Don't Forget How We Destroyed Iraq. No Victory There

Que? That was 1979. I will acknowledge it has been SOP for the US to support any tinhorn that kowtows to the military/energy complex. We screwed with Iran by supporting the Shah and they screwed with us the only way that they could and then we screwed them by supporting Saddam (and his oil production) against them in their war.

But as confused as the times were 20 years later with 9/11 and yellow cake, I still do think liberating Iraq from tyranny was original basis for our involvement. It just became easier and more in line with the current mood of vengeance for the inarticulate administration to use fear for their justification rather than a long winded promotion of a higher moral cause. The people didn't want to hear that, they had blood in their eyes. It was a bait and switch of convenience and coincidence.

 

That's...ridiculous.

 

They won't... beyond oil they simply do not have the resources.

 

I was already old for the Gulf War when there was a genuine humanitarian motivation. Not pure, but genuine.

 

They have the brains. Look closely in areas like the Medical Center, Nasa, Oil & Energy and you will know how smart they are. these minds that are here today will not necessary be replaced by others tomorrow if their home countries are better. The fact that some of you guys say that the middle east has nothing shows that none of you know much history. it is a region that has always been occupied for a reason and the richness of the land is in its collective unity. If the middle east was to unite, every piece of land offers a wealth of a different source and that can not be beaten.

 

More so than Americans, Chinese, Europeans, other East Asians...Latin Americans...you name it?

If yes, why?

 

Dude, you need to STFU!

J/K

 

Hehe

 

Typical that Glynch would piss on a major victory by the United States Armed Forces.

Not surprised at all.

 

I actually remember at like 12 years old seeing James Baker on the news talking about not wanting Iraq to own 20%-33% of the oil reserves; and I've heard that since those initial comments they tried to change the talking points. Also, during the Bush 41 segment in that History Channel documentary "The Presidents" he said that every Presidential administration he's been in has had a stated national policy that they would go to war to preserve access to oil. Even though he's already my favorite Republican; I honestly have no problem with that policy as long as we can get England, France and some local country to go along.

 

we did more than that - we orchestrated the overthrow of their democratically elected prime minister and helped put the shah in power and helped establish the secret police force which disappeared thousands and thousands of iranians.

we armed both sides. while we were supporting saddam we also illegally sold arms to the iranians.

our original basis was that iraq was an immediate threat and was hell-bent on attacking the united states. the stuff about liberating iraq was nothing more than a convenient excuse/justification for the invasion - we never gave a damn about the iraqi people. if we did we would not have been supporting saddam in the 80's and providing him w/ chemical weapons which he used on his own people (and we later used as justification for war).

 

Unite? The entire Middle East? Arabs and Persians and Egyptians and Kuwaitis and Turks forming one giant state?

What, have you been reading Tom Clancy or something?

 

The Western World is crumbling under the weight of its interest bearing economic system... the world doesn't need to catch up... the western world is willing to shorten the distance on its own.

 

I guess I will always see the 'idea' of America ahead of the actual gritty corrupt reality of the self interested egos that will sell themselves out to get elected to positions of power. It's my weakness for growing up idolizing Superman; "Truth, Justice And The American Way"

Eh, live up to my expectations b****es! You're the ones that put your hands on the Bible you say you believe in. We need to hang a politician or two in this country, that would get some attention.

 

'Worth it' means the net balance. You would have to be able to assume and estimate the future of damage, rape and murder a continuing Hussein Family reign would have inflicted on the Iraqi populace for 10, 20 or 50 years if they had been left in place. And the cost of maintaining a US control, like the 'no fly zone' indefinitely (though we will anyway).

The counter to Russia's near monopoly of oil and gas supplies to Europe and it's resulting political influence does need to be in your net calculation. As well as the goodwill earned from our other pushers, Kuwait and the Gulf States.