Iraq

[Arthur Dent]

The Case Against Iraq

White House report on Iraq
Lists Security Council resolutions the United States says Saddam Hussein has violated

Cites New York Times article in which Iraqi defector says he visited 20 secret facilities for producing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons

Alleges an array of human rights violations, citing various reports

Accuses Iraq of concealing biological weapons program from U.N. inspectors

Cities accounting inconsistencies regarding chemical weapons

Cites report on nuclear weapons that says Iraq "probably" could build a nuclear warhead within months if it got plutonium or enriched uranium from another country

Concludes that Iraq doesn't have nuclear weapons capability and probably lacks systems needed to deliver chemical, biological or nuclear weapons

So, are we justified in going after Iraq?

Is Iraq a potential threat? I think so.
Are they an immediate threat? Probably not.
Do they support terrorists? Most likely.

[Ken'sPen]

BOOOOOOOO
HISSSSSSSSSSS
BOOOOOOOOO

I demand you delete this thread and make it a proper two choice "Dent Poll"

[OAS]

There are more than a dozen other countries that present a much more significant threat to the US in the short term than Iraq. Our biggest immediate danger is Pakistan. If Musharef loses control and an overthrow of his regime takes place, the bad guys will have their nukes. We are all buddy buddy with Pakistan now. 367 days ago we despised them. A lot of terrorst groups are in Pakistan and can mount a serious attempt to pverthrow Musharef.

Iraq presents more of an immediate threat to Israel, therefore our concern. Here we go again defending the Jews.

[Arpikarhu]

i refuse to make a decision on this matter until the world decides if its pronounced "EYE"raq or "EAR"aq !

[Ken'sPen]

This whole thing is nonsense...
the US and USSR should have split the middle east in half...
(Fair split of the oil reserves)
We could have governed the whole thing and let Russia worry about their half.

As it turns out I think having a strong super power rival is better than having a bunch of madmen all looking in your direction

[Ken'sPen]

i refuse to make a decision on this matter until the world decides if its pronounced "EYE"raq or "EAR"aq !

I was in a heated chat with BrokenJaw and Alkey on this very matter,
they are very passionate about it.

[Arthur Dent]

i refuse to make a decision on this matter until the world decides if its pronounced "EYE"raq or "EAR"aq !

So, your trying to choose between Brokenjaw and Alkey?!?

Yes, Pakistan is a major problem, but not one that can be solved by a show of force. We can't overthrow a government that is actually cooperating with us (after we gave them $millions in aid first) and they haven't invited us in as anything other than observers and to train their troops in how to fight. At the same time, we seem to have difused the whole India vs. Pakistan crisis for the immediate future.

Saudi Arabia may be a bigger problem than Iraq. Saw a Dateline interview with a former CIA operative who says we have had a blind eye to the Saudi's for decades, intentionally not paying attention to anything they do. We know almost nothing about them and they are the source for most of the 9/11 terrorists.

Oh, and I think the biggest threat Iraq poses is selling it's stock pile of chemical and biological weapons to Al Queda. Iraq does not have the capability of launching a missile attack into Isreal right now according to a report by a retired US marine turned UN inspector. To carry out an attack, they would need an Al Queda terrorist to smuggle the device into the target area.



Edited By Arthur Dent on Sep. 12 2002 at 4:23

[Ken'sPen]

fuck I just made the same joke Dent did....
I would like to retract the statement and offer myself up to public humiliation and retribution.

[Arthur Dent]

fuck I just made the same joke Dent did....

No, i won't start a poll about which version is funnier. And yes, it took me the full 3 minutes to type and proof read that post.

We can all come up with theories why George Bush wants to go after Iraq, but why is Tony Blair so strongly behind it?

Edit - Pronounce Iraq just cause I want to see if Arpi actually has an opinion.



Edited By Arthur Dent on Sep. 12 2002 at 4:49

[Arpikarhu]

the pronunciation matter has not been settled so i am still abstaining from this discussion

[OAS]

the pronunciation matter has not been settled so i am still abstaining from this discussion

Note to all: Make sure all threads have pronunciation challenges and we can silence Arpi. :-D

[Is Don on the phone?]

My only problem with the whole thing is the "regime change" rally point. First of all, who will be able to form a unity government between the Kurds, Shi'ites and Suunis? If the Kurds decide they want the north to be an autonomous region, the Turks will be pissed. And when the Ba'ath party falls, what fills the immediate power vaccum? How long will we be involved in country building before the Amercian public becomes bored with it?

Another problem is effecting the change. Saadam is a hard target; highly mobile, well protected, and with many safe houses (palaces actually). And my prediction is he barricades himself in Bagdhad: that means urban combat. This can be bloody, and does not require very highly skilled troops to inflict high casualties - look at how many Soviet troops were killed taking Berlin from a defending force made up mostly of old men and young boys with WWI vintage rifles.

Don't get me wrong, I think we have waited too long to oust that bastard. But I wonder if we really have the logistical ability and support to effect a massive invasion while still nation building in Afghanistan and chasing down Al Quaeda. I hope we are not spreading ourselves too thin.

[Arpikarhu]

But I wonder if we really have the logistical ability and support to effect a massive invasion while still nation building in Afghanistan and chasing down Al Quaeda. I hope we are not spreading ourselves too thin.

:rofl:

[PollyannaFlower46]

I was talking to my father about this before and he said that it seemed rather odd that the US was doing so much talking and not acting, and he said that he wondered if we were starting some sort of revolution within Iraq that we would support once it got underway this way it wouldn't look like we were totally disregarding the feelings of the rest of the world. It made a bit of sense to me....