Rwanda vs. Iraq

I noticed that every time I watch Hotel Rwanda that I have a different reaction to its content. Since last semester I have become more politically aware of the occurrences in the Middle East. My critical thinking class was basically a crash course on the War on Terror. We learned about the reasons for the United States “interference” of this civil war in Iraq, and 9/11 gave us a “good excuse” to go in there. Since I have learned more information about this ongoing war, and as I continue to learn my ideas become more liberal (or against president Bush's decisions), but I saw an odd parallel between Hotel Rwanda and Iraq. Though the amount of deaths in Iraq isn’t near as many as in Rwanda, the fighting within Iraq is as brutally extreme as it was in Rwanda. The United States presence may be the only hope for those who want peace. In Rwanda countries came in, then left because of how horrible the situation was, much like Iraq. If the United States leaves, what will happen to these people? Will they continue to fight like they have been for years to come and many more deaths will occur? Is the presence of the United States pointless, while we lose our own men? Or is our presence a light of hope to the people of Iraq while they struggle for freedom from this civil war?