Precisely because it was costly, idealistic, and dangerous, we should expect a lot of killing and bombing in the next few months as an array of opponents tries to derail the upcoming transition and elections. Anyone who thinks thousands of Islamic fascists and out-of-work Baathists won’t want to stop the region’s first consensual government is unhinged.
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If this caring world is worried about the injustice of a fence or Islamaphobia, then start slurring nuclear India for its $1 billion fence, which shuts off the entire (impoverished Muslim) country of Bangladesh — a far harsher blow to far more millions than Israel’s so-called “Wall” aimed at stopping suicide killing.
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Our Real Dilemma. We do have a grave problem in this country, but it is not the plan for Iraq, the neoconservatives, or targeting Saddam. Face it: This present generation of leaders at home would never have made it to Normandy Beach. They would instead have called off the advance to hold hearings on Pearl Harbor, cast around blame for the Japanese internment, sued over the light armor and guns of Sherman tanks, apologized for bombing German civilians, and recalled General Eisenhower to Washington to explain the rough treatment of Axis prisoners.
Not So Fast 
The make it up as we go plan for Iraq;the neoconservatives running the county; and going after the wrong man isn’t a real dilemma?
See, since I agree with the neoconservatives foreign policy, it doesn’t bother me they are running the country. Now liberals running the country, that’s a dilemma. Being so kind to everyone with my money.
Like all we need to do is kill bin Laden and the entire world’s terrorist problems will go away. Because, Iran, Syrai, Lebenon, Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Jordan certainly aren’t breeding grounds for the terrorists. Why you can hardly find anyone that sympathizes with them in the whole area.
Let’s broaden our thinking a little. We needed a place from which to pressure the Middle East countries to give up their terroristic ways. Now we have one. Think down the road a bit, past June 30th. The Iraqis will attempt to form a consensual government of one form or another, naturally we will help them any way we can, and coincidentally have how many thousands of troops right next door to Syria, Iran, and Saudia Arabia. Why we’re smack dab in the middle of the whole area. What a coincidence.
I would have been happy if Bush would have put it that way but unfortunatly he lied.
I am assuming you mean Bush lied about the weapons of mass destruction.
I do not believe Bush knew there were no WMDs and decided to tell the world they were there. That would just be stupid. And despite all the protests to the contrary, Bush is not stupid. Surely, if he knew they were not there, he would know he would be ripped to shreds over the lack of them. If it were me lying about it, I would have made sure some were found, no matter how they got there. Bush thought it would be a good excuse, and he thought it was the truth. Matter of fact, pretty much everyone thought it was the truth.
And you don’t tell everyone the reason you are invading is so you can have a few bases. That is more politically inexpedient than WMDs that turn up not to be there. And there were other reasons. Money and weapons were funneling to terrorists through Iraq. Hussein was giving $10,000 to the families of suicide bombers. He was a brutal dictator and his downfall would make other brutal dictators nervous. Surely no one paying attention thought that the WMDs were the main reason for the invasion of Iraq.
Kristin, so you don’t believe the president of the usa should have a clear reason well planned out strategys and convey them clearly to the american people, our allies, our congress, and least of all the troops you are sending to their possible deaths?I don’t care how politically inexpediant the underlying reasons may be if am expected to shoot another human being I better have a clear understanding why.
The president does have a clear reason. He wants to stop terrorism, specifically radical Islamic terrorists. Iraq is a cog in the military’s plan to make this happen. And I believe the American people would be unwilling to put up with the slog through the battles and skirmishes of a war that, should we manage to see it through, will probably take a decade, without being given palatable reasons.
I also think the American people seldom know the real reasons for most of what politicians do. Well, sometimes the pandering for votes is obvious *cough*medicareprescriptiondrugcoverage*cough*, but especially when it comes to foreign policy, I would guess the underlying reasons might not be exactly what we are being told.
Cynical, yes, but that’s what I think.
There were islamic radical terrorist all over the place after 9/11 but they had no foothold in Iraq, Saddam sure as hell wasn’t going share the spot light with anyone else.Trying to link Islamic radical terrorist to Saddam is what they want you to believe I guess mission accomplished
I don’t believe we invaded Iraq because our government thought there were terrorist training camps littering the country. I already said I think we invaded Iraq so we would have a foothold in the area. The fact that we are freeing those people from a dictator and hopefully spreading democracy is a nice bonus. But now we have tens of thousands of troops right next door to Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, where there are lots of terrorists.
Look at what’s happened since we invaded. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been cracking down on the fundamentalists. Libya is clamoring to give up its terrorist ways. The Sudanese government is making peace with Southern Sudan. Egypt had harsh things to say to Arafat. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.
Yeah look whats happened the ayserian christians are leaving the country, we have alienated our allies, our country has not been this divided since the civil war, there are protests against the war all over the world, and we have united the islamic people (who would love to see us harm) like never before.The situation does not bring me comfort and I do not feel safer than I did before war.
Our “alienated” allies will only be alienated as long as it’s in their interest to be so. They’ll like us well enough when they want something from us. And it seems that the louder they complained before we went in, the bigger the sweetheart deals they had with Saddam.
And pardon my unilateralism, but America’s interests are more important than how well our allies like us anyway. Let the people of the world hate us, as they continue to buy our stuff and rely on our technology and capital. I’m glad they have the freedom to protest against us.
I seriously doubt our country is any more divided than average since the Civil War. I have heard that before, but I would love to see some sort of statistics or some sort of study. Or even the opinion of a eminent historian (preferably one not virulently anti-Bush). I’ve seen pictures of riots and massive sit-ins and protest marches being broken up with firehoses from the 60s. We don’t even have that much division I think.
I don’t know if the Islamic world is more against us than ever. We’ve been the Great Satan and Zionist lapdogs for quite some time now in their opinion. We just hadn’t noticed they cared. And even if they are more united against us than ever, the fundamentalists were already doing their best to destroy us, they can’t do much worse.
I know it’s not unlikely that there will be another attack on US soil, but at least we are doing something about it instead of taking hit after hit from the terorists and doing nothing.
This could go round and round for months lets agree to disagree. I have one question do you disagree with anything this administration has done?
Yeah, I disagree with quite a bit of the domestic policy. He might as well be a democrat. Were it not for the war, I would probably waste my vote on a libertarian in 2004. I also think the Department of Homeland Security is a waste of money. I hope that makes you feel a little better.
It gives me some hope.