Just before all of this madness started, I went to see a specialist on the middle east talk at a small university in B.C, Canada. His name was Gwyn Dyer. He predicted EVERY event that has happened so far: quick invasion, appearance of victory, urban guerilla tactics of resistance, factional destabilization, overwhelming debt of a nation overextended militarily (he compared the US to Roman times with mercenaries from one corner of the world to the other, overextended and collapsing) and...civil war.
Mr.Gregory, your reframing of the question is subtle: you shift it to "can we (the US) help alone, or do we need others...
This is not a shared result, because the root of this war remains essentially skewed...This war is the result of George Bush, and the hawks who surround him. The frame from my point of view is: "The Bush administration kicked a hornet's nest, and wanted to transplant a new construct (capitalist democracy) in there, and hoped the hornets would accept it as a nest before the next set of elections...well, they are not accepting it...." The real frame now is: How do we own this problem...?
A big hug to the true soul of America, from Canada.

One thing that has now become clear to almost everyone now with each round of bad news from Iraq -- the Bush administration never understood the social fabric in Iraq. They simply did not do their homework. Cheney, Rumsfeld, and the Pentagon gang should have listened to the State Department and the CIA. Iraq was always seen as a military operation, not a nation-building experiment, and now we are paying the price for this shallow lack of vision. Disasters inevitably result from lack of planning and preparedness, and we are standing at the threshold of precisely this, a disaster.

It seems as if our reason of going to war to begin with was because of WMD's. Now our mission is to liberate Iraq. What will the total cost of life be for peace in Iraq as a result of what we have done? Everyday it seems as if more and more people are dying and if a civil war breaks out are we to take responsibility?

I have long thought that a U.S. invasion would open the civil war can of worms. Iraq IS in a state of civil war no matter what the president says. He needs to open his eyes and read the news rather that listen to Dick Cheney. If you liked Vietnam you are going to love Iraq.

More moronic rhetoric from Dubya about what he "believes". Proves that Bush only cares about "Faith-Based" Foreign Policy, "Faith-Based" Economy, "Faith-Based" Science, etc.
The second dictionary definiton of "faith" is:

'Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence'

Everyone talks about the given reasons for this War but the real story is "who profits." Follow the money and there's your answer.

Same old failed rhetoric! I have MUCH sympathy for the soldiers and their families but NO sympathy for those who voted for Bush. Bush's failings were always visible to anybody honest enough to look. We got the president we deserved as a nation. We have nobody to blame but ourselves.

don't all countries have to go thru some kind of civil war before becoming a true nation? the president at no time will admit he might have made a mistake. he refuses to see the same mistakes made in nam as those made in iraq.

What I'm 'losing' is my temper--over the constant lies, the Goebbels approach to informing us poor taxpaying chumps, the graft/corruption/greed/incompetence, and especially the $5 BILLION this utter madness is costing us...

I said months before the Iraqi invasion in March, 2003 that there was a strong possibility that civil
war could erupt as a result of the ouster of Saddam
Hussein. The Bush administration was so fixated on the one goal of ousting Hussein, that no thought or planning was given to the aftermath. This is nothing
but an ill-planned venture, with no accountability.
The American people deserve more answers than the stone walling they have been given up to now.

Civil war in Iraq is just one assassination away. The Sunni insurgents got to the Golden Mosque and they will find a way to kill Ayatollah Al-Sistani. When they do, the civil war will end with Muktada Al-Sadr in charge of Central Iraq and the Kurds clinging to their own new nation and Western Iraq a no man's land.

Iraq is a never ending black hole on earth which will never be finished. As soon as we leave it will be back to the same problems and violence that plagues that part of the world. We should cut our losses in both people and money and get out while the getting is good. It is not worth one more American life. These people in Washington never learned anything from Vietnam which Iraq is similar to. They really do not want us there. We also have to stop trying to get people to live like us. Our system will not work in a country that has such hate between the different sects. It is not in our best interest to continue this debacle. I feel that this all about oil, nothing more, nothing less. As for our present government there is a line from a John Wayne movie that sum's up their entire method of governing. "I wouldn't belive them if they told me that night was dark and day was light".

