The US should pull out immediately and without reservations. We should issue an apology to the people of Iraq and to the UN. We should let whatever shakes out there happen, and stop trying to impose our values.

Pat Sullivan, Kalamazoo, Mich., USA

Tell us some good news! If you only tell the bad news, how in the world do you think anyone could feel good about Iraq? I for one support Mr. Bush! War is messy, The world is a dangerous place. We must be resolute! The military will do its job and I trust Bush to do the right thing and not bow to the polls. Its called leadership!

George Dewey Hilbert, Louisville, Ky., USA

The solution is so simple nobody in Washington can see it. The truth is that we went into the Middle East for one reason: oil. And the only way we can ever get out is to not need their oil. And the only way we will be able to survive without their oil is to go into a massive renewable energy program. And the only way to go into a massive renewable energy program is for the congressmen to vote for it and stop taking tons of money from the oil companies to get reelected every two years. And the only way to get the congressmen to start supporting a massive renewable energy program is for the voters in each district to tell their congressman that they will vote him out of office (no matter how much money the oil companies are giving him). And this will not happen until the average voter understands the problem. And that will not happen until somebody with a lot of money starts a campaign to educate them to do so.

Wendell Williams, Novato, Calif., USA

No doubt, the US needs fresh thinking on the purpose and process of the US in Iraq. Think outside the Beltway "box." The administration's view of the world and our place in it has brought disaster to Iraq and has turned millions of people against us.

Back out of the war and into the UN, Arab League, and the groups in the Middle East to pursue peace and stability.

Lawrence Reiner, Greenwich, N.J., USA

We need the guts to get out of Iraq. We should give up the fantasy of being the great white father who can make them do things our way. We can't. We are seen by the Iraqis as foreign invaders, and guess what, they are right.

Yes, we have plunged Iraq into chaos. Now we need to leave and respect the right of the Iraqis to decide their future, whether they do it wisely or not.

Jon Hiratsuka, Arlington, Va., USA

While I understand the theory that a stable Iraq in the heart of the Middle East leading to a stablized region through a domino effect of political ideology, I fear the reverse is also true.

A destablized center of the Middle East can lead to the same problem that a destablized Germany meant for Europe. The most feasible strategy would be an attempt by the Bush administration to abandon the unilateral approach toward training Iraqi troops, and encourage US NATO allies to help in that process as a means of implementing stability and limit the dangerous potential of a regional conflict in the near future.

J. Mittvick, Phoenix, Ariz., USA

I think perhaps John Murtha is right that we have become the enemy to the Iraqis, and that we need to draw back to a defensible position somewhere in the area and let them hash it out. If we end up with three separate countries of Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds, then so be it. Iraq was an artificial construct to begin with, having been cobbled together by the British. This administration is not capable of solving the problem, so the problem is going to have be left to others to solve, as sad as it is to admit.

C.J. Bryan, La Grande, Ore., USA

The way I see it, the amount of troops needed to invade a country is far less than the number of troops needed to occupy it, which again is far less than the number of troops needed to pacify it.

I was, am, and always will be against preemptive strikes and democracy through military force. Having said that, I think the US needs to either ramp up the number of troops it has in Iraq dramatically, or go cap in hand to the international community to ask for help.

Sure, you the US could always pull out, but then it will have no control over what happens next, and I have no doubt the results would be very ugly.

Kai Berberich, Victoria, Australia

Just get out of Iraq. The US is spending $500 billion – not million – to help Iraq. What about our own country? We have cut back on aid for the homeless, education, medical care, Katrina, and our basic needs in America. The quest for peace in Iraq appears to be a figment of Bush's imagination.

Alfred Akana, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

The war exemplifies our cultural illiteracy, just as the attack of 9/11 demonstrated the violent ignorance of extremist Muslims. Our tragic error grows out of a fundamental misunderstanding of the true significance of America. Both acts result from misconceptions by fundamentalist religious zealots. But with the fat in the fire, we should encourage Iraqis to take responsibility for their own development as soon as possible and withdraw our troops when some degree of sanity is achieved.

