Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq?

Should America become the bully of the world? Should we be viewed as a country that is only in it for itself? Would an attack on Sadaam be viewed as an attack on a dictator or would it be viewed as a protection of our commercial interest, oil? I really wonder why there is thought in favor of the attack on Saudi Arabia and what is the underlying rational. Maybe it is all of the above. We truely missed our chance back when we had the majority of the Arabian sub-continents' support. We shoulda got the bastard then instead of allowing him the liberty of still breathing and terrorizing his own people. The Arabian people only understand terror as they have painfully proven in recent history. I'd be interested in knowing the yes/no ratio of Dessert Storm Vets on this pole. They have the greatest and most valuable opinion on this subject.

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq?

In many ways I agree with Sp4LittleJohn, and will be VERY interested to see the views of Desert Storm vets on this survey. Current and former members of all branches will be seeing this and voting. We can only pray that political leaders in Congress and the White House will also be following it. If our troops are commanded to go into Irag to "get Sadaam", it is going to be a bloody mess, like all war. But, this time our forces are fighting on other fronts already, our economy may or may not be able to sustain another campaign, and regional leaders there are warning our government in advance that this action would not be well received. Nobody can predict the unintended consequences on everything else going on throughout the middle east and north Africa either. Great caution is in order if what is being contemplated is a major air, sea or land war and the provable destruction of Iraq's present regime.

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq? It appears we are in a quandry. Attacking Iraq, I fear would turn our cause from righteous to that of a bully. If we attacked Iraq and were succesful in ousting Saddam, who is to say that someone worse would not jump into the created power vacuum.

What I find really interesting is that Saudi Arabia who politically has been our ally for years has either wittingly or unwittigly supplied most of the terrorists who have done most of the recent damage. I would rather teach the Saudi's a lesson. Find alternative energy sources, then punish them. Something tells me that as long as oil men remain in power, we will leave the Saudis alone and they to me are the trouble makers.

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq?

Points well made.

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq?

Nice idea. Get rid of good ole Uncle Saddam but opens the door for wider hatred to ward US, no matter what god we accomplish. It seems as though the Arab world is more content on rattling sabres and in fighting then getting things done for the sake of their own. Agian absolute power corrupts absolutely. Maybe if we had done something after the 78 oil embargo we could thumb our noses up and say "eat sand" we don't need the oil. But there are forces greater, and boat loads of money, that are driving this scenario. Already the US press is beating the higher gas prices song. If and when this event happens they will go up to meet our expectations as feed to us by the press. Too bad since very little if any of our oil comes form IRAQ.

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq? Only 10% of USA oil comes from the middle east. Our oil comes mostly from North and South America. However, if he goes on the attack we should go after Him. If we declare war on IRAQ we'd have to declare war on almost every Muslim country in the middle east, because they all harbor terrorest. All hell would break loose and we'd be in WW III before we knew it. Declaring war is a very serious thing and shouldn't be done without a lot of thought. Fortunately, the president doesn't declare war but it's congress. I don't think you could get the votes at the present time.

Keith

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq?

Although I am firmly convinced that Sadam does indeed need to be removed, involving our military on a large scale and no doubt costly invasion is not the way to do it. I feel that this proposed invasion is the meddling of the Council on Foreign Relations and a ploy of the antics of the New World Order pundits. If we really need to eliminate Sadam, then let's hire the Israele's who have the ability to infiltrate and get the job done, something our own military, CIA, etc, obviously can not accomplish!

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq?

Although no perfect historical parallels exist, it is nevertheless possibly prophetic that it was control of petroleum which most historians believe caused the Nazi government to invade Russia, against the warnings of German military commanders. Today virtually every non-U.S. international news source is reporting very strong and sometimes defiant resistance to the increasing crescendo of war drums in America, and not solely from middle-eastern government leaders. It is potentially tragically ironic, if things reach battle in Iraq, that an incursion may be by only American and British (plus perhaps some Italian) forces as now seems in the works. Ironic because it was primarily the way in which Britain LEFT their former dominions of empire in the middle-east and sub-continent which, albeit it unintentionally (one hopes!), is the 19th-20th century catalyst giving birth to much of the turmoil throughout those regions...not to mention how those peoples were subjected to begin with. Are we about to aid Britain in cleaning up after herself? If so, why.

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq?

