I simply said your questions were vague. You are very defensive. But I will respond to your questions, as requested.
1. Why hasn't the upcoming Iraqi war been publically debated? I don't get it. What more do you want? We elect leaders and they make the decisions on foreign policy. Sometimes good, and sometimes bad. But overall, I believe that the war is everywhere. Even being stationed somewhere around the globe, and I am blasted 24-7 with news on Iraq. Now I know this is not "public debate", but again, what are you looking for here?
2. Why hasn't Congress done it's job on the war? Done what job? Appropriate money? According to the War Powers Resolution, Congress is empowered "To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water" and "To make rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval forces," while the president "shall be Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States." These clauses seem contradictory and have been under much debate since WWII, specifically whether presidents unilaterally can commit troops into military conflicts to preserve the nation. Basically, it's up for debate and has been how much role Congress has in war. What exactly do you want them to do?
3. What are the actual costs going to be to the taxpayers of this war, and I don't been some ball park figures but detailed cost estimates? Best/worst case scenarios? Where is the money coming from? I've seen estimates from 9 to 20 billion dollars per month depending on how many soldiers we have deploying, how much help we get (pathetically little, as usual), length of air campaign, etc. The money is coming from taxes. Which tax? Will something be cut? I don't know but it is a valid question.
4. How much largeness will the US oil companies and defense industries receive from this war? I don't know, and I doubt that is a statistic any of us will see anytime soon. If you are looking for ulterior motives, make no mistake, we do almost nothing without some sort of ulterior motive. Doesn't make what we do wrong.
5. What happens if the Iraqi oil fields are destroyed and what will be the cost of reopenning them? Green liberals will go crazy and blame us and the cost to reopen them will be 24.7 billion dollars.
6. What will be the cost of rebuilding Iraq and what is/if there is the plan for this? Unfortunately, we will probably get fronted on the bill. It all depends on how much damage we cause, how much damage Hussein causes. I see where you're going with this... "who's going to pay up?" Again, it is going to be the American taxpayer. What else is new?
7. What exact form of government will replace Iraqi Saddam/Batha rule? As boris says, it shouldn't matter to us. But that's the easy answer, the slightly more difficult answer is a puppet government that caters to the American leadership.
8. Why is the US negotiating with Iranian mullahs for the government, members of the very organization it opposes in Iran? Why did we side with USSR in WW2? I am assuming you are referring to the "pact" made with Iran to return all aircraft downed in Iranian territory during a possible war. Think of it this way... there are two bullies in the schoolhouse, you pay one to shut up and leave you alone for a day so you can knock out the other. After you knock that one out, then you can take care of bully number 2.
9. Why is the US negotiating with exiled Iraqi generals who have human rights records worse then Saddam, to include "The Chemist"? Same as above. I agree that this is somewhat pragmatic, but sometimes you have to choose a lesser evil. I'm not defending it, but you aren't asking me to, you are asking me to explain why.
10. What happens if Kurdistan declares independence...will this be supported? What if, what if, what if. What if Mexico attacks us whilst we bomb Iraq? I'm not a fortune teller.
11. What happens if Turkey invades Kurdistan and begins a whole sale slaughter? "Mecca lecca hi- Mecca hiney ho. Let me rub my crystal ball here..."
12. What happens if Iran invades southern Iraq? Then the world will implode upon itself into a bowling ball sized object.
13. Since Saddam is such a mad dog and has had chemical weapons for over twenty years, why hasn't he launched them on Israel? Who knows the thought pattern of a mad man? He probably knows beneath all of that insanity that it would doom him.
14. How will taking out Saddam, a socialist, make the US safer from Islamic terrorists financed by Saudi Arabia and various other emerites? I agree that there are other countries badly in need of a head toppling, but that doesn't make this course of action wrong. No matter what country we went after first, some people will always find a better one to invade. If we were going after Saudi Arabia now, then another group would be talking about the Iraqi atrocities and how they use chemical weapons and killed Kurds, why don't we go after them?
15. Why have the Saudies been allowed to amass WMD and over 100 missiles? over 15 nations have biological and/or chemical weapons (I can't remember the exact numner). It happened. Everyone will get theirs soon enough though. BUT, only one country in that area (to my knowledge) has ever used them.
16. What is the end state in Afghanistan? I really don't know. It's a good question that the government really needs to answer.
17. What happens if Taliban launches offensives during Iraqi war? Then I will become vice manager at the local Pizza Hut. I don't know.
