An Israeli nuke could really “elevate” them and their camels too.
Not only did Bush take out Iran’s adversary, Saddam, but Saddam was promptly replaced be a govt of pro-Iran Shiites. And this was years before Obama came in, so don’t tell me to stop “blaming Bush”
Correct, and Iran didn't have to do anything but sit by. It eliminated an enemy (Iraq) which they had just fought a long bloody war, and left them the only power in the region.
Watch out for that 3rd rail Donald!
It’s too bad that Trump is purveying the canard that those weapons were never found. Some of the nerve and disease problems in many troops from GWI are because the weapons were, indeed found, all over the place. Two guys who were in that one work at the shipyard where I work. One says they had to load that stuff on trucks and many developed interesting cancers years later. Jason has had several surgeries and a chemo that after years of stalling the VA finally paid for. Rick just says he was sworn to never talk about it before he separated.
It’s too bad that Trump is purveying the canard that those weapons were never found. Some of the nerve and disease problems in many troops from GWI are because the weapons were, indeed found, all over the place. Two guys who were in that one work at the shipyard where I work. One says they had to load that stuff on trucks and many developed interesting cancers years later. Jason has had several surgeries and a chemo that after years of stalling the VA finally paid for. Rick just says he was sworn to never talk about it before he separated.
Once Saddam Hussein was deposed, Iran sponsored groups quickly took control of Shiite politics, making US soldiers and the entire project captive to Iran’s desires and pressure. In deposing Saddam Hussein, we destroyed Iran’s most lethal opponent.
I can’t quite understand how that obvious fact was missed in Bush’s war planning
the other lesson - the division of present-day US politics prohibits such wars from being waged. The USA could have controlled and pacified Iraq, but it would literally have to have become a US colony. We would have to be prepared to kill many more, if necessary, and stay a minimum of 50 years. Vietnam was the same - but US politics would not allow it.
He’s absolutely right.
I believe Saddam did have WMD in 2003, although not as active as in earlier decades.
But, got to question HOW and WHEN Saddam embarked on WMD (including chemical & biological weapons). It started in the 1980s and Saddam gradually acquired the technology through Western help. Germany, France, the UK, and even the U.S. were selling weapons to Saddam in the 1980s and indirectly through commercial companies helping Saddam develop them.
Post-Gulf War, and only after Kuwaiti invasion by Saddam, the West suddenly woke up to the possibility of Saddam using WMDs more broadly, and then the West tried to contain Saddam’s aggression until 9/11 happened.
I agree with the rest of your comments and Trump’s too about Saddam’s removal. But, regarding WMDs, it was a problem we helped to develop to begin with.
Also, we didn’t need to invade Iraq to remove Saddam. He could’ve been removed by other means. And, at any rate, the Mullahs’ interference in Iraq and related ambition have had a long history. GWB administration should have been both aware of that history, as well as factored Iran in when planning for post-Saddam Iraq.
Trump's correct. Iran doesn't really fear the U.S. because they've never had to face us.
Iran did fear Saddam Hussein. The eight year Iran/Iraq war killed millions on both sides. Iran knew that Saddam Hussein was just batshit crazy enough that if he viewed Iran as a threat, he'd send the Republican Guard over the Iran/Iraq border.
In many ways, deposing Saddam Hussein had a destabilization effect in the middle east that I don't think we could've fathomed.
Actually Iraq had become stabilized and was probably more peaceful than many American cities (looking at you Chicago, Baltimore, etc). The problem was Obama didn’t want a status of forces agreement big enough for the Iraqi’s to give anything to get. So we left and things spiraled down hill quickly with a giant void to fill.
I am not for building Democracies in most cases, but the reason everything fell to crap is because of Obama/Hillary.
As I recall Trump wanted to seize Iraq’s oil not that long ago. An action that, if taken, would have confirmed the suspicions of every anti-American zealot in the region. If we had done that every militant group over there from Shiite to Sunni would have immediately turned against us - to include all the pseudo allies we gained during the Anbar Awakening. Trumps idea was flat out terrible. I wonder if he still advocates for this.
Alright. Enough. Trump is a freaking idiot.
This isn’t surprising since Trump hates W so much. He’s said in the past that his buddy Bill Clinton was impeached for something totally unimportant (apparently breaking the law is unimportant to Trump) and that the stupid guy with the low IQ, George W Bush should have been impeached for lying his way into the war. Trump was also disappointed that Nancy “The Best!” Pelosi didn’t go after Bush hard enough regarding impeachment.
Libya and probably Syria soon also. /sarc
Trump is dangerously ignorant of ME politics. Democrats beat up Bush day and night over Iraq and Afghanistan. If they had a patriotic bone in their bodies we’d have wrapped things up and held 12 bases in Iraq.
No, taking an American embassy personnel hostage put them in the ME driver’s seat. Not the Iraq war. Saddam was the kingpin and financial supporter of terrorists everywhere - the hub.. If any of them needed funding - Saddam was their man. Why he even paid the Palestinian mothers that $50,000 for each child she gave up for suicide bombing.
Trump is an ass. He is still spouting that we went into Iraq on bad intelligence. Even the N.Y. slimes said themed were moved.