Should we attack Iraq?

[REDWAVE]

This is your chance to express your opinion, anonymously or otherwise, on the most burning issue of the day: should the U.S. launch an attack on Iraq to oust Saddam Hussein? The issue has already been thoroughly debated on Lit., and I don't really see the need for any more. But if you want to make a case one way or another, feel free. I've expressed my own views quite fully. I don't think I need to repeat myself here, but for those of you who are totally new here, I'm agin' it.

Please vote!

 

[riff]

No. I think it is a silly idea.

 

[MissTaken]

We will be attacking Iraq.

So why discuss it further.

Besides, if we can't get OBL, perhaps we must go get Sadaam?



*tongue deeply implanted in cheek*

 

[Worm]

As an American the way I see it if he was capable of taking us out he would. It would also be one less dictator on this planet..war sucks and people will die lots of innocent people but in the long run the Iraqi people will be better off.

 

[LukkyKnight]

Yes, YOU should attack. You and everybody who agress with you should kit up and fly on over and have at. Definitely.

 

[JazzManJim]

Yes. Of course. How is this even a question?

 

[REDWAVE]

Earth to Jim, come in, JMJ . . .

How can you ask "How is this even a question?"? Even a lot of very conservative Republicans have come out publicly against it.

And I'm pretty sure Laurel and a whole army of kitty-cats are against it.

 

[JazzManJim]

Re: Earth to Jim, come in, JMJ . . .

How can you ask "How is this even a question?"? Even a lot of very conservative Republicans have come out publicly against it.

It's pretty simple, and obvious, to me.

- He's slaughtered thousands of his own people using not only tanks, guns, and bombs, but chemical and biological weapons.

- He's refused UN inspections for over a decade. He's thumbed this refusal in the UN's face.

- He has for that same decade openly developed biological and chemical weapons. He's also sought technology to build nuclear weapons. We've already established that he has an effective means of delivering the payloads not only into neighboring countries but also farther.

- He openly and unabashedly supports terrorist organizations. His support is not only moral, but financial and material. There is every reason to believe that such support will inevitably include the same biological and chemical weapons he's been developing.

The man is a menace to the entire world. On the strength of the mass murder alone he should be removed from power as was Milosevic. Add to that his penchant for developing such horrible weapons and his willingness ot use it not only on other nations but his own people and his removal becomes not only a matter of "human rights violations" but also of security to every nation in his vicinity.

To not remove him is not only hypocrisy of the highest order on the part of the US and the UN but is also to ignore the greatest threat the world has right now. That there's any doubt that he should be removed and that it should be done immediately astonishes me. It's delusional.

 

[Jonnyray]

Iraq is a time bomb that should have been disfused long ago. It's a necessary evil that should have been done during the Gulf War. Firends in the miitary (who were there the 1st fime) say Schwarzkorf dropped the ball and didn;t follow through.

Unfortunately, the reality is bombs alone won't to the job. It's going to involve ground troops of some kind to do it right. Targets must be IDed and painted for the smart weapons. Some Iraqi installations may even have to be cleared like the Japanese island caves of WWII.


If I had a rocket launcher, some sonofabitch would die - Bruce Coburn

 

[70/30]

I was hedging toward yes until the Russians came out yesterday with the $40Billion package for Iraq. Ishmael had me convinced that Russia would be the prime occupying entity after the overthrow-on the contrary, they are more likely to defend Iraq. I feel better about myself though-in early 1999 I had to do a position paper in Global Politics about what the New World Order would be. My answer was the Cold War never ended but that it has turned into a two vs. one-Russia and China against the USA. All this terrorism crap sorta proved I was off but I've been redeemed in a big way. But as a nation we are screwed every which way-no allies to speak of except the fuckin' psycho Jews and Putin isn't a clear enough villain to pursue.

 

[Schleicher]

Saddam the great Satan

- He's slaughtered thousands of his own people using not only tanks, guns, and bombs, but chemical and biological weapons.

Anybody so inclined could argue that the UN sanctions have done far more damage than the meager power of a totalitarian dictator could ever inflict. What was the motivation of Iraq to invade Kuwait anyway? Wasn't Kuwait stealing Iraq's oil? We pretty much bombed the shit out of Iraq, than sealed the gates behind us so they couldn't rebuild. Infant mortality, illnesses, etc. are all atrocious and we can't in all honesty claim that Saddam is hording medical supplies: the Iraqi's can't get proper equipment past the sanctions.

http://www.unicef.org/newsline/99pr29.htm

- He's refused UN inspections for over a decade. He's thumbed this refusal in the UN's face.

