YES! What could it hurt, haven't they sacrificed enough?

They should have to follow the rules of the country. If someone came to the US they would have to follow our rules, so why should we not have to follow their rules just because we are an occupying force? Iraq remains an Islamic nation, and one of the rules of Islam is no alchohol. Thus, our troops should repsect that. As a former soldier myself, I know that it sucks for the servicemen, but thats the way it is. They didn't sign up to drink, but to do their duty.

Okay listen i am a US soldier and i know first hand that you are not allowed to drink alcohol in iraq. There are allows more than just one reason for things. Yes it does offend them by drinking. Another is that you have to realize that during the privacy of the compound you could still take mortar attacks, RPG 7's, and the last thing you want is Pvt. Snuffy that had 4 beers to run out of his tent with a loaded weapon and take out a few of his battle buddies. And when Pvt. Snuffy sobers up he will swear up and down that he fired at the enemy.

No If alcohol is baned in the country then they must abide by the local laws! Just because they are soldiers does NOT mean they can pick what laws to obey and what laws to not obey!

Sorry, but when in an Islamic nation you must follow the laws just like they have to here or any where else they go. There's also a safty issue here. You can't be drunk in a war zone. That's how people get killed and rules get broken.

This is a "dry" war. The military respects the Iraqi laws. No alcohol can be brought into the country. So, no beer for the troops.

When in another country, a person is and should be required to follow their laws. Besides, alcohol does impair judgement.

It maintains good order and discipline. We are, in fact, as others have said, trying to respect the Sharia law. We do not respect ALL aspects of the Islamic faith, but we will abide by those that we can in order to promote good will. It is simply a matter of respect. It is one of the more basic and widely accepted aspects of their faith, as well as being actual governmental law in a number of Islamic countries. If I do not allow alcohol in my house, and you came to visit, would you try to sneak it in? Wouldn't that make me despise you, disrespect you and want you out of my house? Wouldn't you be giving me good reason to ask you to leave? Wouldn't I go around and tell everyone that you brought alcohol in to my house against my wishes? Additionally, for the health and welfare of the American service men and women, it is a bad idea. Alcohol is a depressant. Even after the feeling of intoxication wears off, it impairs physical capabilities. Service men and women need alot of clean water, alot of healthy food and quality sleep. Do you really think a soldier with a hang over is going to be at his most alert? Do you really think that adding a depressant to the mix of Combat and Operation Stress is a good idea? It's not.

that is not true. the reason they cant drink beer etc is to do with the job they may be doing out there. they may be on a 5 min to move rule and so cant drink. i do no for a fact that military personnel can and do consume alcohol but only during 'down time'

I'd have said if they did it while A) Off duty, B) not under immediate threat, and C) in private, then sure, they should be allowed to. But you have to bear in mind that it's (I believe) the laws of the country that no one is allowed to. You don't have the right to drink alcohol when you're in another country that forbids it... Consider another example, if you want to say, Denmark (pulled a country out of my head, this is just a hypothetical situation) as a tourist to see the sights, and they had a law prohibiting the drinking of alcohol, would you drink it? That'd make you a criminal and you could be punished under that countries laws. The problems are just multiplied when you are a military force in a hostile environment...

Let me see, should brain dead murderes who have invaded someone else's country for no reason and killed 500,000 people be allowed to drink beer? Who cares? if they do hopefully they'll get too drunk to murder anyone else.

Overall, I would say no. I don't think it is such a bad thing for a soldier to have a drink or two. However, being deployed is a high stress situation and alcohol use can easily turn into self-medication. That itself is not the issue though. The issue is when stupid kids show up with an alcohol level on duty. You risk the life of your fellow soldiers.

Whatever they need to make it through that nightmare, give it to 'em. I don't care if it's alcohol, drugs, hookers, whatever they want, as long as they can push forward. You have a bunch of sober cranky soldiers over there and someone is gettin' their ass blown away, trust me.

If drinking beer in the privacy of their compounds provides even a very small pleasure to our troops I see absolutely no valid reason for their being denied that pleasure. I don't know anything about a ban because they are in an islamic nation, but could care less whether or not muslims are offended. They are not worth the life of one of our soldiers/sailors/marines.

So the soldiers start to have a few beers, and then there is an emergency and they have to enter a combat situation. Drunken men with large guns and bombs. Good idea.

I am a military wife.. And as much as I want my husband to be comfy and ok, I would say no. They are not there to be off their gaurd. They are there for a job. If they where to have a couple beers and there was an emergency they would not be up to doing what would require to be 100% Saving lives, Firing guns, Rescuing ppl. They need to be up to task. It can also make the men/women who are missing their families even more depressed. Its best to be top of their game.

I heard they're not allowed to talk on their cell phones while firing their guns.

Well, the French troops are allowed to drink wine so I guess it is a little unfair. But then again, it may be a question of safety. I wouldn't like to face a days duty there with a hang over. You need your wits about you the whole time. Also, when you go off duty it makes having a beer then all the more pleasurable.