The guaranteed ability to have an equal say in government is one of the cornerstones of democracy. As such, you would think that both American and Iraqi citizens would have a large say about the United States occupation of Iraq. You would be wrong on both accounts. The old joke about freedom is coming to you whether you want it or not is especially applicable here. For a large majority of Iraqis, there was a consensus for the longest amount of time that A: they blamed us for the sectarian violence that plagued their country following the fall of Saddam, and B: They wanted us to leave their country as soon as possible. ("What is the best way...") Around 2005, U.S. public opinion flipped on the issue and never recovered ("Iraq"). Despite this, troops were not withdrawn from Iraq until 2011. A similar trend developed in Afghanistan, yet the U.S. has not withdrawn troops yet. ("U.S War in Afghanistan")