| Exactly where are we in this conflict? It's difficult | | | | of massive proportions. |
| to cut through to the truth with so much hot air | | | | Iraq does have a democratic government, a |
| coming from all sides. I decided to go back and | | | | parliamentary system where the people vote for |
| read the Joint Resolution approved October 2002 | | | | their representatives, who join together in political |
| by the President and the Senate authorizing the | | | | parties and elect a Prime Minister. As described in |
| invasion or liberation (take your pick) of Iraq. | | | | Wikipedia, a permanent 275-member Iraqi National |
| It begins with a bunch of whereas clauses | | | | Assembly was selected in a general election in |
| summarizing the then current situation: Iraq had | | | | December 2005, initiating the formation of a new |
| been kicked out of Kuwait and had agreed not to | | | | government. The Prime Minister of Iraq is Nouri |
| develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, | | | | al-Maliki, who holds most of the executive |
| and Iraq would not support terrorism; weapons | | | | authority and appoints the cabinet. The current |
| inspectors had been forced to withdraw in 1998 | | | | President of Iraq is Jalal Talabani, who serves |
| and Congress had declared that Iraq's continued | | | | largely as a figurehead, with few powers. The |
| development of weapons of mass destruction | | | | vice presidents are Tariq al-Hashimi and Adel |
| threatened world peace; the Iraqi regime | | | | Abdul Mehdi, deputy leader of SCIRI, the largest |
| continued to brutalize its civilian population; Iraq | | | | party in the Iraqi National Assembly. |
| showed its hostility toward the United States by | | | | Although the government at times seems |
| attempting to assassinate Bush 41 and shoot at | | | | ineffective, it is an honest democracy. It remains |
| US planes enforcing the no-fly zone; members of | | | | to be seen if additional democracies will be |
| al Qaida are known to be in Iraq; the regime | | | | established across the Middle East. |
| continues to harbor other terrorist organizations; | | | | The US-led coalition has freed the people of Iraq |
| Iraq might launch a surprise attack on the US or | | | | from Saddam's brutal dictatorship, and the new |
| provide weapons of mass destruction to | | | | government is not oppressive. However, a violent |
| terrorists. | | | | Sunni/al Qaida insurgency has continued to murder |
| Therefore, the Joint Resolution authorized the | | | | thousands in an effort to plunge the nation into |
| President to use the Armed Forces of the United | | | | chaos and civil war. The US-led Surge, actually an |
| States as he determines to be necessary and | | | | increase in troops and a change in strategy, has |
| appropriate in order to: | | | | splintered the insurgency and reduced the |
| (1) defend the national security of the United | | | | violence. Although the war is moving in the right |
| States against the continuing threat posed by | | | | direction, Iraq is still a dangerous country, both for |
| Iraq; and | | | | the Iraqis and US troops. |
| (2) enforce all relevant United Nations Security | | | | The elimination of Saddam's regime removed a |
| Council Resolutions regarding Iraq. | | | | dangerous enemy without question. However, the |
| A review of this document indicates the US had | | | | insurgency is equally dangerous. If our enemies |
| several objectives, at least initially, in the war | | | | are able to win in Iraq, they may be able to |
| against the Iraqi regime. | | | | spread their hatred of the US beyond the borders |
| + To eliminate weapons of mass destruction | | | | of Iraq and across the region. |
| stockpiled or under development by Iraq as called | | | | There is no hard evidence that Saddam was |
| for by various UN resolutions. | | | | working with international terrorist groups. There |
| + To implement democracy within Iraq and | | | | appears to be some contact between al Qaida |
| eventually throughout much of the Middle East. | | | | and Saddam's regime, but no evidence of any |
| + To free the people of Iraq from a brutal | | | | type of alliance. It may be that the US was |
| dictatorship. | | | | concerned about the potential for an alliance, given |
| + To eliminate a dangerous enemy. | | | | that both Saddam and al Qaida hate us. |
| + To prevent Saddam Hussein from working with | | | | Iraqi oil production is about 2.5 million bpd, about |
| international terrorist groups that might threaten | | | | where it was before the war. However, the oil is |
| the US. | | | | being sold by a friendly government, so we don't |
| Although not specified in the Iraq War Resolution, | | | | have to worry it will be used as a weapon. |
| it seems clear to me that the US was intent on | | | | To summarize, we have removed the yoke of |
| making sure that control of Iraqi oil was taken | | | | dictatorship from the people of Iraq and |
| from Saddam and turned over to a friendly Iraqi | | | | implemented a democratic, if somewhat |
| government. Removing Saddam also eliminated his | | | | ineffective, national government. After years of |
| threat to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other oil rich | | | | warfare with extremists, the Surge seems to be |
| Middle East nations. | | | | leading to a better life for Iraqis. We have also |
| As everyone knows, we did not discover | | | | removed an enemy from Iraq, and secured a |
| weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Although | | | | supply of oil. All good things, clearly. On the other |
| there are rumors that these weapons were | | | | hand, no weapons of mass destruction were |
| shipped out of Iraq shortly before the invasion, no | | | | found, and the ties between Saddam and |
| hard evidence supports this theory. Therefore, | | | | terrorists were not threatening. And we paid a |
| we must conclude that there were no weapons | | | | heavy price in blood and national treasure. |
| of mass destruction in Iraq during the days leading | | | | Was it worth it? Each of us will have to make |
| up to the war. It appears there was a massive | | | | that assessment. |
| intelligence failure not only in the US, but in many | | | | If you would like to learn more about my ideas, |
| other nations as well. Some have claimed that the | | | | please visit my website. It's informative and |
| Bush administration knew all along that there were | | | | entertaining. Order Unholy Domain or PeaceMaker |
| no such weapons in Iraq, but this claim isn't | | | | at Amazon. |
| justified with evidence. Basically, it was a screw-up | | | | |