It didn’t help that I had one of your previous comments in mind:

I’ve been wary about the idea that an immediate withdrawal - cutting and running - from Iraq is a good idea.

It also didn’t help that I do believe war is hell and that the sorts crimes taking place in Iraq do happen and were predicted; the very reason the Nuremburg Tribunal concluded:

To initiate a war of aggression … is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.

Anyway, once again, apologies Russell.

P.S. for anyone interested here’s a good essay on immediate withdrawal by Michael Schwartz.

Perhaps I could have been clearer, and called it the “‘war is hell’ argument”. Or the “shit happens” argument.

What I meant was that I’m over being told by people that this sort of stuff just happens in wars, nothing to see here, move along, etc …

FWIW, I don’t think things can begin to improve in Iraq until the occupying forces depart (perhaps - seriously - with some civil infrastructure tasks being taking up by a UN-mandated force). That said, I fear that that just means handing things over to a hardline Shia political majority. It’s a mess.

Cheers,
RB