Posted on 01/15/2005 2:30:04 PM PST by Prost1
Chaos will flourish in the Middle East if President Bush’s policy continues unchanged
EVEN DONALD RUMSFELD, in his more private moments, must wonder if the invasion of Iraq was really such a good idea. It has become obvious to almost everyone else, including many such as myself who originally supported the war, that it has been a huge mistake. My support was based solely on the evidence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), on which the intelligence was exaggerated and which Washington has just admitted it is no longer looking for. There is absolutely no evidence that Iraq was supporting al-Qaeda. I believe that the real reason for the war, at least in the US, was to create a reasonably democratic, free-market Iraq to act as both a beacon and a rebuke to other countries in the region. That possibility looks more and more remote. The forthcoming elections look unlikely to produce a government with real authority and legitimacy, or to stop the violence, but they must go ahead; let us hope that they prove a step on the road to normality. Despite the bombing of the UN headquarters in August 2003, the current appalling level of violence did not begin until March 2004, a year after the invasion. It might have been more easily contained if the postwar administration had not made so many early mistakes.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Then you are a bonehead who doesn't listen or think. It makes me think you are not worth listening to.
Absolutely right. And this "there were no weapons of mass destruction" argument that the left loves to rub in our faces--I consider Saddam Hussein himself to be a weapon of mass destruction. How many people died during his reign? Hundreds of thousands, maybe a million, if you count all that died during the Iran/Iraq war in the '80s and the invasion of Kuwait in 1990. And the oppression that the his own people endured ... This bonehead is an appeaser and if he'd had his way Saddam and all his henchmen would still be in power. God bless President Bush and our troops for putting a stop that madness.
I wonder if this isn't a little white lie?
Yep. It sounds like leftovers from the Kerry/Edwards campaign.
"You don't know what you're talking about.
The primary reason for invading Iraq was the imminent threat of WMD, I think."
Look who is vacuous.
No reason to read much further than this.
And to hell with the Iraqi people, right?
"I support GWB on just about everyhting but Iraq and Amnesty for illegals."
Same here.
Are you sure you aren't reading my mind.
I'm a paleoconservative, BTW, aka Reagan conservatism.
Neoconservatives are nothing more than leftists with a conservative suffix. And the American people are falling for the name. LOL!
Oh yes, lets let Iraq become another Afghanistan. Such a brilliant idea you have there. 10 years from now we'd have to go back and clean it up again.
People think that because you state something, it is real. "The war is a disaster", then it is a disaster. "The war has been brilliantly executed", then its a great war... this thing won't reveal itself for another 10 years or more.
By the way, if WMD is the only thing that will justify action, how are we going to take the future actions as needed? WMD is an important threat, but we weren't attacked by WMD on 9-11. We have had to fight lots of wars, and luckily none have ever involved WMD's on the other side.
Time will tell.
Richard Miniter found a mountain of evidence. Andrew McCarthy found evidence in the 9/11 Commission Report even though the Commission itself tried to spin it otherwise. And then of course there is the virtual mountain range of evidence compiled by Free Republic's own backhoe.
"NeoCon" is slang for Jewish Conservatives, much like "Uncle Tom" is slang for Black Conservatives.
LOL!
Well, we did find lots of WMDs, didn't we?
I mean if Colon Powell said there were WMDs, there must have been WMDs? Right?
Violation of UN resolutions may have been one of the main reasons for attacking Iraq. This argument is weak in that Israel has violated over 70 UN resolutions:
1. Resolution 106: "... 'condemns' Israel for Gaza raid"
2. Resolution 111: "...'condemns' Israel for raid on Syria that killed fifty-six people"
3. Resolution 127: "...'recommends' Israel suspend its 'no-man's zone' in Jerusalem"
4. Resolution 162: "...'urges' Israel to comply with UN decisions"
5. Resolution 171: "...determines flagrant violations' by Israel in its attack on Syria"
6. Resolution 228: "...'censures' Israel for its attack on Samu in the West Bank, then under Jordanian control"
7. Resolution 237: "...'urges' Israel to allow return of new 1967 Palestinian refugees"
8. Resolution 248: "... 'condemns' Israel for its massive attack on Karameh in Jordan"
9. Resolution 250: "... 'calls' on Israel to refrain from holding military parade in Jerusalem"
10. Resolution 251: "... 'deeply deplores' Israeli military parade in Jerusalem in defiance of Resolution 250"
11. Resolution 252: "...'declares invalid' Israel's acts to unify Jerusalem as Jewish capital"
12. Resolution 256: "... 'condemns' Israeli raids on Jordan as 'flagrant violation""
13. Resolution 259: "...'deplores' Israel's refusal to accept UN mission to probe occupation"
14. Resolution 262: "...'condemns' Israel for attack on Beirut airport"
15. Resolution 265: "... 'condemns' Israel for air attacks for Salt in Jordan"
16. Resolution 267: "...'censures' Israel for administrative acts to change the status of Jerusalem"
17. Resolution 270: "...'condemns' Israel for air attacks on villages in southern Lebanon"
18. Resolution 271: "...'condemns' Israel's failure to obey UN resolutions on Jerusalem"
19. Resolution 279: "...'demands' withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon"
20. Resolution 280: "....'condemns' Israeli's attacks against Lebanon"
21. Resolution 285: "...'demands' immediate Israeli withdrawal form Lebanon"
22. Resolution 298: "...'deplores' Israel's changing of the status of Jerusalem"
23. Resolution 313: "...'demands' that Israel stop attacks against Lebanon"
24. Resolution 316: "...'condemns' Israel for repeated attacks on Lebanon"
25. Resolution 317: "...'deplores' Israel's refusal to release Arabs abducted in Lebanon"
26. Resolution 332: "...'condemns' Israel's repeated attacks against Lebanon"
