Bush Still Says, Iraq A Necessary War

[Orange_Juice]

I say it was a war of choice

 

[JimH52]

An interesting way to put it. Perhaps it was a "self inflicted" war?

 

[CA95380]

In his mind it was a "Necessary War" perhaps. However his legacy will be that he abandonded Afghanastian, and went after Iraq. Bad mistake! He had America in the palm of his hands, at one time, and he BLEW IT, and he keeps blowing it - and will continue do so until he is removed from office! He has almost turned into the mentality of a child. "If I can't win, no one is going to win - especially the United States of America!"

 

[Epsilon Delta]

^ And King George II said unto his subjects, "L'etat c'est moi!".

 

[dilloduck]

In his mind it was a "Necessary War" perhaps. However his legacy will be that he abandonded Afghanastian, and went after Iraq. Bad mistake! He had America in the palm of his hands, at one time, and he BLEW IT, and he keeps blowing it - and will continue do so until he is removed from office! He has almost turned into the mentality of a child. "If I can't win, no one is going to win - especially the United States of America!"

Maybe he wasn't interested in having Americans in the palm of his hand. Besides--he didn't put them there--the media did. They were all for attacking Iraq until the were all against. I agree with Bush. It was time someone finally confronted radical islamists with force.

He will be gone in January and the next president can go kiss thier asses if he wishes. And that will be HIS legacy.

 

[Epsilon Delta]

Haha, Saddam was a Secular Nationalist. Read.

 

[dilloduck]

Haha, Saddam was a Secular Nationalist. Read.

think bigger--what makes you think toppling Saddam was the only goal here?

 

[Epsilon Delta]

Not at all. Toppling Saddam probably was only a secondary goal. Just pointing out that it had nothing to do with radical islamists.

 

[dilloduck]

Not at all. Toppling Saddam probably was only a secondary goal. Just pointing out that it had nothing to do with radical islamists.

How can you possibly say that? Radical islamists came out of the woodwork to fight in Iraq. Do you have any idea how many have been killed because we invaded Iraq?

 

[Epsilon Delta]

Oh, right. Radical Islamists that weren't there before. Remind me, next time that I have to get rid of a dangerous group of people, to go to YOUR country, bomb it and tell 'em "COME IN" so that I can "ambush" them.

"Hey, Iraqis, can we use your country as a fly swatter?" "Sure, America! We promise that a chunk of the population won't take it as a war against our people and take up arms against ya. Come right in, so you can root out the 'bad ones'."

I do, BTW. The range is about 17,000-23,000 out of anywhere from 200,000 to 1,200,000 people, depending on who you listen to. I tend to go for the higher estimate.

 

[dilloduck]

Oh, right. Radical Islamists that weren't there before. Remind me, next time that I have to get rid of a dangerous group of people, to go to YOUR country, bomb it and tell 'em "COME IN" so that I can "ambush" them.

"Hey, Iraqis, can we use your country as a fly swatter?" "Sure, America! We promise that a chunk of the population won't take it as a war against our people and take up arms against ya. Come right in, so you can root out the 'bad ones'."

I do, BTW. The range is about 17,000-23,000 out of anywhere from 200,000 to 1,200,000 people, depending on who you listen to. I tend to go for the higher estimate.

I never said it was a great idea. It's just highly possible that the US framed the battlefield that way and took out Saddam at the same time. I don't look at the war against islamic crazies as one defined by strict geopolitical boundries. I don't the radical islamics either.

 

[Toro]

This is a good idea for a thread. We've never had this discussion before.

 

[Charles_Main]

Iraq may have been a necessary war in 1991, It was not in 2003. IMO anyways.

 

[CA95380]

Maybe he wasn't interested in having Americans in the palm of his hand. Besides--he didn't put them there--the media did. They were all for attacking Iraq until the were all against. I agree with Bush. It was time someone finally confronted radical islamists with force.

He will be gone in January and the next president can go kiss thier asses if he wishes. And that will be HIS legacy.

"They were all for attacking Iraq until the were all against."

Who are "they"? The media?

"I agree with Bush. It was time someone finally confronted radical islamists with force."

Any what has changed since he did? How many have died and how much has it cost the US? For what?? Kill Saddam? We did that years ago - so why didn't we quit if that is all that you and Bush wanted?

 

[Bootneck]

I agree with Bush. It was time someone finally confronted radical islamists with force.

All well and good,in which case concentration should have been on Afghanistan.

In Saddam's Iraq, Islamic fundamentalism was not an issue. It was not allowed to prosper because of the threat it posed to the ruling regime. Saddam ruled that mosques always remained closed except for one hour before and one hour after each prayer time. This was is in recognition of the fact that mosques have historically served as the strongest breeding ground and platform for Islamic fundamentalism.

Furthermore, Iraq had a centuries-old tradition of moderate Islam. It was the only land in the Arab world in which the Muslim Brotherhood could not form an organizational structure.

Saddam also adopted a strict policy of separation of church and state. It allowed simple prayers within mosques only during prayer times but it left decisions regarding economics and politics to the will of the rulers. It is quite contrary to the teachings of Islamists such as Salafis, al-Ikhwan and al-Qaeda, which designate the mosque as the centre of the congregation and maintain the superiority of Sharia over man-made laws regarding social justice, economics and politics.

 

[Epsilon Delta]

I never said it was a great idea. It's just highly possible that the US framed the battlefield that way and took out Saddam at the same time. I don't look at the war against islamic crazies as one defined by strict geopolitical boundries. I don't the radical islamics either.

Err, what? Then how do you see the war against islamic crazies should be framed as? Why not bomb the hell out of Oman, or Morocco, or, Turkey? Hey, why not just go after Turkey. It's a secular nationalist, but islamic country as well. Sounds like another ripe territory to go after on the Risk board.

The war in Iraq had nothing to do with Islamic Radicals (weren't there) or with Saddam (Big buddy, back in the day). It's fairly obvious that it had nothing to do with that.

 

[editec]

Is is STILL a war?

I thought that mission was accomplished.

I was given to believe (by the White House, incidently) that now, our mission of rebuilding the country and pacification of the people.

Perhaps we the people remain confused because the people in charge are ALSO somewhat confused?

 

[greenpartyaz]

I wouldn't be surprised if Bush pulls a Ronnie Regan and negotiates to announce a withdraw and declare victory right before the election. That would be a genius move, like Ronnie negotiating for the release of the hostages till after the election. Ensuring he defeats Jimmy Carter. If the hostages were released before the election, Jimmy Carter would have been a two term president. That is nothing short of a stunt that Bush would try to pull, to ensure a Republican in the White House, when he could have made progress years ago, and had troop withdrawal. But when you are ensuring your own investments do well from the war, it is best to keep the gravy train coming until your term is up.

 

[stivex]

Hindsight is always 20/20. If we had to do it again, I am sure we would. We would have done it smarter, though. I think had we just finished the damn job in the first place (Desert Storm) we wouldn't have been in this mess.

 

[Bootneck]

I think had we just finished the damn job in the first place (Desert Storm) we wouldn't have been in this mess.

Wasn't an option. The UN mandate prevented coalition forces from occupying any Iraqi soil.