18. Where will reinforcements come from since all three participating divisions will also be in Iraq? No one knows (except the highest echelons, I'm sure) which divisions are going yet. That all depends, but we have plenty more than 3 divisions in the world. My bet would be from Germany.
19. How much is the US willing to spend to rebuild Afghanistan? Valid question Americans should be demanding an answer to.
20. What happens if Pakistan goes rouge and has nukes? Do you want to be personally briefed on every contingency plan for every worst case scenario in the world today? I think you meant rogue, too. Truth is, it would take weeks just to get the powerpoint presentations together on one computer for you.
21. Why have oil prices been allowed to climb up to the highest point in 2 years and retail had its worst season in 30 years? I don't know this.
22. Why are foreign software engineers still being hired and imported at autrocious rates while domestic workers sit in unemployement? Free market.
23. Why are Mexicans still being supported as illegals in the US? Great question. I hate that this is so true.
24. Why is the federal government still pushing for billingual services to these illegals? Because of liberal garbage. Why it's continuing boggles my mind.
25. Why was NATO enlargement not even debated seriously, when this causes the US to willingly go to nuclear war for countries such as Romania. When this will cost the tax payer twice as much as last time, to the tune of $65 billion dollars, to subsidize the US military industry in selling systems to poor countries? I don't see this (nuking people over a Romanian conflict) happening any time soon.
26. Why are US troops still in the Balkins and the US is still backing the KLA? We shouldn't be. We need the answer. Balkans.
27. Why is the US still giving money to Arafat? Good. I need to know this too.
28. Why is the US still spending globs of money, around $10 billion/year, defending Saudi Arabia when it refuses to cooperate with the US? Because we need oil. Cut that any way you wish, but if you take Iraq out of the equation entirely, then you need to get your oil from somewhere.
29. Why are anti Chavez, pro democracy demonstrators not receiving any help? We should help them. We're not because we only have so many forces that have to be ready to fight two wars on two seperate fronts. I hope that's the reason.
30. Why is the Zimbabwean anti Communist opposition not receiving any help? Same.
31. Why did the Rumsfield inquiry into waste, fraud and abuse in the US military and National Guard come to such a sudden halt? I see it every day. This inquiry should not have stopped, but I imagine that they're all very busy right now and the inquiry will pick back up once things settle down (2 years? 10 years? 100 years?)
32. Why is air safety in US airports just as much of a joke still as it was before? While I agree it isn't where it should be, I know that it has gotten more difficult to get onto an airplane. I had to take my shoes off 16 times last time I took a 4 leg trip...
Perhaps I was hasty. I see your point, I think. You want answers and many of your questions should be answered. I am standing by my assertion, however, that there are way too many open ended questions here. From Pakistan to Turkey to Kurds to nuclear war in Romania, there are too many open ended, "what if" questions to deal with.
Of course it should matter to us, depending on what is set up and or how it is set up will matter how long we will stay there and how much it will cost. Further, it will affect the whole of the region. Note: Afghanistan, the only thing keeping the leadership alive is US body guards.
Most of these questions weren't asked for me to get the perfect answer, they were raised for people to discuss. Well, what happens if Kurdistan declares independence? Hmm, we'd better start figuring things out before shooting bullets and throwing caution to the wind. If you think the leadership has it all figured out, then don't look at past blunders, because often enough they don't figure things out.
Where will reinforcements come from since all three participating divisions will also be in Iraq? No one knows (except the highest echelons, I'm sure) which divisions are going yet. That all depends, but we have plenty more than 3 divisions in the world. My bet would be from Germany.
Well that illustrates the problem, yes there are other divisions, and they are all heavy. With most of the marine expiditionary units and most of XVIII ABC tied up in Iraq, who will be the fire brigade? A tank division? Hardly, not to mention the infrastructure needed to move them there, the time would be in months not days.
Why are foreign software engineers still being hired and imported at autrocious rates while domestic workers sit in unemployement? Free market.
This is no different then the Mexican question, except for high tech. The High Tech visas are supposed to suppliment a lack of high tech work force, not replace it, yet this is exactly what major corps and Congress are doing.
Why was NATO enlargement not even debated seriously, when this causes the US to willingly go to nuclear war for countries such as Romania. When this will cost the tax payer twice as much as last time, to the tune of $65 billion dollars, to subsidize the US military industry in selling systems to poor countries? I don't see this (nuking people over a Romanian conflict) happening any time soon.
Whether it happens or not, you agree with the price tag?
There are open ended questions and they are meant to stir debate, after all this is what FR is supposed to be for. Following one party line or another does not make a republic free, but a slave of a different shade.