27. Resolution 337: "...'condemns' Israel for violating Lebanon's sovereignty"
28. Resolution 347: "...'condemns' Israeli attacks on Lebanon"
29. Resolution 425: "...'calls' on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon"
30. Resolution 427: "...'calls' on Israel to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon'
31. Resolution 444: "...'deplores' Israel's lack of cooperation with UN peacekeeping forces"
32. Resolution 446: "...'determines' that Israeli settlements are a 'serious obstruction' to peace and calls on Israel to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention"
33. Resolution 450: "...'calls' on Israel to stop attacking Lebanon"
34. Resolution 452: "...'calls' on Israel to cease building settlements in occupied territories"
35. Resolution 465: "...'deplores' Israel's settlements and asks all member states not to assist Israel's settlements program"
36. Resolution 467: "...'strongly deplores' Israel's military intervention in Lebanon"
37. Resolution 468: "...'calls' on Israel to rescind illegal expulsions of two Palestinian mayors and a judge and to facilitate their return"
38. Resolution 469: "...'strongly deplores' Israel's failure to observe the council's order not to deport Palestinians" 39. Resolution 471: "... 'expresses deep concern' at Israel's failure to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention"
39. Resolution 476: "... 'reiterates' that Israel's claims to Jerusalem are 'null and void'"
40. Resolution 478: "...'censures (Israel) in the strongest terms' for its claim to Jerusalem in its 'Basic Law'"
41. Resolution 484: "...'declares it imperative' that Israel re-admit two deported Palestinian mayors"
42. Resolution 487: "...'strongly condemns' Israel for its attack on Iraq's nuclear facility"
43. Resolution 497: "...'decides' that Israel's annexation of Syria's Golan Heights is 'null and void' and demands that Israel rescind its decision forthwith"
44. Resolution 498: "...'calls' on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon"
45. Resolution 501: "...'calls' on Israel to stop attacks against Lebanon and withdraw its troops"
46. Resolution 509: "...'demands' that Israel withdraw its forces forthwith and unconditionally from Lebanon"
47. Resolution 515: "...'demands' that Israel lift its siege of Beirut and allow food supplies to be brought in"
48. Resolution 517: "...'censures' Israel for failing to obey UN resolutions and demands that Israel withdraw its forces from Lebanon"
49. Resolution 518: "...'demands' that Israel cooperate fully with UN forces in Lebanon"
50. Resolution 520: "...'condemns' Israel's attack into West Beirut"
51. Resolution 573: "...'condemns' Israel 'vigorously' for bombing Tunisia in attack on PLO headquarters
52. Resolution 587: "...'takes note' of previous calls on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon and urges all parties to withdraw"
53. Resolution 592: "...'strongly deplores' the killing of Palestinian students at Bir Zeit University by Israeli troops" 55. Resolution 605: "...'strongly deplores' Israel's policies and practices denying the human rights of Palestinians
54. Resolution 607: "...'calls' on Israel not to deport Palestinians and strongly requests it to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention
55. Resolution 608: "...'deeply regrets' that Israel has defied the United Nations and deported Palestinian civilians"
56. Resolution 636: "...'deeply regrets' Israeli deportation of Palestinian civilians
57. Resolution 641: "...'deplores' Israel's continuing deportation of Palestinians
58. Resolution 672: "...'condemns' Israel for violence against Palestinians at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount
59. Resolution 673: "...'deplores' Israel's refusal to cooperate with the United Nations
60. Resolution 681: "...'deplores' Israel's resumption of the deportation of Palestinians
61. Resolution 694: "...'deplores' Israel's deportation of Palestinians and calls on it to ensure their safe and immediate return
62. Resolution 726: "...'strongly condemns' Israel's deportation of Palestinians
63. Resolution 799: "...'strongly condemns' Israel's deportation of 413 Palestinians and calls for their immediate return.
64. Resolution 904: "..Strongly condemns the massacre in Hebron and its aftermath which took the lives of more than 50 Palestinian civilians and injured several hundred others"
65. Resolution1073: ".. Deeply concerned about the tragic events in Jerusalem and the areas of Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem and the Gaza Strip, resulting in a high number of deaths and injuries among the Palestinian civilians.
66. Resolution 1322: "..Condemns acts of violence, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinians, resulting in injury and loss of human life"
67. Resolution 1397: "..Demands immediate cessation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation, incitement and destruction. "
68. Resolution 1402: ".. calls for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities, including Ramallah."
69. Resolution 1403: "..Demands the implementation of its resolution 1402 (2002) without delay ."
70. Resolution 1405: "..Deeply concerned about the dire humanitarian situation of the Palestinian civilian population in the Jenin refugee camp."
It would have been a better argument for the United States to state that we are attacking Iraq for our national interests alone. The UN be damned.
I'm a proud Naughty Neocon.
Hate me.
Being a Repub and FOR the war cause I believed that we gave the appropriate reasons and Saddam did not comply, I am a conservative and NOT a NEO CON........you do not invade countries JUST to spread democracy.......if that was the case we would be invading Saudi Arabia, N. Korea, China etc......again, I was for invading but not for that lame excuse......if we didn't, I fully believe that Saddam would have started up WMD and sold it to terroists.
The fact of the matter is, the Middle East may be destined for chaos in any case. Bush is taking the best shot we have to rearrange the landscape. That failing, brace yourselves for a very tenuous future.
And to hell with the Iraqi people, right?
To hell with them? Well, they can go where they please.
The American people own them nothing. You however are free to give your life saving to them, and go live there if you wish.
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