Why the U.S. Needs to Leave Iraq-"They Are Never Going to Want Us Here"

Tweet Last few paragraphs in Christian Science Monitor story titled: "In Fallujah, Marines bring goodwill, but trouble can follow"

"After the invasion, angry residents returned to a wasteland, their hopes for the future pinned on promises from the US and Iraqi governments of a massive rebuilding effort. Today, many houses have been refurbished. But those freshly painted front walls and newly placed glass panes stand in stark contrast to the many houses and buildings that remain ruins.
And some larger projects may never be completed, officers say, as the Marines begin to withdraw. Finishing steps - such as connecting the sewer mains to houses - may also be beyond the capacity of local officials.

"Marines aren't sure yet how much of what they are building will be sustainable, or how much the rising violence will poison their efforts.

"The fact of the matter is: These people are never going to like us. They are never going to want us here," Brezler tells his civil-affairs team, after a long day in Fallujah. "In terms of an embrace, they did that for five minutes in April 2003 [when US forces toppled Saddam Hussein], and that was it."