James D. Johnston, Charlottesville, Va., USA

It doesn't appear as though the Shiites and Sunnis will ever get along with each other or anyone else on our terms.

The USA should protect the Iraqi borders from foreign interference, carve out a sovereign state for the Kurds, and let the Shiites and Sunnis fight it out.

Alan Hildebrant, Rockaway, N.J., USA

The original estimate was that it would take 3 to 5 years to get Iraq sorted out. General Franks is looking smarter every day. Nothing is happening in Iraq that wasn't expected by rational observers. The problem is that the 'microwave' generation has unrealistic expectations that the mainstream media feed and exploit.

It is not America's place to do anything next. The Iraqis will work it out. That is what democracies do.

John Samford, Memphis, Tenn., USA

The way to begin is to admit that our invasion of Iraq was wrong. As nasty as the Saddam Hussein regime may have been, we left our own moral high ground far behind when we declared so many lives and livelihoods expendable for our presumed higher purposes. We must express shame and remorse for that which has resulted. This is no small part of the resolution.

We should seek to establish an international task force under the United Nations and the Arab League, for the purpose of providing security and reconstruction. It seems likely that the form of the new Iraq may no longer follow our design. So be it. Current levels of personnel and funding should be maintained for a reasonable period of time at the discretion of this taskforce, assuming our leaders consent to its programs and policies. If we can not accept these programs and policies, we may withdraw our resources.

We should use peaceful means to create peace, democratic means to further democracy, accept diversity in the world as we promote it in America, and understand that we may lead by example, but not by force.

Ken Silverman, Cupertino, Calif., USA

We should do what we should have done years ago: send missionaries and UN inspectors instead of troops.

After our exit, maybe we can change our approach toward Israelis and Palesinians. We might divert the money now flooding into the coffers of Haliburton and other corrupt contractors and begin feeding, educating, and protecting the peoples of the Middle East and Africa from ruin and genocide.

David Fredericks, Las Vegas, Nev., USA

United States citizens' failure to support their president's preemptive strategy against terrorism, fueled by the left-leaning media, has aided the insurgents more than any military assistance could have.

When we elect a president, we trust him to lead our nation as its commander in chief. It's about time that all Americans support and defend the Constitution, and not conduct a rear-guard action against our brave forces by engaging in constant political backstabbing and issuing ringing endorsements of all polls negative.

The conflict in Iraq can be won by the Iraqis themselves with the assistance of US forces. Americans need to get beyond the short-term mentality that guides business decisions and prepare themselves for a long, global struggle against enemies of our way of life.

Don Keeler, Stuttgart, Germany

With hat in hand, we should run to the United Nations Security Council and beg for help, as we should have done in the first place. It was arrogant that this government acted like the world's policeman.

A. M. Knight, St. Petersburg, Fla., USA

The point has been made that we have a moral obligation to mend what we have made worse, and this is true. It does not follow that we can. The present leadership lacks the wisdom for the job, and there is no assurance that the next will be up to the task. It is not clear that anything short of dictatorial force can maintain order, and that simply reverts to the problem we allegedly tried to solve. It may be that there is no outcome possible other than to watch in horror and shame as any solution we try fails to mend the result of our ham-handed bungling of other people's lives.

E. William Kent, Washington, D.C., USA

I believe that it should be the Iraqis' decision. If they want us to leave, we should do so. If they want us to stay, then we should do what we can to repair the damage we have done and set up measures to pull out as circumstances allow.

Robyn Zimmerman, Taylor, Mich., USA

Bush's rationale for attacking Iraq was to rid Iraq of WMD, but there were no WMD. His next rationale was to help Iraq get rid of its tyrant. This was done. So let us call it "mission accomplished" and get out of Iraq. Our continued occupation will not bring security, peace and democracy to Iraq. The whole enterprise was based on falsehoods and lies and we have to accept the consequences.

