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The War Party's imperial plans
World Net Daily ^ | 9/11/2002 | Pat Buchanan

Posted on 09/11/2002 3:32:38 PM PDT by traditionalist

The fires had not yet gone out at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a year ago, before the War Party had introduced its revised plans for American empire. What many saw as a horrific atrocity and tragedy, they saw instantly as an opportunity to achieve U.S. hegemony over an alienated Islamic world.

President Bush initially directed America's righteous wrath and military power at al-Qaida. But in his "axis-of-evil" address, he signed on to the War Party's agenda.

What lies ahead? When America invades Iraq, it will have to destroy Saddam and all his weapons of mass destruction. Else, the war will have been a failure. And to ensure destruction of those weapons, we must occupy Iraq. If you would see what follows, pull out a map.

With Americans controlling Iraq, Syria is virtually surrounded by hostile powers: Israel on the Golan, Turks and Kurds to the north, U.S. power to the west in Iraq and south in Jordan. Syrian President Assad will be forced to pull his army out of Lebanon, leaving Israel free to reinvade Lebanon to settle accounts with Hezbollah.

Now look to Iran. With Americans occupying Iraq, Iran is completely surrounded: Americans and Turks to the west, U.S. power in the Gulf and Arabian Sea to the south, in Afghanistan to the east and in the old Soviet republics to the north. U.S. warplanes will be positioned to interdict any flights to Lebanon to support Hezbollah.

Iraq is the key to the Middle East. As long as we occupy Iraq, we are the hegemonic power in the region. And after we occupy it, a window of opportunity will open – to attack Syria and Iran before they acquire weapons of mass destruction.

This is the vision that enthralls the War Party – "World War IV," as they call it – a series of "cakewalks," short sharp wars on Iraq, Syria and Iran to eliminate the Islamic terrorist threat to us and Israel for generations.

No wonder Ariel Sharon and his Amen Corner are exhilarated. They see America's war on Iraq as killing off one enemy and giving Israel freedom to deal summarily with two more: Hezbollah and the Palestinians. Two jumps ahead of us, the Israelis are already talking up the need for us to deal with Libya, as well.

Anyone who believes America can finish Saddam and go home deceives himself. With Iraq's military crushed, the country will come apart. Kurds in the north and Shi'ites in the south will try to break away, and Iraq will be at the mercy of its mortal enemy, Iran. U.S. troops will have to remain to hold Iraq together, to find and destroy those weapons, to democratize the regime, and to deter Iran from biting off a chunk and dominating the Gulf.

Recall: After we crushed Germany and Japan in World War II, both were powerless to reassume their historic roles of containing Russia and China. So, America, at a cost of 100,000 dead in Vietnam and Korea, had to assume those roles. With Iraq in ruins, America will have to assume the permanent role of Policeman of the Persian Gulf.

But is this not a splendid vision, asks the War Party. After all, is this not America's day in the sun, her moment in history? And is not the crushing of Islamism and the modernization of the Arab world a cause worthy of a superpower's investment of considerable treasure and blood?

What is wrong with the War Party's vision?

Just this: Pro-American regimes in Cairo, Amman and Riyadh will be shaken to their foundations by the cataclysm unleashed as Americans smash Iraq, while Israelis crush Palestinians. Nor is Iran likely to passively await encirclement. Terror attacks seem certain. Nor is a militant Islam that holds in thrall scores of millions of believers from Morocco to Indonesia likely to welcome infidel America and Israel dictating the destiny of the Muslim world.

As for the pro-American regimes in Kabul and Pakistan, they are but one bullet away from becoming anti-American. And should the Royal House of Saud come crashing down, as the War Party ardently hopes, do they seriously believe a Vermont-style democracy will arise?

Since Desert Storm, America has chopped its fleets, air wings and ground troops by near 50 percent, while adding military commitments in the Balkans, Afghanistan, the Gulf and Central Asia. Invading and occupying Iraq will require hundreds of thousands of more troops.

We are running out of army. And while Americans have shown they will back wars fought with no conscripts and few casualties, the day is not far off when they will be asked to draft their sons to fight for empire, and many of those sons will not be coming home. That day, Americans will tell us whether they really wish to pay the blood tax that is the price of policing the War Party's empire.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: arab; arabs; iraq; israel; middleeast; neareast; neocons; neoconservatives
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To: Gurn; sonrise57
Pat Buchanan--the anit-semitic isolationist. I can't believe I was once of fan.
sonrise57

I'm ashamed that I actually voted for this lunatic once. His anti-semitism now consumes him.
Gurn

Opposition to a war on Iraq equals anti-semitism.

A tacit admission by you that one of the real purposes of the US defeating Iraq is is protecting Israel.

