>><snip>
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>>>Now, to be fair, the majority of the deaths are not at the hands of the Americans (I'm referring to innocents) but mostly by factions, insurgents and other Arabs from other countries. You can argue that it would not be happening if the U.S. was not there, but then the insurgents and factions should only be targeting the U.S. if that is their sole issue and not the Iraqi people.
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>>This is, of course, an excellent point. Why are the two Islamic factions killing each other by the truck-load and why would that be the fault of the foriegn forces.
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>This is the point I was trying to make to Metin in my original reply: Muslims did it to the US on 9/11, now they'e doing it to themselves picemeal. Thre's the difference in sympathy

A wrong "difference". You're using apples and oranges here.

The U.S. "did it" to the Iraqis despite their having NO INVOLVEMENT in the 9/11 attacks, and the casualty counts of Iraqis was severe in the actual war itself.

I do agree with TracyH that most people are very distressed that so many people continue to be killed in Iraq. But I also say it is not - at least while still on-going - the same kind of thing to "commemorate" as the 9/11 attacks. It's possible that one day Iraq itself will commemorate their 'event', either as the day of liberation or as the day of vanquishing the invaders.