What was war for?

Concerning the March 26 article “Kerry warns Iraq on aid,” and the March 30 article “War costs will be felt for decades, study concludes.”

Ten years after invading Iraq, disposing of its dictator, fighting an eight-year sectarian war, expending $1 trillion, losing about 4,500 U.S. soldiers’ lives, with over 32,000 severely wounded, what are the results?

Iraq has aligned itself with Iran, one of the worst enemies this country has. Iraq is assisting Iran in the civil war in Syria. Sectarian violence is again rising in Iraq. And Afghanistan? After 10 years the Afghanistan police and military are only capable of controlling a few of the major cities. Many of the Afghan police and military personnel have murdered U.S. soldiers. Without the U.S. military to prop up the Afghanistan police and army, the government will collapse.

The reasons for invading Iraq were based upon bald-faced lies. There were no weapons of mass destruction, no threat to the United States. And now it is estimated that it will cost our country $4 trillion to $6 trillion to pay for medical care and disability benefits to our wounded soldiers for these wars. Complete folly.

Mark Johnson

Nine Mile Falls