John Chi, Pittsburgh, Pa., USA

If the people of Iraq really want freedom, then they should fight for it themselves. The US has given them a good start. It is time for them to spend their own money to build an army and fight for themselves. We shouldn't have to keep fighting their war. Maybe civil war is what it is going to take. I say let's set a deadline and then pull our people out and let them do it themselves. Then they have nobody to blame but themselves.

John King, Dupo, Ill., USA

As an American, I think that we must do what is right – we must do what our conscience dictates. I never agreed with this war or the reasons for which the United States entered Iraq. But now, it is too late to criticize and point fingers. Saying that the president is at fault will not make things better. Accusing the Republicans of starting an illegal war will not bring peace to Iraq.

The day the United States occupied Iraq, it took on the responsibility of safeguarding and protecting the Iraqi people, and we are failing in that basic duty. The US government must for once be frank with its people and tell the truth. The president must change course and make it clear to the American people and to Iraqis that we will not abandon Iraq to the terrorists.

We must stay and fight because it's the right thing to do. To do less would be tantamount to admitting that the terrorists are stronger, and morally right. We must see this though to the end, whatever that end may be. We must commit to making Iraq a safe and democratic country. To do less is to fail militarily, strategically, and morally.

Anton Lakshin, San Diego, Calif., USA

The US should make it clear to the world that the it will be pulling out by a certain date. It may be in a month or six months, but in the interim, it should do everything possible help resolve the situation, short of becoming involved in a civil war. Meanwhile, the US should take every opportunity to improve its international image by being less arrogant to all nations.

Mike Bringolf, Grass Valley, Calif., USA

I suggest the US:

1) Apologize to the world community for asserting the right to preemptive strikes, which set back efforts to establish mutual security through a code of the ethics of warfare.

2) Apologize for pushing so hard and impatiently our takeover of Iraq, ignoring wise counsel both internationally and within the US, and defer to some multinational body on the continuing effort to stabilize Iraq.

3) Commit our resources to making Iraq livable again (prioritize safe drinking water, sewage systems, electricity – carefully overseeing funds and punishing embezzlers.

4) Participate with other countries, under multinational guidance, in providing enough military support to stabilize Iraq and allow Iraqis to determine the political structure that will work for them.

I was against the invasion three years ago. Now, I think we must repair what we have broken. I do not think we are doing a good job. I think we need to humble ourselves and bring in others’ ideas.

Donna Gerry, Oakland, Calif., USA

The US must demonstrate that its foreign policy is subject to revision. Its very presence in Iraq galvanizes the Muslim world against it. We have no business being there now that we have determined there are no weapons of mass destruction. After seeing how easily we involve ourselves in matters of foreign countries such as Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and now Iraq, other countries will start to ratchet up their defenses and rhetoric. Examples would be China, North Korea, and Iran.

We must closely reexamine our costly foreign policy, which is costly in lives and billions of dollars spent to maintain the war(s) while cutting back and neglecting vital domestic programs. I have never been so ashamed of our direction as I am now. As an ex Field Grade Army officer, I cry for the state of our country.

Michael D. Cherney, New Milford, Conn., USA

I think overall the US invasion and occupation of Iraq has been a negative. Given Iraq's religious and cultural mix, I really have doubts that it is a society that is compatible with democracy and that democracy is the best system for that country. But most of all, I am disturbed by all the mindless violence the US presence there has engendered. This endeavor has not been worth the cost, especially in human resources. The Bush administration's John Wayne approach to foreign policy does not serve the American or Iraqi people well.

Buddy Clemmons, Hot Springs, Ark., USA

1. The US makes an international pledge to leave Iraq without leaving permanent bases.

2. The US announces a phased withdrawal plan spaced over the next 24 months.

3. The US engages immediately in diplomacy with the Arab League to ask for assistance in negotiating a truce between all parties in Iraq.

4. The US pledges long-term money to help Iraq in reconstruction.

5. The US asks for assistance from the UN in placing peace monitors within Iraq as the phased withdrawal progresses.

John R. Bomar, Arkadelphia, Ark., USA

I am deeply ashamed and embarrassed by the choice my government made to invade Iraq. I believe that choice was rationalized using false pretenses and continues to be justified by bad judgment. I think the US-led invasion has done more to advance anti-American sentiment than it has to secure any measure of safety. Most importantly, and most horribly, my government is responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent lives, and for creating a huge mess in Iraq. This breaks my heart.

