Five years after President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished," opponents of the War in Iraq say the conflict has gone on too long.
The President declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq nearly five years ago. However, Scot Ross with One Wisconsin Now says Americans continue to pay a high price for continued violence. He points to the over $500 billion price tag and the over 4,000 soldiers US soldiers killed, which includes 90 from Wisconsin, as a reason why the conflict needs to end.
Wisconsin anti-war advocates met at the state Capitol Wednesday to protest the continued conflict.
Army veteran Ryan Nofsinger of Milton says he witnessed first-hand the death and destruction inflicted by the Bush administration. He says the safety of US troops is at risk, along with the Iraqi public. Nofsinger also shared his experience dealing with corrupt contractors who abused troops, while being paid three times as much to voluntarily be in Iraq.
Ross says the war has lost the support needed to go on, with only about 33 percent of Americans currently approving of the US remaining at war. Opponents say the war needs to end and those responsible for starting it should be punished.