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Aurel,
I have read most of your posts, and it seems like you keep coming back to the conclusion that this war is predicated on oil. I don't happen to agree. I think if if you are going to use a "percentage", it would be very low, but there is no way I can ever convince you of this.
I think that we had every right and an obligation to the American people to go back to Iraq. When we signed a cease fire areement with Iraq, it had conditions attached to it. One of the conditions was the disarmament of the Iraqi regime. They gave us a list of the weapons they had and they were supposed to document and show proof of their destruction. For 12 years they refused to do this.
So, what do we do about it?
Well, I guess we could just look the other way and hope for the best (kind of what we did under the direction of the UN). 9/11 changed things. It wasn't the first attack on US soil or against US citizens, but it was by far the most destructive. A lot of questions were raised about why we hadn't done anything to prevent it from happening. Surely we should have "seen" something like this coming. In the future we might have to try to "nip it in the bud". Okay, but "why Iraq, the bad guys are all in Afghanistan hiding in caves" you ask. Well, to say that Al Qaida, is the ONLY group of people who despise our way of life and want to see it destroyed is a little naive. Iraq had the capability and the desire to harm us, very badly if they wanted to. We just couldn't take the risk anymore. Will we do this to anybody who threatens us? Maybe, but Iraqs record on these things was pretty poor (Iran, Kuait, the Kurds, etc.).
But why didn't we do anything about N. Korea instead? They pose a much greater threat. Well, we ARE doing something about them (and they don't have any oil. Just kidding) diplomatically. For NOW. Remember just a few years ago we stood toe to toe with the Soviet Union who was also brandishing their nuclear sword. We won that one, and we will deal with this one.
I just have a few questions of those opposed to our action.
Do you think that Sadaam would have ever disarmed to the conditions of our cease-fire agreement on his own? If "yes" when? If "no", what would have been a better solution?
Do you think it's ever possible for the US to do ANYTHING that isn't percieved by France et al as "US Imperialism", or a "quest for oil"?
Did France and Germany lose any contracts they had with Sadaam, now that he is gone? Hint: yes.
If this was all about oil, how long do you think it will take before our "investment" pays out? And who gets the cash?
When we finally "get the hell out" of Iraq, will they be better off by our leaving than say, Cuba was?
Just wondering.
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