This is Disturbing.. if you're sane.

[midnight Target]

"What we have done in Iraq is what bin Laden could not have hoped for in his wildest dreams: We invaded an oil-rich Muslim nation in the heart of the Middle East, the very type of imperial adventure bin Laden has long predicted was the U.S.'s long-term goal in the region. We deposed the secular socialist Saddam, whom bin Laden has long despised, ignited Sunni and Shi'a fundamentalist fervor in Iraq, and have now provoked a defensive jihad that has galvanized jihad- minded Muslims around the world. It's hard to imagine a set of policies better designed to sabotage the war on terror." - Peter Bergen

 "Peter Bergen is a fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington D.C; an Adjunct Professor at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University"

Best intentions aside, this analysis is dead on. Unfortunately. We now have to create a democracy out of nothing and make it work. I have no doubt that Iraq will be number one on the hit parade for the next Presidential election and maybe the one after that. Sad really.

[Sandman]

Iraq posed an imminent threat to the safety and security of the United States!

[NUKE]

Saddam never complied with the cease-fire and refused to reveal the records of his wmd. He continued to hold onto banned weapons.

Saddam kicked out UN inspectors. They were only allowed back AFTER the US put a force on the ground over there. The UN passed a "final, last chance" resolution which Saddam failed to comply with.

Iraq and Saddam played games for 13 years. Saddam could not be trusted.

The US took a logical look at the history of Saddam, the history of us having to go to a military option just to get compliance. The US took out Saddam because he was dangerous.

Pretty good reasons to me. I for one am glad we did it. we had to know for sure Iraq would be in compliance.

Now that we got rid of Saddam, it is our responsibility to leave Iraq secure.....and WE WILL DO THAT.

People are so short sighted.

The reasons for going to war to take out Saddam and remove Iraq as a threat are pretty good, rational reasons considereing the ammount of money and military we have spent on them in that last 13 years. We had to finish the job this time.

I see no flaw in the logic of taking acton when we had the force there and Saddam still was playing games.

[Saintaw]

Nuke commenting about short sighted... funny.
Did you at least read what MT posted? Or are you just here to parot-talk?

[straffo]

Nuke how is your post related to MT's post ?.
You justify the US intervention in Iraq, you don't contradict Bergen.

[mechanic]

it is true that the jihad is in full swing.

the UK has approx 20% (my own figure) muslim population.


this doesnt look good for us.

[Saintaw]

My guess is his "broad vision" only allowed him to see the word "Iraq", then the mouth started opening itself (in this case, the fingers tapping furiously)

[Kanth]

yep cause they didn't hate us before that.

[john9001]

bergen is a tool of the neo-left

[NUKE]

Originally posted by Saintaw
Nuke commenting about short sighted... funny.
Did you at least read what MT posted? Or are you just here to parot-talk?

I read the article and I'm stating my own views, thanks.

The reasons for taking out Saddam and Iraq are sound. We went to war to get rid of Saddam and make Iraq comply with the cease-fire, not to appease terrorists.

e have done in Iraq is what bin Laden could not have hoped for in his wildest dreams: We invaded an oil-rich Muslim nation in the heart of the Middle East, the very type of imperial adventure bin Laden has long predicted was the U.S.'s long-term goal in the region. We deposed the secular socialist Saddam, whom bin Laden has long despised, ignited Sunni and Shi'a fundamentalist fervor in Iraq, and have now provoked a defensive jihad that has galvanized jihad- minded Muslims around the world.

I guess I forgot, we should never dare invade a muslim country in the "heart of the middle east" What's he saying? It makes no sense.

The terrorists hated us before the Iraq war, and they hate us now. No difference....other than now we wont have to wonder if Iraq will be a threat.

When we go to war, are we supposed to worry about what terrorists think about it? That's amusing to me.

[Kanth]

agreed

Originally posted by john9001
bergen is a tool

[NUKE]

Originally posted by GScholz
Nuke, why don't you just put all that in your sig? It would make all your posting that much easier.

I would like to have a serious discussion about it. Are you saying that there were not any good reason to go to war with Iraq?

The US is the main nation that had to spend billions and send our military over just to get Iraq out of Kuwait.

We had to spend billions to place forces back over again after Saddam kicked the inspectors out.

We were not going to keep playing that game, so we ended the game after Saddam had EVERY chance and even the UN"S LAST CHANCE to comply.

From the US's standpoint, the reasons are very logical to take the action we did at the time we did.

Maybe you have other ideas, but the US was not gong to play the "send our forces back and forth around the world every few years" game.

[Lazerus]

the very type of imperial adventure bin Laden has long predicted was the U.S.'s long-term goal in the region.

There is no 'imperial adventure'. We are not there to create a territory of the US.

We deposed the secular socialist Saddam, whom bin Laden has long despised

It has been proven that bin Laden's organization sought out and received help from Saddam. Does bin Laden hate Saddam? Who the hell knows but bin Laden.

Secular Socialist? Try tyrannical dictator.

ignited Sunni and Shi'a fundamentalist fervor in Iraq

I think that decades of tyrannical rule by a representative of a minority, that made a policy of murdering hundreds of thousands of members of the majority did more to ignite 'fundamentalist fervor'. We are attempting to unite these two groups. I think if one cares to do a little research, one will find that 95%+ of Iraq is peaceful and stable.

and have now provoked a defensive jihad that has galvanized jihad- minded Muslims around the world.

Defensive. That is how we want them to be. Galvanized?? I'm not sure that is correct, but assume it is. This allows us to find them easier and kill them.

It's hard to imagine a set of policies better designed to sabotage the war on terror.

I have to whole heartedly disagree.

[midnight Target]

Sound reasons for war or not. The analysis is still valid.

If your baby is dirty you have all kinds of sound reasons to clean it... This doesn't mean you put it in the washing machine. If you don't think ahead to what your actions may cause then you aren't acting responsibly.

I truely believe that our administration thought they were doing the right thing... I also firmly believe that they were mistaken.

[JB88]

well said.