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Herodotus · 02-26-2008, 23:13 PM

S-2, Great I've been looking for someone to answer these questions for me lo these many years, and since you have a clear strategic vision on Iraq let me ask you.

1.) What was the (real) rationale for the invasion of Iraq? Remove Saddam, remove WMD, establish democracy, kill Islamic terrorists, make an example of Iraq, or all of the above?

2.) If the answer is all of the above or establish democracy, why has democracy promotion been given short shrift in Iraq; no quick handover of power, no bottom-up promotion of democratic institutions, no protection of minority rights, no (real) establishment of security, no power-sharing deals, and no clear break from the Islamic religious tradition that popular sovereignty only comes from God?

3.) What does (strategic) victory look like in Iraq? An end to terrorism, an end to sectarian war, an end to Saddam, a completely stable Iraq, a completely stable and democratic Iraq, or Sunnis, Shias, Kurds and Arabs sitting together singing kumbya, or just using Iraq as a place to base American troops in the future, or anything else?

4.) If as you say it will take a long, long time for any of America's goals to be realized in the region (save the removal of Saddam), how has the administration prepared the American public, who are already weary of war, for this likelihood?

5.) If we, America, fall short of strategic victory (however so defined) what would happen in a worse-case scenario to America, and Iraq, that hasn't already occurred? Al Qaeda taking over Iraq, Iran influencing Iraq, Iraq devolves into civil war, America is attacked by Islamic radicals, oil supply is endangered/oil prices rise?

6.) How does an American presence there absolutely prevent any one of the worse-case scenarios from happening? Conversely, if America were to remove troops would any of these worse-case scenarios really befall us or Iraq? If so, why?

No sarcasm is intended, I think these are questions we should be asking. I apologize if they seem too partisan or "agenda-driven", but I get tired of the boilerplate answers, and sloganeering, and would like some serious critical thinking on these issues.

"I myself dabbled in pacifism at one time; not during 'Nam of course."

02-26-2008, 23:13 PM	#42 (permalink)
Herodotus Contributor Join Date: 04-05-07 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 443 Country:	S-2, Great I've been looking for someone to answer these questions for me lo these many years, and since you have a clear strategic vision on Iraq let me ask you. 1.) What was the (real) rationale for the invasion of Iraq? Remove Saddam, remove WMD, establish democracy, kill Islamic terrorists, make an example of Iraq, or all of the above? 2.) If the answer is all of the above or establish democracy, why has democracy promotion been given short shrift in Iraq; no quick handover of power, no bottom-up promotion of democratic institutions, no protection of minority rights, no (real) establishment of security, no power-sharing deals, and no clear break from the Islamic religious tradition that popular sovereignty only comes from God? 3.) What does (strategic) victory look like in Iraq? An end to terrorism, an end to sectarian war, an end to Saddam, a completely stable Iraq, a completely stable and democratic Iraq, or Sunnis, Shias, Kurds and Arabs sitting together singing kumbya, or just using Iraq as a place to base American troops in the future, or anything else? 4.) If as you say it will take a long, long time for any of America's goals to be realized in the region (save the removal of Saddam), how has the administration prepared the American public, who are already weary of war, for this likelihood? 5.) If we, America, fall short of strategic victory (however so defined) what would happen in a worse-case scenario to America, and Iraq, that hasn't already occurred? Al Qaeda taking over Iraq, Iran influencing Iraq, Iraq devolves into civil war, America is attacked by Islamic radicals, oil supply is endangered/oil prices rise? 6.) How does an American presence there absolutely prevent any one of the worse-case scenarios from happening? Conversely, if America were to remove troops would any of these worse-case scenarios really befall us or Iraq? If so, why? No sarcasm is intended, I think these are questions we should be asking. I apologize if they seem too partisan or "agenda-driven", but I get tired of the boilerplate answers, and sloganeering, and would like some serious critical thinking on these issues. "I myself dabbled in pacifism at one time; not during 'Nam of course."