Remember when Bush proclaimed, during the debates in 2000 that "Nation-building" was the wrong way to go, and that his administration would have a "humbler" foreign policy. Yes, 9/11 happened...but, no, WMD's DIDN'T happen. What's changed? Could it be the oil men in charge, starting wars in oil-rich countries?!?

If you think that changing a society or a divided cultural group from dictatorship to a Democratic or Parliamentary style of government can be accomplished in 3 years, then I would challenge you to study our American history. We need to ask ourselves what is the one major reason why we should stay in Iraq and what is the one major reason we need to find a exit strategy? Our Democracy was created by liberation which took place by patriots that fought for their own freedom. If Iraq wants us to stay in their Country to help fight for their liberation, then it should by rights be partially our Country.

How much longer will Mr. Bush ask Americans to be patient? TAKE THE BLINDERS OFF!!!.
Response to Chris Jason you may feel different if (I hope to God it does not happen. ) you were to loose all three of your sons. Its not Bush bashing it's wakening to the FACTS. WRONG WAR, WRONG TIME, WENT IN WITHOUT ENOUGH TROOPS TO DO THE JOB.
Lowell Wicker put it bluntly, the only way the American people will (middle class)revolt is if there is a draft and all our sons were to take their chances in Iraq.

I am a die hard Republican, but our Iraqi situation scares me!
I have one son there now who is training Iraqis, another just got back, another son who is leaving in about a week for Fallujia who only has been back for 6 months. He is a Marine. I support them as soldiers and sons, but I am frighten to death for them. How many more must be lose? We can only help those who want to help themselves. I don't think the Iraqis or any part of the Arab world want our help much less our democratic way of life. We have need of our boys at home in many places; one example would be New Orleans. My sons tell me they are keeping the war away from our home land. Maybe that is true--but I think we are now caught in the middle of a very hopeless siutation.
It takes courage to admit when one is wrong and I think we have reached that point. I don't want to be a part of the "Bush Bash". There are many of us Americans who are responsible for the situation in which we find ourselves. We need solutions now and quickly.
I send my heart felt thoughts to all those Moms,Dads,wifes, and other family members who have made this ultimate sacrifice. I also will continue to pray for all the soldiers we have in Iraq. It's time we came home. We have not won nor have the Iraqi people. Maybe our intentions were good, who is to say, but we can not and will not win here.

The rhetoric that continues to flow from this Administration is mind-boggling! "Sectarian violence vs. civil war?" A play on words--the result is the same--Iraqis killing Iraqis, with the US troops caught in the middle. Rumsfeld's comment last week about the Iraqis being the ones to deal with the ramifications of a civil war is incredulous considering that the Administration's invasion of Iraq and its ignorance (perhaps disregard) of the history of animosity and violence amongst the three sects that make up Iraq will be what led to a civil war.

Same old rhetoric from Bush. We have a mess in Iraq and its time to get out. How many morel deaths to we have to endure because we have a President who is a liar pure and simple. Get our boys out Now!!

This guy is amazing in his determination to never admit a mistake. He confuses strong leadership with always being "right".
If he want his poll numbers to go up, admit his mistake and the country will likely forgive him and the Democrats will be effectively neutered!

The Civil War has already begun. Whether or not it began before or after the February 22 bombing of the Golden Mosque is really beside the point. When the Pentagon pressures the Baghdad morgues to supress the number of dead, well... this shows how bad things have really gotten!

We need to send enough people to Iraq to get the job done or negotiate a settlement, such as a federation, confederation, partition or some form of government that all can accept. The USA can ask for help in reconstruction. If other countries are not willing to help, then it may simply be too expensive (dollars, lives lost) to stay there, even if Iraq could become successful. If the USA asked for international help and could not get it, then we in the USA need to negotiate an end to our participation. It is not in our interest.