Regards

J.R.

61 posted on 09/11/2002 5:57:18 PM PDT by NMC EXP
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To: ex-snook
The way to end the 'war on terrorism' is to restart the draft and put a 25% war tax on incomes to pay for it.

Nevermind whether or not we need that many dudes or that much money?

62 posted on 09/11/2002 6:03:06 PM PDT by Petronski
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To: Petronski
ME "The way to end the 'war on terrorism' is to restart the draft and put a 25% war tax on incomes to pay for it.

YOU - Nevermind whether or not we need that many dudes or that much money?

Hey the kiddies' social security lock box is empty and they will be needed as the mission creeps.

63 posted on 09/11/2002 6:12:18 PM PDT by ex-snook
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To: junta
"I thought about going into the T-shirt business, my first slogan being "I fought this WOT and all I got for it was this lousy Multi-culturalism." Needs work I know."

I like that. That's pretty good.

or how about this: I fought this WOT and all I got was this lousy Patriot Act suspension of 4th amendment rights.

or: I fought this WOT and all I got was this lousy Afghan Invasion and bumper crop of Opium Poppies.

or: I fought this WOT and all I got was this lousy color coded terror threat indicator thingy.

or: I fought this WOT and all I got was this lousy low grade moron airport screener making me take my shoes off and digging thru my underwear.

or: I fought this WOT and all I got was this lousy sequel to Black Hawk Down called "Survivor: Baghdad" with 1000 times the casualities.

I guess they aren't all funny are they. Time for a drink now.






64 posted on 09/11/2002 6:20:03 PM PDT by DrLiberty
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To: traditionalist
I attempted to guess the author of this piece (of drek) just from the title, and I narrowed it down to two disgusting, irrelevent, Islamist-ass kissing bastards: Justina Raimondo and Pat Buchanan.

I guessed wrong.

65 posted on 09/11/2002 6:26:13 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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Comment #66 Removed by Moderator

Comment #67 Removed by Moderator

To: dighton; Orual; general_re
Does Justin write type this robotic stuff for Pat, or Pat for Justin?

No laughing matter. Buke and Taki will soon launch The American Conservative magazine. Justina's absence at FR may be explained by groundwork for that venture.

68 posted on 09/11/2002 6:59:36 PM PDT by aculeus
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To: aculeus
I cannot WAIT for my first copy. 'Bout time America gets a REAL conservative magazine. Candidly, I can't see much difference between the Weekly Standard and Newsweek.
69 posted on 09/11/2002 7:02:17 PM PDT by Phillip Augustus
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To: The Ghost of Richard Nixon
Naw, his plan would be to close the border to Arab terrorists. Such a plan might have prevented 9/11 in the first place. What the hell were Atta and co. doing over here in the first place?
70 posted on 09/11/2002 7:03:31 PM PDT by Phillip Augustus
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To: tallhappy
Pat is a Patriot, and I think that it's time some of you people gave him some credit.
71 posted on 09/11/2002 7:04:16 PM PDT by FreedomFriend
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To: NMC EXP
Genesis 12: 2&3
"I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."
72 posted on 09/11/2002 7:04:41 PM PDT by sonrise57
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To: dennisw
pat is a well known and long term jew hater. He fairly seethes with it... he also has lots of fellow travelers.

Why would a supposed "christian" speak with such disdain and hatred, so consistently for so long, with regards to Israel and the Jewish plight?

I guess some alleged "christian" groups, and their leaders feel compelled to hate jews, even to the point of kissing the koran for public consumption.... One christian world leader it is reported, wants us to pray that God will forgive the murderers of Americans on 9-11... The same one that kissed the koran...

PUKE.
73 posted on 09/11/2002 7:12:53 PM PDT by Robert_Paulson2
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To: traditionalist
Recall: After we crushed Germany and Japan in World War II, both were powerless to reassume their historic roles of containing Russia and China. So, America, at a cost of 100,000 dead in Vietnam and Korea, had to assume those roles.

Mr. Buchanan's lamentation for the fall of pre-WWII Germany is getting very old.

74 posted on 09/11/2002 7:20:05 PM PDT by NeoCaveman
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To: DrLiberty
"Saddam is not a religious whacko but a shrewd opportunist and I doubt he would ever use a WMD except in self-defense, since he knows he would be glass in 15 mins courtesy of the Israeli Air Force..

What factual basis do you have to doubt that Saddam would ever use WMD? Based on his historical behavior and thirst for revenge, I think there's a good chance he would use nukes against America and Britain. A nuclear attack on one of our cities would be catastrophic. It would be 100 times worse than the 9/11/01 attack. That scenario is unacceptable to the Bush administration, therefore the option of leaving Saddam in power is also unacceptable. That's why we're going to attack, not for oil or empire. Nuclear weapons are not that difficult to build and they're easy to smuggle into a port city. Wake up and smell the coffee before it's too late.

