Chef
In La bro, sweating my ass off
Couple of points
(1) I never suggested we would leave the region. I do suggest that it is in our interests to leave SA in particular, which would have been inconceivable with Saddam in power. It allows us to follow a wiser policy without appearing to be caving into the terrorists, who demnaded our withdrawal from that fundamentalist nation.
(2) Democracy in the middle east is in our interests. That doesnt mean it is not also in the interests of the local population. Why does the left constantly feel the need to automatically put the two at odds. Our interest is specifically in having a content and stable local population. How does that motive detract from our efforts, or claims to wish to aid them?
(3) Re: Libya. It has been pathetic witnessing the left try to spin this into anything but a tremendous Bush victory. Kadaffi himself has stated that he signed the agreement specifically because he was worried that what happened to Saddam might happen to him. He also admitted as much to the Italian PM. What eveidence do you possess that his statements, embarassing to him, were dfisingenous?
(4)Our justifications for war were never publically outlined in total. In that I agree. We weren't about to state that we wisheds to pressure Iran into a civil revolution by putting a democracy on its border. We never publcially acknowledged our desire to leave SA, which required deposing Saddam. We never stated that a democratic Iraq would allow us to put pressure on the Saudis by giving us the comfort of having the second largest reserves in the region friendly to the US. We never admitted that we wished to pressure a chane in Syria either. But we know, and they know, that is exactly what we intended to do, which is why they fought the moves so tenaciously. If this specific brand of terrosim is ever going to be nipped in the bud, it requires a democratci middle east which offers true representation to its citizens. Bush has been the first to make any concrete step in achieving that goal
(5) I've read the Kay report several times, and it outlines specifically that Saddam had an ongoing effort of research and acquisition, along with widespread coverups and destruction of evidence. Its a shame that the anti Bush interests in the media and on the left glanced over those documented prohibited and systematic activities and diluted it to "no womd's found." Hiding a few trailers in a country as large as California hardly strikes me as either inconceivable or particualrly difficult.
(6) Your policy represnts nothing more than capitulation. Don't upset the dangerous animals who are already killing your family or you might just make them angrier. It is a difficult course, but what was your other option? Containment, which everyone, including the French, already acknowledged was broken and couldnt work? Or a continuation of Clintons brilliant policy of ignore everything until the day it blows up in your face?
If Kadaffi founf a way to acquire nuclear weapons, then it is inevitable that Saddam would as well. He was historically farther along, and wqe only found out about those because his son in law defected. We had been there for years after the first gulf war before that came to light.
What the soldiers are doing is necessary. Do you read what is written in the Iranian press for example. The state run papers openly suggest that nuclear war is not only possible, but desirous. That Israel is a small country which could be easily annihilated, but that they would never be able to kill a billion muslims in response. At best only 20-30 million arabs would die in such a war, but every jew would be dead.
Keeping nuclear weapons out of the hands of these maniacs is our greatest national security interest. There is nothing our soldiers could be doing of greater import.
And dont obfuscate with allusions to North Korea. You know damn well we cant do crap there without triggering a slaughter greater than the problem. Thankfully Bush didnt wait for Saddam to become similarly uncontrollable before acting, although that appears to have been the preferred course of the left