I've been holding my tongue on this one for a while. I sometimes think that maybe the US should keep their nose outa everyone elses business and what makes them think they can police the whole world.
With that said.
I was just watching the reports, anniversary footage(if you can call it that) of Sept 11 on the telly and well "The radicals started it"
And it is your business! Too bad it isn't as easy as setting up a special secret (Swartzenager type) commando unit to go in an surically remove the menace.
You cann't rationalize with irrational, fanatical people who make martyrs out of their leaders. These people have been fighting for 2000 years and some of them have gotten carried away.
War is hell. OK I've only seen it in movies like Private Ryan and We were soldiers once (both very graphic and moving).
I've never realy understood the WAR YEAH mentality etc. but have come to realize the true sacrifce and bravery of those who fought for our countries. (At least I think I do.
If your gonna go you better make damn sure the jobs done quick, right the first time and keep it over there. The thought of some of the wack jobs over their with access to Nukes SCARES the bejesus out of me. Cause they don't care who they kill.

 

I doubt there will be anything "surgical" about Iraq, whether we go in after them or sit on our collective thumbs until some bright spot over there thinks of a way to import something massively lethal over here.

If there is any doubt that Saddam Hussein is backing (overtly, or covertly) the terrorists world wide, try wishing in one hand and defecating in the other. Guess which one will fill up first?

If you knew someone in your neighborhood had comitted murder before, and you saw them bringing home guns, what would you want done?

The only real difference I see is the scale involved.

And just as someone was debating popular support for a war initiative from the USA - there is no way one old fat man in a bogus general's uniform can do the things Saddam Hussein is both known and thought to be doing without popular support.

In fact, I'm suprised he hasn't been assassinated by one of his own people by now. But evidently they are either frozen into inaction or the people over there are with him.

And I still expect it will be found that Osama Bin Laden has been hiding in Iraq all this time, since BEFORE 9-11 in fact.

It would explain a great deal, and if nothing else it is what I might have done in such a situation. And no one can know one way or the other without inspectors in there can they?

Hmm, food for thought isn't it?


~Wolf

 

I hope Canada stays well away from this one...only my opinion

We got all the energy we need - at least I think so..east coast gas and western Cdn oil hopefully means we don't need to go pokin in the mid east.

 

The case has already been made for the justification of pre-emptive action----and most Americans are in favor of this situation......My point would be that if "W" senior would have taken of business when we were over there the first time and found that SOB and all of his little *******s and hung them on the public square as we use to do when justice was swift(not perfect--and I'm sure some innocent people were victims in this country in prior times) we wouldn't have to go back for a second try , would we???..........And who cares whether or not the people over "there" like us---they are living in the 14th century and they respect one thing and one thing only---POWER--pure and simple------they are going to hate us nomatter how much money or food we send them----just as they hate the Jews-----Witness how easily they kill each other--I really don't think people in this country understand how easily they take life and it doesn't bother them at all!!!!!!Just like Collin Powell said in an interview during Desert Storm..."we're going to find 'em and we're going to kill'em -----mean and cruel , no -not at all, thats what you do during WAR--period---Sooooo maybe W junior will finish up what the old man started , and didn't finish......fd

 

I would like to point out that Saddam Hussein has done nothing to us that I can think of. Yeah he invaded Kuwait but that's not us is it. Sure he's gassed his own people but they weren't our people. Is he a *******, yeah I would say so. But does that mean we should take him out. I say no. Unless we have PROOF that he is supporting terrorism then stay out.
Icelander, I think you are incorrect about how much oil Iraq produces. Saudi Arabia produces the most oil, Although Russia might have more now. When we went in before it was to try and stabilize the region more than defending Kuwait. Should we have taken Hussein out? I don't think anyone on this list has enough insight into the political situation to make a knowledgeable decision.
People in other countries condemn the US for sticking our noses where it doesn't belong. It seems like a good example of that right now. Going in can galvanize opinion against us more than ever.