75 posted on 09/11/2002 7:20:16 PM PDT by defenderSD
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To: sonrise57
I think, protecting and supporting Israel, is a good idea.

And the fact that we get to wipe out islamofascists bent on killing Christians and Jews anywhere they find us... is a big benefit too..... heh heh.
76 posted on 09/11/2002 7:23:02 PM PDT by Robert_Paulson2
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To: defenderSD
"What factual basis do you have to doubt that Saddam would ever use WMD? Based on his historical behavior and thirst for revenge, I think there's a good chance he would use nukes against America and Britain."

Its called MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction). This strategy we depended on entirely for 50 years of Cold War (and still do BTW) and it has worked. In this case, it would be his destruction for hitting us somewhere, but he could hardly finish us. He might get one city, but we would pulverize Baghdad into glass along with him and his heirs. He is a tyrant, and they are usually cowards by nature. He enjoys being a tyrant. He is not religious and not a martyr. There is nothing to suggest he would give his life in this cause.

He wants to remain the rich ruler of his regime. He wants to sell oil. He also wants to be head of some Pan-Arab kingdom in his imagination. If he were to do what you say, he would be dead in the matter of hours and America will live on, injured for sure but hardly vanquished.

Saddam does not appear insane as for example Kim Jung-Il of North Korea has shown himself to be. Yet we are not invading North Korea, which I think is a much bigger threat to us. Instead we are giving them more nuke technology and missiles so they will be able to hit us in the future. Makes sense huh? And that's Bush admin not just Clinton.
77 posted on 09/11/2002 7:39:29 PM PDT by DrLiberty
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To: rdb3; Miss Marple; JohnHuang2; Poohbah; Congressman Billybob; Howlin; MeeknMing; MadIvan; ...
Quite frankly, if we are faced with the choice between empire and appeasement, then the only choice we have is empire. It comes down to what Thomas Jefferson wrote: "...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Those fundamental rights do not change just because the people in question are in Iraq, the Phillipines, Mexico, Europe, Israel, or here in the United States. The fact remains that in some nations, the regimes have become destructive of the ends Mr. Jefferson outlined.

Now, we have to ask ourselves if we as a nation still care enough about the principles that the signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged their Lives, Fortunes, and Sacred Honor for to assist others who need to "alter or abolish" the regimes that have become destructive of the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, or even to do the "alter or abolish" portion ourselves, as we did 60 years ago with Germany and Japan.

Hopefully, the words of Buchanan will not be heeded, and we will NOT appease Saddam Hussein any longer.
78 posted on 09/11/2002 7:53:15 PM PDT by hchutch
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To: DrLiberty
"He wants to remain the rich ruler of his regime. He wants to sell oil. He also wants to be head of some Pan-Arab kingdom in his imagination. If he were to do what you say, he would be dead in the matter of hours and America will live on, injured for sure but hardly vanquished.

I think there are some other scenarios to consider: what if Saddam implements a covert operation and smuggles a nuke into one of our cities...then his agents leave the country and detonate the bomb remotely from overseas. We might not ever be able to determine conclusively who nuked us. All the physical evidence would be destroyed and if it was a very tight operation there might be no trail of evidence to follow anywhere. At that point, we can't just vaporize Baghdad with a nuke when we're not sure they did it. Then there's the scenario of Saddam invading Kuwait or Saudi Arabia, this time with nukes. How do we kick him out when he's armed with nuclear weapons? The possibilites for invasion, blackmail, and revenge are endless and extremely serious. Kim Jun-il may be crazier, but so far he hasn't shown the kind of agressive, brutal behavior that Saddam has demonstrated in invading Kuwait, gassing 5000 Kurds, etc. I agree that Pakistan is also a major concern. A radical Islamic revolution over there could turn Pakistan into a nuclear-armed menace to the world...(which is probably why Russia just joined NATO.) It's a dangerous world these days, but that's the way it is.

79 posted on 09/11/2002 8:00:33 PM PDT by defenderSD
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To: Robert_Paulson2
pat is a well known and long term jew hater. He fairly seethes with it... he also has lots of fellow travelers.

What has Pat said that makes him a Jew hater? I love the Jewish people, and yet I like Pat Buchanan's viewpoints on most issues. I do, however, support Israel if another nation attacked. Yet, I agree with him that war right now, unprovoked, is a bad idea.

Can you provide an example of "hating the Jews", because if you have it, I'd like to see it.

80 posted on 09/11/2002 8:20:51 PM PDT by FreedomFriend
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