Quote Originally Posted by Mr. KiDD
Im kinda mixed on IRAQ. At the time, it was a good idea imo and this is why.

We were coming off 9/11 the biggest terror attack in history on US Soil. Now, that was a wake up call that the Clinton Era failed to secure our borders and failed to stop the posing threat of terrorism.

We get attacked and now we start panicking looking for "who is going to be next".

We settle on Iraq. Here is a country in a region that is plagued with people that are very outspoken about our destruction and israels destruction. This is a region that lets face it represents the majority of the people that attacked us on 9/11.

Iran was too powerfull for us to go after, not without the possibility of a nuclear war, Afghanistan is a country of nothing but guerillas, we werent going to go after the saudis, etc.

So enter IRAQ, a country we were just 10-12 years past a war. A country that DEFIED the UN for 12 years, a country that had a horrible dictator that committed mass genocide an ethnic cleansing.

A country that was not a REAL thread, but a threat none the less. We didnt have to worry about IRAQ coming after us, we had to worry about IRAQ helping , training, funding other people in the region, like Iran. Or providing safe haven for Bin Laden, Taliban, other terrorists etc.

The WMD were never found, but there was CREDIBLE intelligience to suggest there were some there at one time, and that they were moved long before we got there. There was also nerve gas and other chemical agents found in Iraq, just no Nukes.

I think AT THE TIME, we were in a "stop terrorism before it happens" mode and Iraq provided

1) A country we could really take over and change
2) A country that was due for its ass to get kicked
3) A country that was closest to providing a DEMOCRATIC Society in the region that with hopes would spread to other nations eventually.
4) Could prove to be a valuable ally in the future

Unfortunetly i think they misunderstood the insurgents and guerilla warfare aspect and thats where we are now. But the surge is working, there is ALOT less violence now, and it seems the country will be on its own in the next 2-5 years. Question is, will it stay democratic? or will this all be for nothing. We DONT KNOW YET.
you do know that Osama bin laden started hating america when the first Bush put troops on saudia arabia soil, He warned the U.S. not to do it. Before that during the regan adminstration we were financing Bin laden group of freedom fighters that we now call terriosts. Bush should have known not to cross bin laden, just b/c bin laden group was able to fight off the Soviets for so long.