Reflections on the Iraq War

[Azale]

It's the ten year anniversary of Gulf War II, aka "Operation Iraqi Freedom."

What did you think about the war in the runup?

What do you think now?

Any other thoughts related to Saddam, American media, Bush & krew, liberal intellectual cowardice, etc?

 

[peter grimes]

Is there a way to reword the poll? It's very ambiguous.

If I was against invading Iraq in 2003, How do I answer?

If I thought it was a good idea at the time, considering what we thought at the time, but then changed my mind when new information came to light, How do I answer?

If I can't really separate the 1991 invasion and the 2003 invasion in my mind, How do I answer?

If I thought both invasions were good and noble adventures, How do I answer?

How do I answer on behalf of the 1,000,000 dead people?

 

[dirtyparrot]

I thought that it was a mistake then and still feel the same way now. I never believed that their evidence was anything but flimsy. I felt that the run-up to the war highlighted the deplorable state of the US journalism which failed to pursue, analyze, or synthesize information relevant to the war. Instead, they acted like cheerleaders without a backbone.

 

[Carras Dad]

like every other war it was started because various interest groups wanted it to. people died.

 

[downtown]

Knowing what we know now about the Iraqi weapons situation, and given how it's damaged our budget flexibility now, the Iraq War is completely indefensible.

 

[peter grimes]

Knowing what we know now about the Iraqi weapons situation, and given how it's damaged our budget flexibility now, the Iraq War is completely indefensible.

Knowing what we knew then, the Iraq war was completely indefensible.

 

[~Corsair#01~]

At the time of the war, I thought it was a great idea. Saddam was a dictator, we were democratic states, so we should get rid of him and free Iraq. Then they'd thank us for all the democracy and freedom.

Of course, I was 14 years old back then. I didn't know about the history of US/UK foreign policy in the region.

In particular I didn't know about how our governments spent the '80s arming and supporting Saddam against Iran, or how they wiped out half the country's civilian infrastructure including sewage and water treatment plants in 1991 for no discernible reason other than spite and because they could.
Or how they called for the Shia resistance to rise up against Saddam before simply standing at the Kuwaiti border and watching Saddam's forces wipe them out. Or how the economic sanctions in the 90s killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people, mostly children and the elderly.

Had I known these things, it would have become clear that neither the US nor UK governments cared one single iota about Iraqi lives and that the invasion and "re-building" of Iraq would be carried out with equal contempt for the people living there.

Looking back, the intentions of the people who masterminded the war ensured that it was always going to end up like this: Iraq in ruins, no better off than it was under Saddam and the sanctions. It was all just a total, senseless waste of human lives.

 

[ace99]

I'm sure Iraq appreciates the weekly massive car and suicide bombings in markets that kill hundreds of people every week.

Victory for democracy that was.

Now we need to do it to Iran:

Barack Obama, the US president, has promised to work closely with Israel and do whatever is necessary to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

In a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, Obama said that while the US "prefers to resolve" the Iran issue diplomatically, "all options are on the table'' if diplomacy falls short.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/03/2013320194234768922.html

 

[Leonel]

I had initially supported it although I was still wondering what they had to do with Osama Bin Laden. I've long since changed my opinion and realized it was a terrible idea. At least with Afghanistan, we were looking for the guy.

 

[keli]

Knowing what we know now about the Iraqi weapons situation, and given how it's damaged our budget flexibility now, the Iraq War is completely indefensible.

What? Budget flexibility? Who gives a damn about your economy when you invaded a country which you had nothing to do with causing hundreds of thousands to die? Even if it helped your economy it would have been completely indefensible.

This war was not fought for "international peace" or liberating the oppressed citizens of the country, this was only fought for the interests of the USA, so this was pretty much an imperialistic war which caused pointless bloodshed.

 

[JollyRoger]

I supported the war, but was against the troops.

 

[Borachio]

I confess I was in favour at the time. I was so utterly fed up with pictures of Saddam Hussein on the TV and report after report of human rights abuses. And that whole Kurdish poison gas debacle. And it looked like the regime wasn't going to change as Hussein got older, and eventually died. If anything, his son looked worse.

The only real misgiving I had was how they'd manage the post Saddam era. And sadly it proved to be a complete fiasco.

In the end, it was just about oil fields, imo.

 

[JollyRoger]

I was pleasantly suprised when the mission was accomplished so quickly.

 

[downtown]

What? Budget flexibility? Who gives a damn about your economy when you invaded a country which you had nothing to do with causing hundreds of thousands to die?

Uh, Americans do?

The entire premise of the war was that it was vital for America's national security due to Iraq's willingness to employ weapons of mass destruction. If that *was actually the case*, the war MIGHT have been justified. It wasn't the case, and it managed to destabilize the region AND torpedo America's economy. I can't see how anybody can defend it now.

 

[Borachio]

I was pleasantly suprised when the mission was accomplished so quickly.

Yes. So was I. And relieved. (I think they had a lot of good luck - and good logistical planning.)

Then "winning the peace" went quickly and horribly wrong. And there's no end in sight, yet.

 

[ace99]

I was hoping we would take out North Korea rather than Iraq. Alas.

 

[MobBoss]

We may not know if it was 'worth it' or not for decades.

Or what may have occurred if the war hadnt occurred when it did. It may have been inevitable one way or another with Saddam Hussein still leading Iraq.

 

[downtown]

Why should I care if Saddam left Iraq or not?

 

[Borachio]

I was hoping we would take out North Korea rather than Iraq. Alas.

It would make more sense. Since the South Koreans would likely handle the aftermath much better.

But, I've learnt my lesson. I'm not in favour of any wars at all, from now on.

(Probably luckily, no one ever asks for my opinion anyway.)

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Still don't know what to think of it. I didn't and don't support it because of that.