[Drjones]

I thought the main reason we were going into Iraq was to remove Saddam and protect our interests and national security.

However, the media seems to stress the "Liberation of the Iraqi people" a bit too much.

Is that just bad coverage on their part? (Not like it would surprise me... :rolleyes: )

[Poodleshooter]

I think that it's just an attempt to appease those who don't see a link between Al Queda and Iraq. In my mind,this is a war to crush a lunatic who would sell any weapons he developed to terrorists, However, if it gets a few more people on board, then "Sure! It's a war for liberty!" I think that the whole 5th column strategy that the Iraqis are working with is really going to test this "war of liberty" theory in the minds of US citizens.
Personally, I don't really care too much about the Iraqi people or their liberty. That's their responsibility. If so many of them had really wanted to get rid of Saddam, I think that they would have done so themselves. Like most folks in the world, they want a place to sleep, food and water, an income and comfort for their family. Probably 75% of Iraqi's believe that they get this, and don't give a rip one way or the other about Saddam.

[Bob Locke]

That's spin, IMO, but it works.

I think that it's being couched that way because our government wants the everyday folks in Iraq to know that we aren't gonna bail on them if they start rising up like they did in '91. We didn't follow through then, and Hussein slaughtered the insurgents. We want them to know that this is going all the way, and that the don't need to fear those reprisals again.

[Hkmp5sd]

To protect us. The freeing of Iraqi citizens is just a byproduct that they are using to appease the dumocrats.

[DeltaElite]

I thought this was about protecting ourselves, freeing Iraq is a byproduct of that process.

[AZTOY]

Why did we go into Iraq? Free them or protect us?


OIL FOR FOOD

Freeing Iraq and removing Saddam, give Bush and the Skull members free run of Iraq oil fields.

Also no oil money means no weopons from France or Russian.


I bet in 2 to 5 years 75% of the US oil will come from Iraq!!!

[longeyes]

My sincere hope is that we are doing this for our own self-interest. As others have said, the emancipation of the Iraqi people would be a desirable corollary. It is also, frankly, good salesmanship. Forgive my cynicism but we really should stop trying to be loved. It won't work; we aren't going to be, and it doesn't matter. World politics--sorry, Bono--is not based on love.

[Sean Smith]

There are lots of good reasons to invade Iraq. Why do people act like that is a BAD thing? :rolleyes:

[Gary H]

OIL FOR FOOD

Ah.. that's it. I guess that we forgot to stay there in 91. Next stop Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

Not overly bright.

The country is surrounded by Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria is down the block and we are there for oil.

Real bright..

I don't think that this is our main objective..

[AZTOY]

I don't think that this is our main objective..

Main objective maybe not. But a objective:D

The country is surrounded by Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria is down the block and we are there for oil.

Yes you are right Iraq is surrounded by Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
But thay will be dealing with the the the UN or the New Iraq "puppet "government AND not the US. :neener:

[Art Eatman]

I'm amused by the tight focus on Iraq as though it's some be-all/end-all "war" and will have some discrete end.

Over-simplified: The war got going with the first bombing of the WTC. Then came 9/11. The primary support-area (we already knew) was Afghanistan and its Taliban. Iraq was a source of various forms of support for Al Quaida--aside from the violations of the terms of the Desert Storm Cease Fire and the various violations of UN Resolutions.
Iraq is merely one battle along the way, in this WOT. It will give us bases where our use will not depend on the good will of any Arab nation. The methodologies already shown will give pause to those governments which now give support to such as Al Quaida or Hamas. Add to that the nervousness induced by our proximity...

We don't care from whom do we buy oil. Iraqi oil is as good as anybody's, and we'll pay the going market rate. We'll probably be involved in further development of their oil fields, which helps the Iraqis improve their standard of living back toward the era before the Iran/Iraq war that Saddam started, which darned near bankrupeted the joint...Hey, better our guys than France's Elf/Total!

And I imagine the averag Iraqi equivalent of Joe Sixpack will be a lot happier.