I was with the 101st Airborne 2/187th Inf. in Desert Storm. I think now is time for serious planning and timing. We are already thin out as it is already. Our military is nowhere close to the strength it was back then. Now China is coming into the picture. I think we should take it slow build our military as quickly as possible and move quickly.. You are right we were just as surprise as everyone else because we figured since we were the most forward division in Iraq that we would get first dibs on this jerk. Imagine what we felt when they order us to hold position. I knew this would come back to kick us in the butt again. This time Saddam is going down and he is taking a big chunk of us with him. Because he knows he can't trust his military so that leave Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq?

I hope Washington is reading these words from a member of the 101st. What impresses me most about his witnessing is how similar it sounds to how our forces were held back at critical moments in Vietnam, with the result we all know. It happened again apparently in Desert Storm. Will it occur another time, THIS time! I suspect the 101st commanders would pretty much agree with him, then and now. Washington politicians would be well advised, if they do make this invasion inevitable, to give the command (clearly) and step aside, then don't micro-manage the troops (unless of course they'd be AS willing to suit up and join in sand-eating for the duration?).

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq? I dont get it?
Why do the US alway act as some world police?
The latest news is that even the UK wount participate in this war.
The middel east is unstable enough, and the US need the support of the Arab nations in Afghanistan.
I`ts time for your war mongering president to step back a bit and think about the world and not only what suits him and the US.

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq? I am a Desert Storm Vet and I think we should not even need to have a discussion about Saddamn, he should be in a grave. We should have been able to finish our mission. Thank you Keith for pointing out that this isn't about oil. We "declared" A War On Terrorism, this does not stop with Afghanistan. The US "declared" the War and i guess now it is ours to fight.

"will end only in their complete and utter destruction,"
Vice President Cheney said today.

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq?

Just gotta ask you ... would any of you guys wanna do that again?

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq? Would we want to? No
Would we? Yes

Been there, done that.
Darrel

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq? 1) Putting Saddam in his grave, no matter how that gets accomplished, will not rid Iraq nor that region of terrorists? It will barely put a dent in the problem.
2) It is the reponsibility of the Iraqis and muslim world to do whatever is necessary to change that government? They are not helpless nor powerless.
3) It is unacceptable and dishonorable to put ANY civilian non-combatants at ANY risk to their lives or property? Apologies mean nothing.
4) ANY "collateral damage" in warfare does more to negate whatever positive changes occur and enrage populations indefnitely than imaginable?
5) Why war, specifically?
6) There is a better way?
7) It is a cartel which controls the flow of oil, not any one member of it? Any percentage of loss will have to be made up.
8) Many nations have chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons? Once they are in stock, NOBODY can guarantee safeguards.

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq? Letter to American fighters,

Been reading WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE...AND YOUNG, by retired Lt. Gen. Harold Moore and Joseph Galloway, about the Ia Drang campaign in 1965. Found some brief pertinent quotes for here on the eve of whatever is about to happen to our soldiers in Iraq:

"Those who do not do battle for their country do not know with what ease they accept their citizenship in America." Dean Brelis

"Nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won." The Duke of Wellington, 1815

"War is delightful to those who have no experience of it." Erasmus

"There never was a time when, in my opinion, some way could not be found to prevent the drawing of the sword." General Ulysses S. Grant

"War is a crime. Ask the infantry and ask the dead." Ernest Hemingway

Godspeed you home, safe to your families soon.

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq? Saddam has weapons of mass destruction. It is only a matter of time until he gives one to a terrorist and it is detonated in New York, Washington or another major city.
He has been secretly ordering stainless steel tubing that is used to produce nuclear fuel.
If we don't strike him within the next 6 months, we will have an event that will make September 11 look mild.
We vastly underestimate our slim downed military and it's capabilities.
A strike on Iraq will be over in a matter of days and the Arabs will fall right in line. The biggest danger in the entire scenario is Israel, as we all know.
We have no choice. No one has to educate me on the horrors of war.
There are things that can even out weigh those horrors.

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq? GoldenDragon, so true. Didn't mean to imply lessons of horror, just hope all are safe and it goes as you suggest it will. No doubt about the need to do it at all, at least not on my part. I pray our troops do not get stranded if infantry/artillery get deployed. We all would agree that war seldom goes the way it is planned.
Mike

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq?

If the USA is going to do this thing, it should be done right -- the Congress should declare war!

Re: Should The United States Declare War on Iraq?

Thank you, so much, for clearly stating the obvious. My guess is that if Congress does not declare war, then there will be serious trouble in morale among troops and their families, in Congress itself, and among allies who expect America to live up to its own Constitution if we are going to be so demanding that other democracies behave themselves under "the rule of law."