The anxious anxiety of the unknown in Iraq

Davon Gray
Published: March 23, 2008

Five years have past since the beginning of the Iraq War and the only thing we know for sure is that we don’t know very much about how things are going to end. 

We don’t know if peace in the Middle East is more probable because of a more democratic Iraq.

We don’t even know if a more democratic Iraq will be the end result. Nobody really knows.

Despite the lack of knowing very much, everyone has an opinion about whether or not being there is right or wrong.

I hear people all the time say, “If we were not overseas in Iraq or even Afghanistan we would have more money for our economy.” There is some truth to that. It’s no secret that wars costs billions of dollars and our economy is in some distress and in need of those billions of dollars. But that argument has its limitations. 

How much of the money we are spending on war would have to be diverted to security measures like the armed security in our airports, bomb proof buildings or other extremes? Let’s not forget, it was September 11 that made war a reality. 

No matter how you feel about Iraq, war spending includes money for Afghanistan as well.  Debating the validity of Iraq is one thing but there is irrefutable evidence that Afghanistan, controlled at the time by the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden were responsible for September 11.

The point is we would be spending a good portion of those billions anyways.

I think it is safe to say, that if I would have told you on September 12, 2001 that we would go almost seven years without another major attack you would have found it hard to believe. Yet here we are, partially because of diligent intelligence agencies and law enforcement at all levels and because our enemies have been distracted overseas. Thank God.

But I am not one to disrespect the opinions of people who do not agree with what I say. 

There were a few protesters in Washington last week voicing their opinions against the war. And, although I disagree with their message and tactics, their view does represent a nation weary of war. 

I would call it an anxious anxiety. Meaning, there is a considerable uneasiness to the war because there is a physical and mental fatigue both here at home and for the soldiers. That fatigue is coupled with a sense of unfinished business or the unknown of how this will all end.

There were fewer people protesting downtown than in past years. I heard some political commentators say people feel differently about the war because of the relative quietness in Iraq. 

Maybe that’s possible, although the randomness of violence still existing makes the term quietness seem inappropriate. 

However, I have a different thought on why there is less protesting on either side of opinions about the ongoing war.

I believe no one really knows where all of this is going and the anxious anxiety of people not knowing has dulled the voices of protest. 

Most of us are left to thinking or believing the next president will bring a conclusion to all of this. Especially with all the talk throughout the primary season about ending the war within 90 days, six months or even a year.  But the reality is, on day one, the new president will be given the long, hard and entangled facts that rhetoric by itself will not get us out of Iraq. 

If five years from now we don’t want to be commemorating a 10- year anniversary in Iraq, our leaders must come to one conclusion: Ending this war will mean swallowing collective pride and putting egos on the shelf.  At this point it doesn’t matter who was right or wrong about Iraq. What matters are those civilians living in Iraq who live this war everyday and our soldiers who are on the ground risking their lives for what they believe is right.

We must end this war right for those two groups. That is the only known thing amongst the unknown that I can think of. 

Davon Gray works as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., and resides in Woodbridge. Contact him at .