Iraq and Homeland Security

I always felt that at best, the Iraq war has nothing to do with fighting terrorism. I don't think anyone but the most loyal Republican Yes Man can argue with that. To say I'd rather being fighting terrorists over there then here at home is ignorant BS. The terrorists we are fighting in Iraq will never come here. They are only terrorizing for local reasons. If we had never gone there, those terrorists would not exist. As soon as we leave, the terrorists will either stop terrorizing or will start terrorizing the new Iraqi regime. And while we are wasting our resources in Iraq, the real threats are free to increase their strength.

By attacking Iraq, we became the bullies. We gave people a valid reason to hate us. It causes middle of the road people that would be indifferent to the US to be against us. In other words, such tactics increase our enemies and makes existing enemies stronger. So the war in Iraq makes us Less Secure against terrorism. That's my opinion, one which I can't really back up with facts. (Although I think such facts do exist, just not available to armchair quarterbacks like myself.)

The recent hurricane points out a more concrete example of how the war in Iraq increases our danger and undermines homeland security. Because of that foolish war, our first responders and National Guard troops are stuck in a desert on the other side of the world instead of taking care of our own people at home. We Are able to pull in resources from other states and get enough people on the ground. But that took an extra week or two. If the National Guard in Louisiana and Mississippi had been at full strength, could the worst of the disaster been avoided? Could the Hell on Earth that is occurring in New Orleans been avoided?