Art

[Gary H]

AZTOY

My only point was that you suggest a motive that could have been satisfied years ago. We could have stayed in North Africa after WWII. Even the British let that one go. The days of colonial power are over. I doubt that we will even recover our military costs through the sale of Iraqi oil. This war may cost many lives on both sides and it isn't for oil. I hope to God that their lives are given for some higher purpose. Art got it right. Iraq is the second overt battle and won't be the last. We could have gone into Saudi Arabia, they have more oil. We could have hit Iran, since they sponsor more terrorism. I think that we chose Iraq because of the tie to 1991. Iraq was the easiest case to make internationally.

Now, if you want to make the case that the Wahabi influence in this oil rich region might eventually result in a cutoff of oil to the United States and this would be less than desirable..this just might be one negative result of doing nothing.. ie. leaving it to the U.N.

[DeltaElite]

Actually we are going in just so we can open a Wal Mart.
Nothing can destroy a culture faster than Wal Mart. :D

[ahadams]

now doggone it DeltaElite - you were read on to the Wallyworld domination plan just like everybody else. you're not supposed to be saying that stuff: we' just demonstrating the proper attributes of capitalism by installing a walmart in every city that has more than 1 camel...that's all...sheesh!:D

uh AZ Toy, I need something explained to me here: since Canada happens to have more oil than SA and Kuwait combined, instead of hauling our troops halfway around the world, why didn't we just point them north...after all what would stop us, the CDF? :rolleyes:

[c_yeager]

I bet in 2 to 5 years 75% of the US oil will come from Iraq!!!

gee it sure would be nice to get oil from nations that dont spend the proceeds trying to kill us. Frankly i think that considering the behavior of these oil producing nations, a war for oil would be appropriate. I for one am sick of giving money to people that hate us every time i go to the pump. Just for the record though i DONT think that we are doing this for the oil. but, if we were. i personally wouldnt mind a bit.

[faustulus]

I think that it's just an attempt to appease those who don't see a link between Al Queda and Iraq.

That is because there isn't one. This war is about many things, it is not about 9/11 or al Qaeda. One is a secluar nation the other is a fundemtalist loony brigade. As a matter of fact Iraq is one country where islamic extremist ususally DON'T come from, unlike say Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran.

How many of the terrorist attacks in the last 10 years have been perpetrated by Iraqis? 0

Oil isn't the answer either, we get less than 2 percent of our oil from Iraq and oil has remained fairly cheap since the mid 70s

The liberation of the iraqi people is a crock spun by the white house. If they really cared about them they would have help the uprising during the gulf war.

The bases idea is intriging I think that is part of the motivation. Somila would have been a good place too if we hadn't of screwed that up. But don't discount the personal. Bush may want to 'get the guys who tried to kill my daddy'.
We like the think politicians don't bring personal feelings to the world political stage but history has demonstrated time and again that they do. Just look at the relationship between Kennedy and Kruschev.
The Walmart plan, though said as a joke, is probably the best way to attack the other arab nations. If you couldn't date or get laid until you were married to a wife you have seldom seen then those 50 virgins in heaven begin to look pretty good.
I vote for sending in the evil minons of Sam Walton :)

[Raymond VanDerLinden]

That Al Queda training Camp Located in Northern Iraq is a Marage, or just a Lie like the Chemical factory, and the outlawed Balistic Missiles, and the fake Surrenders?

After all everyoneknows only the U.S. tells lies :rolleyes:

[Gary H]

faustulus:

So, you are saying that we are just bored and have decided to attack Iraq??? Payback for botched attack on daddy Bush??

Get yourself a map and pray that this strategy works, because if it doesn't, your grandchildren will be still fighting the Wahabis and their minions.

Sometimes the answer is the obvious one..

Remember, Bush might be killing the economy and his chance for re-election. This is a big political risk. I don't think that his reason is one of such a petty nature.

[DeltaElite]

I would never joke about Wal Mart.
They have operatives everywhere and are more oppressive than the govt could ever be.
I fear Wal Mart, as should you. :p

[Mike Irwin]

Either one is a winner in my book....