 

The very fact that "W" junior is focusing entirely on Mr. Saddem Hussein and what a Dirt Bag he really is , is substantiation, in my mind, that we should have eliminated him during desert storm ----he was a problem then just as he is a problem now , there is no substantial difference in the basic assessment of the intelligence community of the necessity to take care of business with mr.hussein...........whether or not your political philosophy is in agreement with the military option in terms of outcome really makes no difference just as mine doesn't any difference!!!There are times in history both current and prior that decisive action is called for even if the rest of the world doesn't concurr --i.e.--all of the Arab Dictatorship(s) are against military action because if we establish some semblence of a democratic government in Iraq , then quite possibly , the people of their respective countries will be wanting the same FREEDOM in their own countries----that is what Saudia Arabia is afraid of the most........It would be the Berlin wall all over again--would it not......fd

 

I agree with fatdaddy.
once you decide to go rat kill'in,
you can't just stop with the one who took the cheese
you have to wipe out the whole nest,
or they will continue to multiply

 

I think the whole thing is just one big political mess. I think its time we put our foot down and show Iraq that we aren't going to take anymore crap over their support of terrorism and their refusal to allow weapons inspectors into their facilities. I agree with Oneof6, when we go we should do it right, regardless of the kinds of weapons we have to use or the number of civilian casulities we inflict. I couldn't care less about the lives of their citizens. I think they are supporting their leader by not rising up against him and changing the ways of their country. I would rather see all of them nuked before having to see one American soldier killed.
-Cope

97 F-350 PSD ZF 5 Speed 4x4

 

Let me see if I can get my point across in a few sentences.

Person1: "There's a rattlesnake in my back yard. I'm going to get my shotgun and take care of him"

Person2: "Why? Has he bitten you or anyone you know?"

Person1: "No, but I've heard horrow stories of people and pets who were bitten and I don't want it to happen to me or my friends."

Person2: "Do you have any proof or is it just hearsay? I have never seen a rattlesnake bite anyone! I think you should wait until you know he is a threat before you kill him."


As a Vietnam veteran, I think I am qualified to say that war is TERRIBLE. The only thing worse it being overtaken, killed or defeated by an enemy.

Saddam wants the US to attack his country, so that he can recover some of the favor he has lost with his Arab neighbors. He does not care about the cost to his fellow countrymen (slaves). He has several choices. He can relent and let the inspectors in and consequently have his half-ripe nuclear/biological/chemical arsenals destroyed, losing face with his neighbors. Or he can attack either directly or indirectly, the US, thereby bringing the full blame on himself, or he can be obstinate and purposly irritate the US and other intelligent thinking countries and provoke them to attack, thereby gaining sympathy and support from the rest of the Arab world.
He is a cruel non-human person, but he is smart, otherwise he would not be in power.

And Osama may be in Iraq, like someone suggested, but if so he is in a grave somewhere. If he was alive he would have offered some proof of it to his scum followers, because knowing he was alive would give them immense adrenaline to go about their evil deeds.

I think it's futile to discuss whether we should attack Iraq. We are already there. I read today that Israeli intelligence has reported that we have several thousand people in the area, and the northern oil fields will be overtaken shortly.

I hope and pray that our military and government has much more going on behind the scenes than we know about.

I'll let you guess my stand on this.



Winford

 

There are only two options here. Wolf began to touch on them. We can sit idly by and watch Iraq continually build its offensive weapons program of mass destruction. The world knows he is doing this. The weapons inspectors proved it. Does anyone think he has really stopped this since the inspectors have left?

So, we can wait for Iraq to use them. Make no mistake, they will use them. Saddam needs aluminum tubes to deliver nuclear weapons. He has been trying to buy them, so he will eventually be successful.
He has developed missles with longer range to deliver his evil payloads. He will use them.

Saddam will supply terrorist activists with lethal weapons. They will go forth and deliver them with no regard to their own safety. So let's just wait for another terrorist attack upon the shores of the US. Then we can sit around and blame the current administration for inaction. We can wring our hands for what we should have done and blame the CIA, and the FBI, for not forewarning the American public with regard to the immediate danger from our own inaction.

The European nations that now oppose our agressive attitude toward Saddam will be the first to blame the US when Saddam attacks Israel with nuclear or biological weapons.

