Iraq in the eyes of soldiers

The most popular article in the NY Times at the moment—“The War as We Saw It”—is an excellent piece written by several soldiers who have recently served in Iraq. The article gives a sense of just how complex the situation is on a day-to-day basis. Two quotes stood out to me. The first is just a good bit of wisdom:

Trying to please every party in the conflict — as we do now — will only ensure we are hated by all in the long run.

The second is more directly related to the war in Iraq:

In the end, we need to recognize that our presence may have released Iraqis from the grip of a tyrant, but that it has also robbed them of their self-respect. They will soon realize that the best way to regain dignity is to call us what we are — an army of occupation — and force our withdrawal.

[NYT; H/T to WTM]