Really? Why did our weapons inspectors keep resigning? I thought we had inspectors right up until the past five or so months. On a related topic, would America allow Iraqis to tour our missile silos? Why not?

http://www.wsws.org/news/1998/dec1998/iraq-d18.shtml
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/jan-june99/pickering_1-11a.html
http://www.scn.org/ccpi/speakers.html

- He has for that same decade openly developed biological and chemical weapons. He's also sought technology to build nuclear weapons. We've already established that he has an effective means of delivering the payloads not only into neighboring countries but also farther.

http://www.iacenter.org

Pakistan and India have just recently established nuclear capabilities. Why don't we invade them? It seems like we should be investing tons of money in Russia to make sure that underpaid security guards aren't selling Russia's old nukes to Al Queda.

- He openly and unabashedly supports terrorist organizations. His support is not only moral, but financial and material. There is every reason to believe that such support will inevitably include the same biological and chemical weapons he's been developing.

Are you talking about Saudi Arabia or Iraq? How many 9/11 terrorists were from Iraq? How many were from Saudi Arabia?

The man is a menace to the entire world.

I'm trying to figure out how I have personally been menaced. I probably drove using Iraqi oil. I probably missed some good sports on tv during the Gulf War. As a fit, intelligent, drug-free, straight man of draft age, I risk being called in to get myself some prime, choice, A-1 Gulf War syndrome if I'm ever drafted into a conflict. I think I'm more menaced by men named Bush than a man named Hussein.

On the strength of the mass murder alone he should be removed from power as was Milosevic. Add to that his penchant for developing such horrible weapons and his willingness ot use it not only on other nations but his own people and his removal becomes not only a matter of "human rights violations" but also of security to every nation in his vicinity.

Sanctions kill lots more people than evil dictators, and you'd already know this if you read any of the links on the UNICEF website. Why haven't we invaded Cuba? Aren't they an evil regime headed by a monomaniacal dictator?! We could get by with fewer cigars a lot better than we can get by with less oil. If only we can send Jimmy Carter to the middle east, we may still be able to head off another round of poor American men getting killed to make rich military contracters get richer.

 

[REDWAVE]

Welcome!

Welcome to Lit., Schleicher. You make a very lucid argument there.

 

[REDWAVE]

10-7 against

You see the poll results. A house divided against itself should NOT go to war.

 

[Violette]

Good points made all around...

But the heart of the matter is this: The Military hasn't found Bin Laden, it's almost been a year since the attacks, no one's been found accountable, and our country's leaders are trying to win back the public's support by going after a more obvious, more visible target.

Yes, Saddam's ass needs to be kicked, but this is simply not the time!

 

[MzChrista]

Aint nothing you can say about Iraq you cant say about some of the fuckos on our side like saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Dont pakistan have weapons of mass destruction and aint it crawling with terrorists?
Little Georgie wants a war so he dont get his ass kicked for the economy being fucked up.

 

[70/30]

Moot points. Russia already trumped us.

 

[medjay]

Little Georgie wants a war so he dont get his ass kicked for the economy being fucked up.

Am I the only one who is reminded of the Greg Stillman character from Stephen King's The Dead Zone whenever I think of Bush?

Scary.

 

[Lancecastor]

If you had any sense at all...

.....you'd attack the Bush family for their illegal purchase of the Presidential Erection and hostile takeover of the USA...before it's too late.

Lance

 

[Guest]

Yes. Of course. How is this even a question?

Ummmm, by looking at the results...

Hiya Jim...

Moon

 

[ReadyMike]

Before I sign a check for G.W. to attack Iraq, I want the head of OBL, that I was promised.

As far as our CEO president, I think MzChrista should be dispatched to Crawford, or where ever vacation is taking place and teach him a lesson in economics (I value her methods).

 

[REDWAVE]

Lancecastor

Ah, a man after my own heart. Pretty much everything JMJ said about Saddam could be said with greater justice about Bush. If there's a man who's a menace to the entire world, it's him.

 

[Worm]

Re: If you had any sense at all...

.....you'd attack the Bush family for their illegal purchase of the Presidential Erection and hostile takeover of the USA...before it's too late.

Lance

LOL thats so lame!

 

[70/30]

Best laugh I've had today and I hate Bush.

 

[Worm]

Well personally I like bush and I'm not talking about the President

 

[Lancecastor]

Re: Re: If you had any sense at all...

LOL thats so lame!

There's a cogent response.

You likely believe that Oswald acted alone, right?

It'll likely take a few more decades for y'all to cogitate it for yourselves, but your way of life is destroying the planet.

Go buy an SUV. I hear they're on sale right now...with free air.

Lance