The chaos in Iraq is being made worse by the trash talking that is going in Congress. It seems the Iraq government's plan to give amnesty to insurgents is not going over well. It would seem that the Congress is fiddling while Rome is burning.

If we don't want to let the government of Iraq govern its own country then we shouldn't be there anymore. The pretext for the continued occupation by U.S. forces is to help create a strong democracy in Iraq. Well, now that government is exercising its new found responsibilities we object. The whole point of a democracy is the idea that we won't agree with everything they do.

In addition, our continued presence in Iraq is no longer benefiting us or that country. From the beginning, the occupation was a rallying point for the insurgency. The best thing we could do is leave so that the government in Iraq can deal with the mess for itself. We cannot baby them. It must stand on its own without our bolstering. The current civil war will not go away with our departure but it will no longer be fueled by U.S. involvement.

All of this is a mute point since George Bush has decided he wants us there. And we are in Iraq not because he wants the government there to strengthen. A Shiite dominated government could be a threat to us with its likely links to Iran. The President and his neo-con friends want a Middle East dominated by the U.S. and Israel. That's why we are in Iraq in the first place. Not to establish a democracy.

If there is any sense left in our country, we should send our troops to Afghanistan to help suppress the growing insurgency and prevent Bin Laden from taking over again. That might not happen as long as that madman in the White House is in charge.