I don't think we should "pull out" now, but I do think we need to stop the destruction and work to help the Iraqi people clean up this horrible situation. I think we need to try to find a way to give all the factions what they need. It may be too late though. Maybe we've created an unsolvable disaster. God help us.

Melissa Luce, Afton, Va., USA

Whatever you think of the war, the US cannot cut and run until the country regains some stability. I do not believe the so-called insurgency is Iraqi-based. I think it is fueled by meddling neighbors who want to see the country dismembered.

Naim S. Mahlab, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

I think US forces should leave immediately. The invasion was illegal and immoral from the begining. All aid should be given to help Iraq rebuild its infrastructure, and elections should be held to see if the majority of the people want to keep Iraq as one country or divide it up into three.

Peter Shimon, Stevens Point, Wis., USA

The US should pull out of Iraq as quickly as possible. There would be violence after an American withdrawal, but it would resolve itself more quickly without an American presence keeping everything stirred up. It would be like the Soviets pulling out of Afghanistan: gradual stabilization. I'm sure that Afghanistan under the Taliban was a better place to live than Afghanistan fighting a Soviet invasion, and I don't see that Iraq should be different. (Well, except for the oil. But of course that's the real issue anyway. You don't spend $250 billion on a humanitarian intervention: All the violent people in Iraq could have been given villas in France for less.)

Stephen Murgaski, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

The US must admit it was a mistake to invade, invite the UN in, and pull out now.

Ronald Rowe, Ojai, Calif., USA

Three years prior to today, I felt the resources of this war would be better spent stopping genocide in the Sudan/Congo region and hunting specific terrorists and building antiterror coalition support. However, now that we invested 2,309 US lives and who knows how much money, we had better make sure we do not leave the Iraqi people worse off than we found them.

I would say the best way to do that, while simultaneously defusing support for opposition, would be to offer all Iraqi people low to no-interest personal loans to rebuild their lives. We should keep troops there, but make it known that all command comes from the democratically elected Iraqi government. Until basic human rights are met and justice prevails for the Iraqi people, we will remain in conflict.

Josh Grossman, Columbus, Ohio., USA

While I never supported this war, I have sadly had to accept that we are over there for better or for worse, and lately the latter is most applicable. I don't believe a democracy can be established in Iraq. I believe we will see a Shiite government that leans Iran's way. Who and where are the democratic and progressive Iraqi voices? For that matter, where are the moderate voices in the Muslim world? Is it that the media is missing them? I think not. At the present rate, this conflict will go well beyond Bush's tenure. With all that is going wrong, people should be in the streets demanding accountability from a government that has nothing new on the table other than three more years of empty slogans.

Donald Phee, Flushing, N.Y., USA

There is already a de facto division of the country on sectarian lines - let the Shiites have the south, the Sunnis the triangle, and the Kurds, Kurdistan. There must be a provision made to share the wealth of oil production, but the US definitely needs to get out - we are a draw for all the amateur terrorists waiting to join the fray!

R. Daneshy, Katy, Tex., USA

Our US politicians keep sending mixed messages. One day they say the Iraqis are leading the charge, that they have so many trained battalions, and they are doing great but not yet ready to take over. I think our presence is to protect Haliburton and the other contractors who are raking in the the dough while trying to rebuild that country. It is also said that the insurgency's back has been broken, so why have our costly military over there for the few dead-enders that are left? All that money spent needlessly should be brought home where it is needed.

Tony Segura, Kansas City, Kan., USA

We should do everything we can to support Iraqis in resolving their ethnic and religious differences. And, militarily, we should do whatever is necessary to stamp out the insurgents. While the invasion may have been a horrible mistake, our own dependence on oil requires that we now do everything we can to reestablish regional stability.

Robert Morris, Brooklyn, N.Y., USA