According to the author, the United States should compensate all of the Iraqis who suffered in the war and occupation, since the United States started the war and the occupation is illegal.

The United States got rid of a very brutal dictator and gave the Iraqis the chance to be free (admittedly, it is debatable if Bush's true motive was really to bring freedom to Iraq). Instead of becoming a free nation, however, the Sunni Iraqis have chosen to fight against the freedom the Americans tried to bring, as well as engage in a sectarian civil war with the Shia. The Shia similarly are clearly not interested in freedom--they have elected leaders who are not interested in freedom and hate the US (for example, a lot of Al-Sadr's supporters were elected to the Iraqi Parliament), and they have also chosen to oppress women and homosexuals and to engage in a sectarian civil war with the Sunnis.

The bulk of the fault for all of the suffering in Iraq is clearly due to Iraq's decision to reject the freedom they were offered, and instead engage in oppression and civil war. I don't think the United States needs to pay compensation to Iraq.

Scott Kaplan

Pomona, NY