Originally posted by MarkO:
Some decent diplomacy could bring Iran around a little. There is a growing minority in Iran wanting democracy and they are gaining in political power. Pres. Bush mentioning Iran in his axis of evil speech did the US no favors.
As for Iraq, this morning's USAtoday http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2002-08-01-iraq-peace_x.htm puts the cost of an Iraqi invasion at 16-20 billion a year to include 70 - 80k troops being in country. Thats a lot of cash and for what ?? 10 months after 9/11, intelligence hasn't come up with a lot to link Iraq to the attacks AFAIK.
Yes, Iraq has chemical & bio weapons. Hussein, I think, knows that using these against western forces or in a terrorist attack would bring severe & immediate retaliation from the west. At present, I think it would be better to contain Iraq until a less costly (human & monetary) way of toppling him can be found.
Remember, the US would likely have to go it alone this time unlike the gulf war.
Just my 2c.Iran was thrown in there for an idea. They are a thorn to U.S. policy and interests, but nowhere near the blatant threat that Iraq is. The major issue is that of Al-Qaeda finding refuge in Iran due to similar Islamic extremist beliefs and creed. Given our ties to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan (for the time being) and somewhat to Tajikistan, rooting out some of the extremists will (hopefully) be easier, as many of their leaders have scattered to the four winds.
I will say things have been cooling between us and the Saudis as of late, though, which doesn't help matters...
As far as Iraq's ties to 9/11 I believe that Mossad and the CIA all had someone or another confirm through sources about a month or two after the hijackers meetings with Iraqi Intelligence. Let me search and see what I can come up with. 27 and I've got a memory of an 80 year old...
It's a little unrelated to the discussion, but it's something I came across. Just to give you a flavor of what these Al-Qaeda pricks are like and their flavor of coffee-table literature, go here:
http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/trainingmanual.htm It's an Al Qaeda training manual found in the UK during a raid. IIRC, Hussein all but came out and danced for joy when 9/11 took place. Funny that some of the rhetoric is very similar to press releases and the like that Saddam Hussein puts over the wire when we rattle the sword at him. I'm NOT saying he's a card-carrying member of Al Qaeda, but his aims and goals in this life are EXTRORDINARILY similar.
To me, it's rather simple. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck. With the things that Hussein has done over the years (though it's VERY sketchy and rather scant on details, take a look at his bio here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/walden/sad_timeline.shtml ), I easily lump him into the "discard" category for humans that currently populate this planet.
Better being proactive with this filth and take him out quick NOW than being reactive when he's got nuclear capability. It's like having the chance to shoot and kill someone who's putting together a rocket launcher in front of you to USE on you. Would you rather shoot now, or wait until he's got the damn thing built and ordinance shoved down the tube with it aimed at you?
I'll gladly hand over another 5% in taxes to have our boys go in and clean house, given that the job is carried out to completion this time (also given that it'll drop back down when we've got Hussein's skull mounted on a pole).
Just some thoughts...
