Issues being fought over in Iraq (Among many)

1) Loyalty to clan or other organization as opposed to the Iraqi government. Robert E. Lee resigned his commission in the U.S. army because his state of Virginia left the Union. One issue the U.S. Civil war decided was that our loyalty is to the Federal government, not the state.

2) Moral obligation to kill occupiers of Muslim lands. No other requirements are needed. OK, let’s take a fictional example: Iraq was behind the 9/11 attacks and the U.S. has proof. Let’s even say that Iraq is bold enough to tell the world. We invade in 2003. As far as ‘occupation’ is concerned, the U.S. would be in the same position today. The worldwide obligation to kill the ‘occupiers’ would be in effect. We would be facing many of the same problems as we are today. This has to change. This ‘law’ is a contributing reason for the Arab-Israeli wars.

4) Penalty for leaving Islam is death. (An Apostate) All a Muslim has to do is disagree with any of the ‘authentic’ laws and the penalty is death. This is another ‘law’ that must change.

5) Jihad has to go.
"The presumption is that the duty of Jihad will continue (Interrupted only by truces) until the world adopts Islam or submits to Muslim rule." "Those who fight in the Jihad qualify for rewards in both worlds. Booty in this one, paradise in the next." (Bernard Lewis, The Crisis of Islam, Page 31, copyright 2003.)
This is another reason for the constant Arab-Israeli wars. "The most common interpretation of jihad is armed struggle for the advancement or defense of Muslim power".

6) "In Muslim tradition, the world is divided into two houses: The house of Islam and the house of war". (Page 31. Bernard Lewis, The Crisis of Islam, Copyright 2003. ) Another contribution to the constant Arab-Israeli wars.

7) Honor killings. Even if you had proper justification, nobody should be able to take the law into his or her own hands. Many of these ‘authentic’ laws allow you to be judge, jury and executioner.

8) Islamic electoral policy has been classically summarized as "One man, (men only) one vote, once."

Some of these issues are ‘authentic’ Islamic laws that have been upheld by Islamic courts for 1400 years. Many ‘authentic’ laws that are hostile to our legal system are not listed here. Issues # 1,5, 6 and 7 have evolved from the culture that has grown around Islam over the past 1400 years.

These are not issues that can be negotiated. These issues are similar to the issue of slavery in that people will fight organized warfare to prevent change. On the other side, these issues are worth waging war to change.

Iraq did not posses WMD. At this point, the issues that are listed above were and are present in Iraq today. Like fighting those who defended slavery, the people who believe in this ideology must be defeated in battle. Iraq is about a good a place as any that I can think of for the U.S. military to do battle in.