“Coalition forces have encountered serious violence in some areas of Iraq. Our military commanders report that this violence is being insticated by three groups.” ThreeForceViolenceGroupsMilitarySeriousAreasIraqReportsCommandersCoalitions Author:George W. Bush
“There is no military solution to the war in Iraq. Our troops can help suppress the violence, but they cannot solve its root causes. And all the troops in the world won't be able to force Shia, Sunni, and Kurd to sit down at a table, resolve their differences, and forge a lasting peace. In fact, adding more troops will only push this political settlement further and further into the future, as it tells the Iraqis that no matter how much of a mess they make, the American military will always be there to clean it up.” WorldWarMatterFactsHelpingAblePoliticalForceCausesDifferencesViolenceMilitarySolutionsRootsTablesCleanIraqSolveMessLastingResolveTroopsSettlementOur TroopsRoot CauseKurdsAmerican MilitaryShia Author:Barack Obama
“American mission in Iraq is clear: We're hunting down the terrorists. We're helping Iraqis build a free nation that is an ally in the war on terror. We're advancing freedom in the broader Middle East. We are removing a source of violence and instability and laying the foundation of peace for our children and our grandchildren.” ChildrenWarHelpingNationsClearViolenceMiddleSourceOur ChildrenFoundationIraqTerrorMissionsEastTerroristAlliesHuntingMiddle EastGrandchildrenAdvancingWar On TerrorInstability Author:George W. Bush
“The work in Iraq is difficult and it is dangerous. Like most Americans, I see the images of violence and bloodshed. Every picture is horrifying, and the suffering is real.” RealSufferingDifficultViolenceDangerousIraqBloodshed Author:George W. Bush
“Now let's make two things clear: ISIL is not 'Islamic.' No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL's victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state. It was formerly al Qaeda's affiliate in Iraq, and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and Syria's civil war to gain territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border. It is recognized by no government, nor the people it subjugates. ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way.” PeopleWayHas BeensTwoWarStatesRealityGovernmentReligionPoliticsSidesCommunityLeadershipSimpleVisionClassTakenClearViolenceGenerationsPolicyPureEthicsGainsAdvantageOrganizationVictimMajorityStrategyUnityKillingHuman RightsIraqTerrorismTerroristIdeologyBordersCivil WarTwo ThingsIslamicAlsTerritoryForeign PolicySyriaStrifeBoth SidesSlaughterAl QaedaIsilIslamic TerrorismTaken Advantage Author:Barack Obama
“In response to the escalating violence in Iraq, President Bush is delaying the return home of 25,000 troops and will actually add reinforcements to the south. Then in a symbolic gesture he pulled down the mission accomplished banner, put on a flight suit, walked backwards to a jet fighter and flew it in reverse off an aircraft carrier.” HomePresidentViolenceReturnAddSouthResponseIraqMissionsFlightSuitsFighterAccomplishedGesturesTroopsReverseBackwardsPresident BushSymbolicFlewJetBannerAircraftCarrierReinforcementEscalatingAircraft CarriersMission Accomplished Author:Tina Fey
“It is important to understand that there are two separate battles taking place in Iraq: there is the political rift between the Sunnis, Shia and the Kurds and there is a foreign extremist group - ISIS - trying to take advantage of the political environment through violence. If the Iraqis can resolve their political differences, it will be far more difficult for ISIS to thrive. Moving forward, we should continue to evaluate additional steps to help combat ISIS as we see what the Iraqis are willing to do politically, but we must also firmly guard against mission creep.” IfsShouldTryingTwoImportantHelpingMovingPoliticalDifficultDifferencesStepsEnvironmentViolenceGroupsMilitaryWillingBattleAdvantageIraqMissionsMoving ForwardThriveResolveCombatIsisCreepsEvaluateExtremistKurdsShiaRiftPolitical EnvironmentPolitical DifferencesExtremist Groups Author:David Adam Smith
“I think in a post-9/11 world, with the images coming back from Iraq, everybody knows more and more people who are going over there... the images on the YouTube phenomenon where the violence is so immediate. Direct people need something stronger to respond to. I think that there's definitely a wave of directors - who are labelled the splat pack - who really, really care about making great scary movies.” PeopleThinkingKnowsWorldNeedsCareViolenceDirectorsDirectStrongerWaveIraqScaryPostsPhenomenonPacksComing BackYoutube Author:Eli Roth
“There is something very consistent about governance in the Arab world. Among the Arab countries today in which there is a modicum of internal stability, each is controlled by an Arafat-type figure - an anti-democratic strongman who is able to crush all challenges to his authority. Likewise, among those Arab countries that aren't ruled by a despot, the political dynamic is also consistent: In Lebanon, Iraq, and now Gaza, sectarian violence is the dominant form of political expression.” WorldCountryTodayAbleFormPoliticalChallengesViolenceFiguresExpressionTypeAuthorityDemocraticIraqCrushConsistentInternalsControlledStabilityDominantGovernanceGazaLebanonDespotsArab WorldArafat Author:Michael Totten
“There has, indeed, been very substantial progress in Iraq over the past year - violence is down by 80 percent, civilian deaths by about the same, and so on.” YearsPastProgressViolencePercentIraqCiviliansOver The PastCivilian Deaths Author:David Petraeus
“I'm also interviewing a guy who's just written a book about his experience living in Iraq, faced with the type of violence as he said, an unimaginable scale. And I think that the combination of that is very hard to shake.” ThinkingSaidBookHardGuyViolenceWrittenTypeIraqScalesCombinationShakesUnimaginable Author:Jon Stewart