Why are We In Iraq?

The first article that I read was entitled AP: Soldiers' deployments to go back to 1 year. This article discusses how the Bush administration wants to reduce soldier combat tours from fifteen months to twelve months. They feel like soldiers need time to spend with their families due to the psychological effects of the war takes on them. They propose twelve months on the tour and twelve months off to spend at home. It seems as though the article has a bias that Bush will not sign off on this new idea that seems logical due to this simple quote from the text, "Since Democrats lack a veto-proof majority, they have repeatedly failed to force Bush to accept any anti-war legislation, including one measure supported by many Republicans that would have required that troops spend more time at home between combat tours." They make it clear that Bush does not support any views that involve getting out of the current war in Iraq. 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/05/combat.tours.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch

My second article was called Iraq civilian contractor to face military court. It talks about how a contractor living in Iraq was charged under U.S. military law for the first time for aggravated assault. These charges are given in connection with another contractor being stabbed. His name is Alaa "Alex" Mohammad Ali and he is an army translator. He has been held since February and will have a pre-trial hearing on April 10. "Col. Bill Buckner, a military spokesman, said it is the first time since 1968 that a civilian working for the military has been charged under military law. Contractors do a few simple tasks such as supplying food and water, building bar barracks, providing armed security and gathering intelligence. The only controversy is their legal status because in September contractors from the U.S. firm Blackwater were said to of killed seventeen people in a shooting incident in Baghdad, but the FBI is still researching that. 

http:www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23966817/

Both of these articles are different because of the topics they discuss. They are similar in the fact that they invovle both Iraq and  the U.S. in their main topics. The first one talks about American troops in Iraq and the second one discusses a contractor who was not American. They both involve a decision that needs to be made the first being whether to reduce soldier tours and the second whether Alaa is guilty or not.