It seems we are damned if we do and damned if we don't. That not withstanding, why should we wait around for this evil guy to hit us first, and he will hit us first. Therefore, the second option is to strike now before Saddam has increased his level of warfare to the point of waging mass murder upon the US, and her allies. Make no mistake, Saddam will use every weapon in his evil aresnal to make this war. We have no choice because Iraq has cast the die. It is just a matter of whether we in the US will act or react

It is my thought that we should act, and act now, before Saddam becomes successful in his nuclear capability next year. To delay is to be asleep at the switch An immediate attack will benefit the world of peaceful and freedom loving nations. This will pre-empt Saddam from unleashing his plans of mass destruction upon the same people who seek to protect him from his evil actions today. We can also use this opportunity to eliminate terrorist activity from a nation bent upon the destruction of the United States and its allies.

Therefore, if the UN can't stop this maniac then, I stand with my President and urge immediate and decisive US action against Saddam to eliminate his evil program of mass human destruction.

 

I think that "w" junior has finally figured out that it is in his best interest to force the UN to fulfill its own Mandates , and when they cannot or will not then the US has fulfilled its international duty of seeking "unilateral" action which resulted in NO action.....This, then , completely negates any claim by iraq that the US is a rogue nation , which allows bush to pursue mr. Hussein on our own terms and concurrently frees other nations to join us at some point in pursuing military action as they will want to have a SAY in the post war rebuilding of a somewhat Democratic governmental structure in Iraq........fd This is the most fun I've had since I got my backseat Texas drivers license!!!!

 

Here is the source for some of my comments:

"Israeli intelligence sources report that some 15 percent of Iraqi soil is already under allied control and that a combined U.S.-Turkish force will soon capture Iraq's oil facilities in the north. They also say U.S. special forces numbering near 15,000 troops could move into the area in the next month. A full-scale allied invasion could occur in late November.

The recent air strikes represent much more than mere enforcement of the Iraqi no-fly zone. Instead, they may well signal that the first phase of the war with Iraq has already begun. And despite a recent pessimistic barrage from media and political naysayers, there's no economic, financial or military reason not to finish off the job this time."

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/larrykudlow/lk20020912.shtml

Perhaps President Bush should ask the naysayers to "show cause" why we should NOT eradicate this scourge of the earth.


Winford

 

I'd say "War-NO". Let's not waste any soldiers or ammo on that pile of sandy oil (Iraq). Just as the world is a Global economy, so is Terrorism Global. The Hyenas and Jackals of terrorism are world wide. Who know's "Whose" really responsible. Hussein is nothing. He may even be a front for something bigger. Let's build up our armed forces, homeland defense and maybe even consider Universal Military Training for men and women. At least our resources would be well spent for now and the future. If he does something sufficiently stupid then I'd nuke Baghdad. When that thug comes out of his bunker there would nothing left for him to brutalize.
Maybe those sorry people will get rid of him first if they know that we mean business. The Europeans, screw them. We've bailed them out enough. If we have to fight, let them fall in line or get out of the way. God Bless Our Commander and Chief. We got enough on our hands right now chasing the Jackals that we know about.

 

 

I've waited, watched and read for awhile on this no win situation. I have to agree with snowyowl that we need to cover ourselves here and abroad first. All kidding aside they (terrroists) are here already. If you can smuggle drugs into this country how hard would it be to get small weapons of mass destruction across the borders. ABC showed how they brought a suitcase carring a leaded pipe with uranium in it and it was never checked. I believe they started in Turkey and ended in NYC. It came in on a container ship. The container was loaded on to a chasis and hooked to a tractor and away it went. Come on people this is real and it's not going to get any better. Sure small strikes here and there will not end us as a nation but 2 passenger airplanes sure ripped apart our financial world just one year ago. If we don't exterminate the crap that is in the country before we go looking for another fight it will play right into the hands of the terroists. You all have probably heard what happened in Florida on the 13th. Well those idiots just could have been up to something else much worse than what they did do. Yes we need to go to war and eradicate the scum from the middle east but I feel we need to first protect and secure our own. As much as I hate to admit it but oil is not the most needed thing in the world. You and I are, along with all the other good people. We can find ways to live without their oil. I'm sorry to drag this on so long but I have a funny feeling here that some of you are just not concerned enough or realize how 9/11/01 really changed the way we live.