al-Maliki that we are committed to the development of political pluralism.