Originally posted by OZkansas
What will the world gain if Saddam is removed from power:
> 1. Iraqi will have an opportunity to taste freedom
> and install a government they chose.
This is not a benefit to the world only the Iraqi people. The Iraqi people already have the government that they chose. If the majority of Iraqis wanted something different, they would have revolted just as the people of the USSR, East Germany, Poland, and Iran revolted against their oppressive totalitarian governments. (Of course Iran replaced it with another oppressive gov't in our opinion, but it is still a gov't that
they freely chose).
> 2. The neighbors of Iraq will no longer fear
> invasion by Saddam.
The neighbors of Iraq have not feared invasion by Saddam for the 12 years since the end of the 1st Gulf War. If Iraqs neighbors truly feared Saddam they would all be with us in this fight. Instead: Syria and Jordan (both who supported the US in the 1st Gulf War) have denounced this invasion; Turkey won't let us use their border to enter Iraq (which they did in the 1st Gulf War); more than 90% of the Saudi people are against the war; only Kuwait stands with us (but some Kuwaitis have attack our troops which shows they don't all love us like they did when we rescued their country in '91). And then there is Iran...do you really care if Iraq and Iran have another war? I don't.
> 3. This regime represents a potential source
> for weapons for terrorist. The people of the
> USA will feel safer.
Trust is also a major issue for Saddam. There is no terrorist group that he could trust enough to be sure that the weapons that he would supply them would only be used against the US and not turned back against him. The concept of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" is not valid when you have an individual who is so paranoid for his safety that he sleeps in a different bed every night and employs several body doubles.
Further, the enemy of my enemy is not my friend if I consider him my enemy also. Middle East experts agree (including our own CIA) that UBL and Al Qaeda are enemies of Saddam. The Al Qaeda training camps in Kurdish controlled northern Iraq were there to train Kurds how to fight against Saddam, not fight for him.
I for one (and there are many others) feel
less safe because of this action.
This invasion is the best recruiting drive that Al Qaeda has ever had...thank you Mr. Bush.[/i]
> 4. The Iraqi people will be free from fear.
> Oil will be a wealth that all Iraqi people will participate.
Again, that is only a benefit for the Iraqi people. I really could not care less about them if they don't have the balls to start a revolution without our help.
> 5. One less dictator the world will have to tolerate.
The only one I agree with. But I think it is damn arrogant of us to then become the judge of other world leaders and become the instrument of their removal if we determine that they are not so nice a guy. There are too many out there...some of whom we currently call friend (such as the leader of Pakistan).
> 6. Perhaps the new Iraq will help change the
> Middle East from kingdoms and theocracy to
> governments that the people participate as a force.
Not likely. The Kurds are primarily Wahabbi, which is the same Islamic sect that UBL belongs to. The southern Iraqis share their Shi'a beliefs with Iranians...no country comprised of majority Shi'ites carved from former Iraq would be autonomous from Iran IMHO.
> I have to wonder why so many around the world
> are so afraid of these changes?
I think it is clear that this invasion destabilizes the region, increases the likelihood for more frequent terrorist attacks against the US, has destabilized oil prices and has destroyed the goodwill the US had after 9/11. Seems like pretty good reasons to be afraid of Bush and his policies.
