Iraq - The End game

[sasguru]

Like YOU would know!!

What's that supposed to mean? I can see the facts in front of me.

[AtW]

$500 bln wasted on war in Iraq would have surely been enough to:
a) find cure for AIDS
b) find cure for cancer
c) find alternative fuels to avoid dependency on oil
d) lots more

Is not getting all that in exchange for Saddam being removed worth it? Hardly.

[shaunbhoy]

What's that supposed to mean? I can see the facts in front of me.

The facts are that Blair followed Bush and that Bush went into Iraq with the express intention of Regime Change. Are you seriously denying that regime change has occurred?

Secondly, the Coalition promised the Iraqis free and democratic elections during which they could choose their own government. Tens of millions of Iraqis voted in those elections, and the people duly elected have formed a government.

Thirdly, the overwhelming majority of deaths have arisen due to Muslim killing muslim with only a tiny percentage being directly attributable to the Coalition Forces.

We are now at a point where we can morally take a step backwards and leave them to it IMHO.

Now...........what are the facts on YOUR planet?? I could use a good laugh!!

[AtW]

Thirdly, the overwhelming majority of deaths have arisen due to Muslim killing muslim with only a tiny percentage being directly attributable to the Coalition Forces.

But this would not have happened had not Coalition invaded in the first place, which makes Coalition responsible for all that happened as the result of this stupid invasion.

[sasguru]

The facts are that Blair followed Bush and that Bush went into Iraq with the express intention of Regime Change. Are you seriously denying that regime change has occurred?

Secondly, the Coalition promised the Iraqis free and democratic elections during which they could choose their own government. Tens of millions of Iraqis voted in those elections, and the people duly elected have formed a government.

Thirdly, the overwhelming majority of deaths have arisen due to Muslim killing muslim with only a tiny percentage being directly attributable to the Coalition Forces.

We are now at a point where we can morally take a step backwards and leave them to it IMHO.

Now...........what are the facts on YOUR planet?? I could use a good laugh!!

So regime change and elections were the only required outcomes? The sectarian violence was completely predictable from the start. What about the stability of an area with one of the largest oil deposits in the world? What about the fact that Iran are laughing their heads off as they will now have effective control? I don't know why you have a Are you Iranian?

[shaunbhoy]

But this would not have happened had not Coalition invaded in the first place,

Absolute b0ll0x! It was happening under Saddam, it is happening now, and it will be happening long after we have gone. Shia and Sunni death squads are having a field day settling old scores. So much for the good old downtrodden peace-loving followers of Islam.

[shaunbhoy]

So regime change and elections were the only required outcomes?

Well you tell ME then Stephen Hawking. What other outcomes were hoped for?




This'll be good!!!

[PerlOfWisdom]

$500 bln wasted on war in Iraq would have surely been enough to:
a) find cure for AIDS
b) find cure for cancer
c) find alternative fuels to avoid dependency on oil
d) lots more

Is not getting all that in exchange for Saddam being removed worth it? Hardly.

Very true. When I was working on the NPfIT project I thought the 30bln "investment" would be better spent on one of the above.

[sasguru]

Absolute b0ll0x! It was happening under Saddam, it is happening now, and it will be happening long after we have gone. Shia and Sunni death squads are having a field day settling old scores. So much for the good old downtrodden peace-loving followers of Islam.

I don't think daily sectarian violence was a feature of Saddam's regime. He effectively clamped down on it. The West has always done business with repulsive characters like him, so moral idignation is not a valid reason.
The fact is that the neo-cons made the oldest mistake of all - got into a war which did not have any clear goals or exit strategy. Either that or they were naive beyond belief about the likelihood of success.

[sasguru]

Well you tell ME then Stephen Hawking. What other outcomes were hoped for?

That's what I was always confused about. I remember having a beer with a mate who had mates in the army on the day of the invasion (he was worried about them) and remember reassuring him, thinking it wouldn't take long to "win" the war but that it was inevitable we would lose the "peace".