Why are we in Iraq?

Answer 1

There are a few ways to answer this: Historical reasons, political reasons, or the 'given' reasons.

Historically, we have been involved in Middle Eastern politics since the end of WWII. We helped overthrow the Iranian government to put in a leader we thought would be 'our guy' in the middle east. Unfortunately, he was very inept, so the clerics overthrew him. So we gave Iraq weapons to attack the Iranian clerics because we saw them as a threat to peace in the region, as well as human rights abuses and the like. Saddam got a big head, decided to attack Kuwait, we went to go get him out. Since we didn't really do anything except push his troops back outside of the Kuwaiti border, Saddam believed we didn't have the guts to take him out completely, so he called our bluff for years. Dubya gets in the White House and calls his bluff.

Politically, the Bush administration, operating under the Realism theory of international affairs, decided to attack Iraq because they believed that Iraq, being a primarily secular government, would be the easiest middle eastern country to instill a working democracy in. Anyone who says it was from WMD's, or because Saddam was a 'bad man', is under informed and buying whatever the government is selling.

The given reasons, of course, began as WMD's (which never had the capability to reach the US, but they could have reached Israel), and then because Iraq was connected to Al-Qaeda(Saddam saw Al-Qaeda as a threat to his country, since they were religous based and Iraq was a secular government), or because Saddam caused 9/11 (he didn't). Then it was because he was a brutal dictator (Don't get me wrong, Saddam is a bad guy who killed a lot of people, but so have the leaders in the Darfur region).

Answer 2

That's a subject that will likely be debated for years to come. My opinion is going to Iraq was a huge blunder on the part of the president. Why we are still in Iraq is a mystery as well. People are using the exact same reasoning today to stay in Iraq that kept us in Vietnam for decades.
The world didn't come to an end when we cleared out of Vietnam. It won't when we leave Iraq either. I don't think that we should wait for the 50,000 death toll of American GIs as we did in Vietnam before getting out of Iraq.

Answer 3

The American army is not in Iraq to spread democracy and demolish terrorism as they used to claim...Iraq was peaceful under Saddam's control, and non of this nonsense used to happen before the Anglo-American Army entered Iraq

and Bush, where's the bio-nuclear-mass destruction weapons you spoke about before your occupation of Iraq? Did Saddam hide them in his prison cell now?

Answer 4

It is always good to "follow the money." Who is benefit ting from all this? It is certainly not the American or Iraqi people. It is time we all woke up to discover the puppeteers who are directing this "little drama" for all to see. There are dark figures behind the scenes who have arranged this catastrophe for their financial and power gain. Meanwhile we are found demanding revenge and justice be brought down on each other, unwitting accomplices to this very cynister and vicious play. I wonder what these men say to each other, over Napoleon Brandy, as they watch us little mice act out our prearranged parts. Do they laugh at us?

Answer 5

It's all part of the plan leading up to world war 3.

Answer 6

why dstr, what an honorable person to join yahoo answers all the way from the war in iraq...

Answer 7

http://www.freedomagenda.com/iraq/wmd_quotes.html

I know you have seen that before.

Answer 8

To control the oil market and haliburton getting paid at our soldiers and taxpayer expense.

Answer 9

We are not! Our troops are! fighting for America and the new democracy in Iraq (and yes I have fought for my country.. USMC)

Answer 10

To guard it's borders instead.