Leah,
Omar's arm was shot by an AK-47. That means that his arm was nearly destroyed by a resistance fighter -- not by a US soldier. His arm should be explanation enough as to why we go to war. His story after his wound should provide plenty of reasons as to why we should advance our way of life.
When you say these things --
"Horrific images, but very neccessary. War is not all about right and wrong, or defending your country, your flag or your beliefs it's about people and the harsh reality that
those of us tucked safely in our homes never see."
--you are right, but I think that there is a disconnect in your understanding of this war and possibly others, because you have forgotten why people go to war.

Saddam killed many people like Omar just because they were Kurds. Saddam ruled ruthlessly and killed thousands of people. He needed to be stopped and removed from power. It takes a war to do that.

I realize that you don't like to see atrocities, but you should note that the US and its allies went out of their way to kill and harm as few people as possible in their efforts to oust Saddam and keep peace in Iraq. The Iraqis in power with Saddam and these resistance fighters do not make the same efforts. They shoot at civilians, cameramen, women, and probably anyone else in the way of their efforts to kill American soldiers. Remeber when you look at Omar's arm again that it was damage caused by an AK-47 and that Omar is a camera man.

There is still a lot for you to learn about the differences between US warfare and the Arab counterparts. One quick example is the way US firearms differ from the Russian made firearms that the resistance fighters use. Bullets shot from AK-47s and AK-74s yaw dramatically when they strike human flesh, whereas US firearms rarely ever yaw inside a body causing a much straighter, cleaner wound. This makes for much less of an atrocity than the weapons of the resistance fighters, because the wound is easier to treat and less indelicate.

I bring that up as an example of the difference in the way these two sides are fighting. The US is exacting, purposeful, and precise. We have three objectives -- oust Saddam, keep peace in the interim, restore Iraqis to power in a secular government. The resistance has two objectives -- kill the occupying US soldiers and create chaos.

By fighting a war they can't possibly win they are doing nothing more than creating chaos and shedding blood.