Iraq War

gilbert3729 · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 2:33 am Iraq War**

Who thinks that it was necessary to go to war?

Theresa · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 12:13 pm**

lol, nearly 12 years of "diplomacy" accomplished nothing.

Arellia · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 12:57 pm**

Necessary, yes. Diplomacy wasn't getting us anywhere--Saddam quite obviously wasn't going to respond to it, and radical terrorists groups could care less...again, obviously.

Hitchhiker · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 1:44 pm**

Tough question. Yes, the situation was getting intolerable. But I don't condone war, I don't condone military action. And the reasons for going to war were quite explicit, "Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction."

Well, Iraq didn't have Weapons of Mass Destruction. So the war turned into a liberation of the Iraqis and has now changed Iraq from a dictatorship into a democracy.

Maybe this is a good thing, I certainly prefer democracy over dictatorship even though both are less than ideal. But I don't think that the ends justify the means.

Seven of Nine · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 2:41 pm**

Hummm... I think it may have been necessary, but it shouldn't have been rushed into as it was. It would have been better if the coalition had been more prepared, and I also think that the British government should have listened to the information sources better. Somehow I can't believe that Tony Blair wasn't told that the 45 minute claim only related to battlefield weapons, not the weapons of mass destruction that he kept claiming, considering at least 4 other MPs knew. However, from what I can gather the USA didn't sex up their intelligence in the same way, and therefore it may have been justified.

Toad · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 3:01 pm**

Jeremy · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:20 pm**

I think it might have been good in the long run, but the main reason against WMD should not have been used. The weapon inspectors had just been let in a few months before the war so they should have had a chance to have a proper look around (well, as much as they could). Also the planning for what happened after the war should have been prepared better. It seemed like they had thought about the actual war but not the aftermath.

Republican_Man · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 5:15 pm**

Hitchhiker · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 5:20 pm**

The point is that they went to Iraq because their were Weapons of Mass Destruction, but didn't find any? Do you suggest that the nonexistent WMDs which were supposedly there have fled the country? Did they all get passports?

So instead of protecting the U.S. against WMDs, the war became a liberation of the Iraqi people. It was either that or admit that you found no WMDs.

Jeremy · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 5:24 pm**

Founder · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 5:59 pm**

Who actually said no!? Diplomatic? With a genocidal murderer!? Uh diplomacy doesn't work. Somehow I cant see this scenrio playing out....

Bush: Saddam? Would you mind disarming all of your bombs and surrundering to us? Please?

Saddam: Well since you said please....sure why not.

Lets be realistic people please. We needed to go.

Hitchhiker · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 6:17 pm**

Founder · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 6:25 pm**

Hitchhiker · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 7:11 pm**

If they were hidden, they can be found.

If they were dismantled, the components still have to be around, and can be found. If the components were destroyed, there will be evidence of the destruction.

If they were sold, whether whole or dismantled, there will be records of the transaction--if not in Iraq, then they had to go somewhere.

Founder · **Thu Aug 12, 2004 7:28 pm**

Exactly. We are in the process of finding what happened to them. Although if they were sold to a foreign nation, then its doubtful we can find them. You might say "We can backtrack and find who bought what." No we can't. WMD don't come with reciepts. If they were sold it will be hard. If they were hidden, components or the whole thing, it will still be hard to find. They can be ANYWHERE.

Seven of Nine · **Fri Aug 13, 2004 5:23 am**

I'm saying it was rushed into, because our troops didn't even have the correct equipment. They had to wait for it. If it had been delayed by a month, then that sort of thing could have been organised better.

And Tony Blair may have gotten the same intel information, but he was the only one making the 45 minute claim. The US wasn't making that claim, therefore it was more justified over there than it was here. If the case had been made here that it was to get rid of Saddam, then it would probably have been received better, and millions of people wouldn't think they'd been lied to by our Prime Minister.

Jeremy · **Fri Aug 13, 2004 12:02 pm**

The WMD - if there was some - have disappeared too well. Someone would known something about them and have mentioned something. America has spy satallites that are so powerful they can look in your window and read writing on a piece of paper yet they haven't seen any WMD being moved around? I'm slightly puzzled by that.

Republican_Man · **Fri Aug 13, 2004 12:05 pm**

Jeremy · **Fri Aug 13, 2004 12:19 pm**

http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2002/09/20020927_a_main.asp

That's the nearest I can find at the moment, as there is way too much about WMD and weapons inspectors out there on the net. It basically confirms what I said.

Seven of Nine · **Fri Aug 13, 2004 12:27 pm**

Yup, well, when I said "our" I meant British troops, being in Britain and all

And leave me alone, I'm pretty much agreeing with you at the moment

gilbert3729 · **Fri Aug 13, 2004 10:06 pm**

Republican_Man · **Fri Aug 13, 2004 10:12 pm**

gilbert3729 · **Fri Aug 13, 2004 10:27 pm**

Incase you have forgotten, this is a debate. We are debating different views on the topic, my liberal views and your conservative views.

so lets both try to stay on the issues and to stop attacking each others beliefs.

Republican_Man · **Fri Aug 13, 2004 10:30 pm**

Theresa · **Fri Aug 13, 2004 10:31 pm**

WMD's were one of the reasons given. And like RM has been trying to say, if I stood here, with 200 others, and told you there was going to be a hurricane tomorrow, you'd board up your windows. Especially if several of those sources were so called weather experts.
We quickly forget that the Iraqi people are free now. That they were persecuted. Check out the article from this weeks TV Guide, interviewing the Iraqi soccer team.