I was wrong.  I should have known in advance that I was wrong - I already knew that the President was incompetent.  What’s worse, I knew smart, experienced people who said I was wrong – that Iraq would be a quagmire, that a country with three angry ethnic groups would be hard to hold together, and that Vietnam showed that even a nation as powerful as ours probably can’t outlast a dedicated terrorist insurgency.  But I didn’t listen to the voices of reason; instead, I followed blind hope and a corrupt, foolish President and supported the war. 

I can now admit my mistake, as can most others who supported this tragedy.  It’s too late to avert disaster, of course, but it is vital that those of us who see Iraq as a mistake (and who finally realize that there is no path to success in that God-forsaken country), come together to end this war. 

We can not win in Iraq.  Those who predicted failure have been proven right at every pass.  Those who have continually predicted improvements have been wrong every single time.  Our troops are dedicated, courageous, and self-sacrificing, but for every terrorist they kill, five more spring up.  Reports now say that Muqtada Al-Sadr (leader of the largest Shia militia) is keeping his militia out of the fight (so that he can take over after we leave), yet Iraq continues to get more violent.  Mass graves are common, and several months into the surge, 60% of Baghdad is still considered unsecured.