ok now where were we??? things have changed with the war while we were gone. what do u guys like to say now???
i haven't really been paying attention. overall i'd just say that our next president will spend most of his term getting out of iraq and could make a real hero out of himself.
I remember a month or so back there was a poll done by the Seattle Times. Over 20% of the respondents advocated pulling out of Iraq immediately and 30-some% saying that the US should pull soon. I found these people's lack of understanding of military tactics and international politics disturbing. Pulling out immediately is the worst thing the US can possibly do. It would further destabilize the region and plung Iraq into chaos and drag the neighboring countries with it. It would be Shiite vs. Sunni vs. Kurd and their neighbors would weigh in as well.
The recent increase in violence in Iraq is a direct result of the interference of Iran. Iran is a primarily Shiite country, so there was a lot of enmity between them and Saddam (who is Sunni). Iran sees this as an opportunity to establish more direct control of the region and is doing that by fostering dissent and violence in Iraq. Iran is supplying a lot of the militias and even providing some limited leadership for some. If the United States leaves, Iran will either invade Iraq or use the militias to establish control and act as a puppet government for Iran. It is Iran's best interests to see the Iraqi democracy fail. If Iraq stabilizes (which won't happen as long as Iran has its hand in things) then Iraq will pose as a competing power in the area and will be much friendlier to western interests. If Iran takes over Iraq then it has a larger portion of the resources in the area (read: oil) and it will be able to exert a more direct pressure on the western world.
So right now the US needs to stay to stabilize Iraq and prevent the area from becoming hostile to everyone and everything. For that to happen the US needs to change its approach. There is no sense of national identity in Iraq like there is here. The religious identity of each person is far more important. The US needs to approach them as religious groups instead of a national whole. Though, that will also be quite difficult considering that each group considers the others heretical (and therefore deserving of poor treatment, if not death). The whole thing is a mess and what the US and the Iraqi people need is time. Though, no one is willing to give it to them.
long post . . . no crash . we're good
Well, my other one was twice as long.
do u guys like the war the way it is or do u think we should pull out
ooooooooooooooook
Quote from: T-Bonesdo u guys like the war the way it is or do u think we should pull out
Pulling out now is the dumbest thing the US could possibly do. It would create a power vacuum that Iran will gladly fill. And then we'll have another country actively hostile to the US. If the US can stabilize Iraq it will create a beachhead to affect change in the Middle East.
I thought I'd said as much in my previous post (see first paragraph).
I am with Irishman on this one. I don't know all the details of what our president is doing in there, but at this point we need to finish what we started.
Here's a report from Reuters outlining the myriad ways that Iran is screwing things up in Iraq.
http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?ty...src=rss/topNews (http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=13629887&src=rss/topNews)
Here's an excerpt:
"But the official gave far more detail, and said the latest weapons finds -- including explosives bearing factory stamps indicating they come from Iran -- show that the policy of arming Iraqi militia is supported at high levels in Iran and not the work of rogue Iranian operatives."
i have a question. why did we go and invade iraq??? was it because of wepons or was bush just realy pissed off
I think it was a combination of Iraq being a target of opportunity and faulty intelligence. Also, Iraq is in a central location in the middle east and having a beachhead there allow for a more direct western influence on the area and allows for a flow of ideas that so far has been nonexistent.
i agree
gaah!!! weres a nuke when u need 1!!!
Quote from: darkoverlordtobegaah!!! weres a nuke when u need 1!!!
well, you have plenty of nukes, but no.... just no, a nuke, thats crazy.... your crazy...
...crazy guy.
but i neeeeeed one
Quote from: darkoverlordtobebut i neeeeeed one
well i guess if you put it that way it makes some more sence.
ask santa that is wat bush wants for christmas, or any other religens that celebraty
u shut up
lets keep the insulting to a minimum and try to keep the discussion going.
i guess no matter how you look at it, america is kinda screwed with Iraq and all... you can't realy leave, but if you stay it's just gonna get worse..... sucks to be you eh?
yeah it sucks. I went to england about a year ago and it scared me that the travel agent gave us this advice, "If anyone asks. You are an atheist Canadian."
hahaha, and it's funny because i am just that!!
Well people like you keep the white american christians like me from getting beaten to a pulp in areas where people feel the need to show their view of america in a physical way.
Quote from: ScotsmanWell people like you keep the white american christians like me from getting beaten to a pulp in areas where people feel the need to show their view of america in a physical way.
i'll do my best..... if i get around to it.
are we in iraq right now? i thought this was america
Quote from: REDMONGOOSEare we in iraq right now? i thought this was america
no this is the internet... here in our magical land, we have no nationalities.
one step closer to GLOBAL DOMINATION
Quote from: REDMONGOOSEone step closer to GLOBAL DOMINATION
we do our best
Quote from: REDMONGOOSEone step closer to GLOBAL DOMINATION
it is in my future to be the dictator so GLOBAL DOMINATION is my doman stay away. lol
Quote from: darkoverlordtobeit is in my future to be the dictator so GLOBAL DOMINATION is my doman stay away. lol
the internet is vast and powerfull, you'll never defeat us, muh ha ha ha!!!