Was the Iraq War a terrible mistake?

[msc545]

Not really a mistake since it was intentional, but a terrible thing to do?

Yes it was

No, it was not

Other

[NaultD]

The whole war on terrorism was started by 9/11/2001. You remember Osama bin ladin born and funded by Saudi Arabia found in Afghanistan.

Then we went to war with Iraq? Yet still buddy buddy with Saudi Arabia the country that brags about 9/11 and threatening USA allies they'll do it again on Twitter. Yet usa sucks off Saudi arabia every chance for cheap oil.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/pOXGWGkkzm4

In terms of Iraq war their really isn't a rhyme or reason other then bush jr wanted to be better then his daddy that failed an Iraq invasion. Then you got VP dick cheney private business rebuilding the area for massive profit.

No different when Mark Milley for Donald Trump who help create zero tolerance policy to lock up immigrants but quit soon after becoming chairman of the company that holds said immigrants. Create a problem in the government office and sign a company for the job and jump ship into that corporate office and make bank.

[KrakenAttackin]

All wars are horrible mistakes.

[LazerBean]

Yeah, completely a waste of time, money, and lives.

[Leopard23]

It wasn't in the average American citizen's intrest. It achieved its goal though.

The ICC should really issue a warrant for George W Bush and Tony Blair just like with Putin.

Usually with US foreign you got to look at the end results to see why something was done and how it benefited US foreign policy and the US government.

https://youtube.com/shorts/BtkpCu-UGUo?feature=share

[msc545]

Do you mean the goal of enriching defense contractors? It surely did that!

[Leopard23]

There is a whole overall strategic plan that's just not related to defence contractors or rebuild contractors or oil but also control and influence over the gulf region and its resources. Even as far back as the gulf war which had the result of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and others turning to the US for help. Wheels within wheels within wheels. The Syrian revolution is another good example though it didn't quite work out. The US was trying to whoo Assad and his bath party who were long term Russian allies, media articles were being written at the time a month before the Arab spring about what a moderate leader he was and how great his wife is and how Syria is a very moderate Arab country but Assad sides with Russia who don't want a pipeline built through Syria linking Oman and Europe so a rebellion starts, the US arms, trains and funds the rebels. Something similar happens with Gaddafi in Libya, next thing you know Libyan rebels are dragging him through the streets. Newly installed iraqi government gets a tad uppity thinking they are in charge and can sell their oil to China without the US getting a taste and that the US should get out of Iraq and Syrian rebels decide to turn 90% away from fighting Assad and invade Iraq.
Syria and Libya are shit shows and plans don't always work out unless the plan is to sow chaos and war. Point is that there is always an overall stategic master plan, a goal that is being worked towards. Its not a strategy that changes with different administrations every 4-8 years. These plans are 10-20-30 year plans. Watch Russia over the next few years, their government and economy is going to weaken and maybe collapse with the result the US gains influence and control over Russian areas of influence and control like central asia Georgia etc or Russia becomes a US client state, or the spoils of Russia's demise are divided up between China and America.

[msc545]

These plans are what happens when you have employed sociopaths as your planners and politicians.

[Leopard23]

Politicians largely go with the flow. They are all about their legacy and wallet.

[msc545]

Yes. Sociopaths.

[lightbulb27]

Yes bad, like several million dead and wounded bad. I opposed it in myself and wrote letters to representatives. I saw through the BS of this one and the show.

This S-Show should be enough to help others understand how "things are sold to the plublic".

Saddam was not a great guy, but war was worse and not necessary.

The problem to me... all along... was Saddam threatened Bush's father... he found a reason to use power to go take him out and make him pay. It was paybacks more than risk of WMD's... in my opinion. Making decisions is sometimes a fine line between one choice or the other.

[RealMarek]

It was a huge mistake. It was done for geopolitical advantage and to punish Saddam for attempting to sell oil outside of the dollar system, but was sold to the public under false pretenses. Hundreds of thousands of dead later, the consequences have severely damaged the US. The repeated use of sanctions have accelerated dedollarization, the aggression toward Iraq incentivized North Korea to go nuclear, the military failures in Iraq and Syria have resulted in a Shiite superhighway from Tehran to Beirut - not what the neoconservatives/neoliberals in DC were wanting. But I guess the defense industry grift made it all worthwhile for the elites.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

Of course it is rather on purpose. The invasion of Iraq was for the sole purpose to make certain people even more rotten richer then they were.

[msc545]

@Hispanic-Cool-Guy Yes, exactly - Just like in Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, and now Ukraine.

[SnowedIn]

I honestly don't know how to opine on this one.

But, here's a GREAT article on it that's worth reading.

https://www. theatlantic. com/ideas/archive/2023/03/iraq-war-us-invasion-anniversary-2023/673343/

[exitseven]

There was really no upside to this. Just a bunch of kids that came home in body bags or missing limbs

[loveslongnails]

It was Vietnam all over again, only this time it was a direct money maker for the President and especially the Vice-President at the time.

[WindAtMyBack]

Which one? The first one was justified. The second one was stupid as hell. By the way the rest of the world joined in, or didn't join in, they thought the same thing.

[Dargil]

We thought they had WMD and they did, but stored in Syria. But it turned out to be unsuccessful.

[msc545]

There were no weapons stored in Syria. This is another pernicious myth.

[Justneedtokno]

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