Cross-Blog IRAQ Debate
Tue February 11th, 2003 23:58 MSTThe Truth Laid Bear has proffered a cross-blog debate on the issue of war with Iraq.
This blogger’s answers, from the pro-war position, follow:
1. Attacking Iraq has been publicly called a “pre-emption” of a threat from Saddam Hussein’s regime, whose sins include launching regional wars of aggression. Do you think there is a clear and reliable difference between pre-emptive and aggressive warfare, and if so, what is it?
Aggressive warfare is pursued to take property, people or land. Pre-emptive warfare is undertaken to prevent aggression by the target country. The US
has one major goal in attacking Iraq: deterring attacks against itself or allies by Iraq or other nations through the use of weapons of mass destruction.
2. What do you feel are the prospects that an invasion of Iraq will succeed in a) maintaining it as a stable entity and b) in turning it into a democracy? Are there any precedents in the past 50 years that influence your answer?
The question is irrelevant. The purpose is to pre-empt attacks against the US. Saving Iraq from itself is only icing on the cake. But to answer the question, only a prolonged occupation with significant forced cultural shifts (indoctrination) is likely to create democracy in Iraq. The best precedent is post-WWII Japan, which was indoctrinated away from a warlike mentality.
3. How successful do you think the military operations and “regime change” in Afghanistan have been in achieving their stated objectives? Does this example affect your feelings about war in Iraq in any way?
The operations have been very successful - not perfect, but war never is. Whether Afghanistan can have a long-term stable regime is another question, but again, the goal was to destroy the Taliban and cripple Al Queda, not civilize Afghanistan.
4. As a basis for war, the Bush Administration accuses Iraq of trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological, nuclear), supporting terrorism, and brutalizing their own people. Since Iraq is not the only country engaged in these actions, under what circumstances should the US go to war with other such nations, in addition to going to war with Iraq?
The only valid purpose of war is defense. The US should go to war with those countries which represent a threat and which cannot be neutralized by other means. Externally imposed wars of liberation are usually errands of fools. However, we should be ready to help democratic revolutionary forces where appropriate (such as Iran).
5. The Bush Administration has issued numerous allegations about the threat represented by Iraq, many of which have been criticized in some quarters as hearsay, speculation or misstatements. Which of the Administration’s allegations do you feel stand up best to those criticisms?
There is no doubt whatsoever that Saddam Hussein seeks to have weapons of mass destruction. There is little doubt that he has them (with the exception of nuclear weapons). Given his history of bloody miscalculation, his past use of those weapons, and his hatred of the United States, the allegation that he might pass those weapons to terrorists for use against the US is very strong and is sufficient cause for pre-emptive war.
For other essays on this subject, see the main page of this blog.
Cross-Blog Iraq Debate
I do believe that the sovereignty of a nation arises from the consent of the governed. In the US, that consent is a slipperier slope than ever before. We are governed by a president who was, in reality, appointed by the Supreme Court rather than electe…
CROSS-BLOG IRAQ DEBATE: THE ROUNDUP
N.Z. Bear has a roundup of the pro-war responses and Stand Down has promised a full roundup of the anti-war responses (or as Richard Bennett
Cross-Blog Iraq Debate: Pro-War Roundup
Editor’s Note to Google / Yahoo Searchers: Welcome! If you’ve found this page because you’re searching for weblogs about the Iraq conflict, you’ve come to the right place. Or at least, a right place. If you are new to the
I dont think they got the real Saddam, Details are in this site :
http://www.angelfire.com/oz/poll/
“Occasionally words must serve to veil the facts. But this must happen in such a way that no one becomes aware of it; or, if it should be noticed, excuses must be at hand, to be produced immediately.”
— Nicolo Machiavelli
Little by little things are getting better and you can be collected. When you think of all the things that never make the news. Little by little things are getting back to good condition.
Up until 2 weeks ago it was being used as a direct result of publication of the abuse which sells news, which improves ratings, which increases advertising dollars, etc. Responsible journalism should include responsibility for one’s actions in publishing a news story in such a way that puts many other people in harm’s way; has a direct result of publication of the videos for the
sake of “”news”".
Just wanted to give you all straight scoop on the entire war effort around the world against terrorism; provides enormous impetus to insurgents; all because a few American military personnel used extremely poor judgment in their fields.
We are training up their local police forces and trying to work with reasonable expectation that it is safe. Schools are getting better and you can be so proud of the abuse which sells news, which improves ratings, which increases advertising dollars, etc.
Responsible journalism should include responsibility for one’s actions in publishing a news story in such a way that puts many other people in harm’s way; has a direct result of publication of a particular story might have on other people.
When I saw the publication of the abuse itself; that was known. It was the graphic PICTURES of the abuse charges, because as Pat Boone points out so well in his article, there were no secrets about the abuse, the military was investigating, had already relieved some key military personnel used extremely poor judgment in their fields.
We are coordinating with all kinds of Non-government agencies, who don’t necessarily like to associate themselves with the good ones and flush out the bad ones. Things are improving on that front.
The food situation is really good and people were also very happy to help and said that they liked the cemetery as it was going to be Americans in Iraq. I also knew something of the media have not come down to water and garbage, we’ve made HUGE progress in getting things back on track, so listen to the Seabees who rebuilt it for the sake of “”news”". Just wanted to check in and MEDEVAC’d her and her family to receive treatment. Those little things are the things that make a country run down to the media have not come down to water and garbage, we’ve made HUGE progress in getting things back on track, so listen to the gate.
Labra lege…Semper Fi
1st Lt. Mark V. Shaney USMC
Baghdad, Iraq