Why stay in Iraq? A soldiers insight.

#28
#28
SWIL said:
#$%^ low gas prices, I want an alternative fuel source. What if we dumped the billions and billions of dollars we've spent on this war in R&D for a new fuel source? We'd easily have it right now.

That won't happen though. Not while Big Oil has our gov't and nation by the balls. :rtfm:
Click to expand...

Then you'd have Big Altternative Fuel and you'd complain about that.
 
#32
#32
TennTradition said:
Well, the terrorists we were worried about at least. QUOTE]

rwemyss said:
I can't leave well enough alone...

A dictator who attempted genocide of some of his own people with chemical weapons doesn't qualify as a terrorist?

QUOTE]

I do not think that Saddam Hussein would be classified as a terrorist who if we did not meet there was going to be meeting us here. Our sanctions were effective at preventing his WMD programs from growing - we know that now. We knew that then. There was no real intelligence that we trusted to indicate otherwise. I'm not saying that Saddam was not a bad guy. I'm not saying that the people of Iraq would be better off with him (although that situation was probably better in general than the situation now - but surely that will improve in time). My point is that all bad guys are not terrorists to the US - terrorists that if we do not kill, we will see them here in the US, or attacking our interests.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
#33
#33
TennTradition said:
I do not think that Saddam Hussein would be classified as a terrorist who if we did not meet there was going to be meeting us here. Our sanctions were effective at preventing his WMD programs from growing - we know that now. We knew that then. There was no real intelligence that we trusted to indicate otherwise. I'm not saying that Saddam was not a bad guy. I'm not saying that the people of Iraq would be better off with him (although that situation was probably better in general than the situation now - but surely that will improve in time). My point is that all bad guys are not terrorists to the US - terrorists that if we do not kill, we will see them here in the US, or attacking our interests.
Click to expand...

I see where you're coming from. I just could care less what excuses were used to go back to Iraq. I'm glad it was done. The execution since the "war" has been poor, and should have been planned out far better... but we're stuck with it now.
 
#34
#34
rwemyss said:
I see where you're coming from. I just could care less what excuses were used to go back to Iraq. I'm glad it was done. The execution since the "war" has been poor, and should have been planned out far better... but we're stuck with it now.
Click to expand...

:eek:k:

While the timing may have been right from a public opinion standpoint, it was horrible timing considering the war on terror. We did not go there to fight terrorists. There were real, living, breathing terrorists in Afghanistan/Pakistan that we (effectively) chose to allow to remain there by splitting our focus through adding an Iraq theatre to the war on terror.
 
#40
#40
USAF_Vol said:
I was declaring victory to moving this thread. Carry on people.
Click to expand...

I actually think that a lot of discussions that end up in the politics thread should be in the pub thread. This one is borderline. I've had these discussions in a pub before. But, I guess that the politics forum is reserved for issues other than politics...perhaps issue that will generate contention? It seems that religion discussions always end up in the politics thread..which just seems odd to me.

Oh well....off my soapbox.
 
#41
#41
utfantilidie said:
My wife works with a lady who's husband is a Black Hawk Helicopter pilot in Iraq.Transfers soldiers to hot zones and picks them up.Been there 4 years.Says if we leave Iraq, we will be facing the terrorist in our country at our doorstep.Believes in fighting for his kids, and countries future.Just thought I'd share from someones that's actually there.
Click to expand...

If the terrorists hate us because we have an interventionist foreign policy where we support unpopular govts in countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, etc; has there been any thought to perhaps letting the people in the Middle East work out their problems themselves?
 
#42
#42
oklavol said:
If the terrorists hate us because we have an interventionist foreign policy where we support unpopular govts in countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, etc; has there been any thought to perhaps letting the people in the Middle East work out their problems themselves?
Click to expand...
that's funny, our interventionist policy in Afghan I didn't seem to bother them very much.

Clearly our support of Israel is the crux of the issue. We aren't dropping our support and they aren't dropping their ideal: Israel pushed into the sea. Fortunately for many ME Arabs, we actually restrain Israel to some degree.
 
#43
#43
BigPapaVol said:
that's funny, our interventionist policy in Afghan I didn't seem to bother them very much.

Clearly our support of Israel is the crux of the issue. We aren't dropping our support and they aren't dropping their ideal: Israel pushed into the sea. Fortunately for many ME Arabs, we actually restrain Israel to some degree.
Click to expand...

Every poll I've seen, show the majority of the people in Iraq and in the U.S. want the U.S. out of Iraq.
 
#44
#44
TennTradition said:
I actually think that a lot of discussions that end up in the politics thread should be in the pub thread. This one is borderline. I've had these discussions in a pub before. But, I guess that the politics forum is reserved for issues other than politics...perhaps issue that will generate contention? It seems that religion discussions always end up in the politics thread..which just seems odd to me.

Oh well....off my soapbox.
Click to expand...

I disagree. This is all political. Nothing else.
 
#45
#45
USAF_Vol said:
I disagree. This is all political. Nothing else.
Click to expand...

Well, like I said - this is borderline IMO. I think that probably comes down to my definition of what is politics. I could probably be swayed either way.

A good example of threads that I dislike being in the politics forum are the threads I responded to about global climate change. I like to think the issue can be discussed without involving politics - thus I like the idea of it sitting in The Pub. However, the conversation generally occurs in this forum, so that is what I go with.
 
#46
#46
oklavol said:
Every poll I've seen, show the majority of the people in Iraq and in the U.S. want the U.S. out of Iraq.
Click to expand...
what does that have to do with your comments about our interventionist policy being the instigator of the terrorists.

Keep looking at polls for your information because they really help make good decisions.
 
#48
#48
utfantilidie said:
My wife works with a lady who's husband is a Black Hawk Helicopter pilot in Iraq.Transfers soldiers to hot zones and picks them up.Been there 4 years.Says if we leave Iraq, we will be facing the terrorist in our country at our doorstep.Believes in fighting for his kids, and countries future.Just thought I'd share from someones that's actually there.
Click to expand...

Thanks a bunch for his service, but he is wrong. Leaving Iraq isn't going to enhance terrorism here in the US. Iraq never has been nor ever will be a serious threat to US security. Our occupancy has created more terrorism over there, more insurgency. This is what I hear from almost everyone I know who has served over there during the past four years. Most of the military personnel I know say they will go where they are told and will do their job, but that it is a mess and isn't getting any better.
 
#49
#49
BigPapaVol said:
what does that have to do with your comments about our interventionist policy being the instigator of the terrorists.

Keep looking at polls for your information because they really help make good decisions.
Click to expand...

I'll keep looking at polls, and when the Republicans lose big in the next election as they did in 06, they will start looking at them too.

We're there to help create a democracy in Iraq, when the majority of the people in Iraq don't want us there?

At what point do we say we've spent enough resouces in Iraq? 100 Trillion? 200 Trillion? 300 Trillion?
 
#50
#50
I wonder if polling during a time of prolonged ground war has ever been positive in any conflict?
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top