Why we went to War with Iraq?

Question

I want to hear what people think is the reason Bush went to war in Iraq. And his "actual" reason.

Answer 1

When Bush entered office he was already obsessed with Iraq. It was going to be a little tricky getting the support to attack Iraq, after all containment was the previous Administration's policy and the U.N. was involved up to their necks, though they'd been slow to demand inspection cooperation from Hussein. Then 9/11 happened. It provided an easy way to tie terrorism to Iraq, even though there was no actual tie (which was proven out and admitted by Bush at a later time). We were given a list of reasons, supported by intelligence that turned out to be faulty. In my mind, the question is whether Bush/Cheney knew that intel was faulty before they presented it to the American people. Due to testimony in the Libby trial, it has come out that Cheney knew the uranium story was bogus. Wilson told him so when he came back to the States after Cheney had sent him to Africa to specifically find this out. Yet, months later, Bush still gave that intel credence by using it as the main support to his WMD theory, using it to tweak our fear in the 2003 SOTU Address. Why? Why use discredited intel to support a war unless the real reason wouldn't be acceptable to the American people?

I'm not going to pretend I know exactly why Bush and Cheney were so obsessed with Iraq that they relegated the real War on Terror to second status in order to attack them. Personal obsessions are tricky things, they can cloud a person's judgment and make telling lies to others seem like it's justifiable. He may even have convinced himself that deceiving the American people was for "our own good," like a parent with a child that doesn't feel the need to explain any actions to that child. In any case, the real reasons obviously weren't good enough to support an imminent threat theory, so they had to spin and weave and we all bought it - from Congress to the people in the street. I'm looking forward to the day when we find out the real reasons. We were attacked, we needed to put all of our force behind obliterating Al Queda - and we didn't. Now there are new terrorist cells springing up all over the world. That's what I know right now and it's part of what infuriates me about George Bush and his smarmy way of connecting his attack on Iraq to 9/11. And to top it all off, he's still got supporters who paint anyone opposing him as liberals and cowards. Who are the real cowards here? I think the real cowards are those who blindly follow him without question, when clearly there are too many questions and not enough answers.

Answer 2

There are two main reasons.

1. The oil. Iraq has some of the biggest reserves in the world. Right next to Iraq is Iran who has the SECOND largest reserve in the world of oil. Saddam was flooding the world with oil, so the oil companies in the US couldn't control the flow with OPEC and Saudi Arabia. I may not be using the "correct" lingo in explaining this, but I know that I am close, because WHO has made RECORD profits by this war? It is the same thing that De Beers did with diamonds..if you can control over 90% of the diamond industry, YOU can say the price and create imagined shortages so you can jack the price up. I think the correct term is a monopoly on the oil industry.

By going into Iraq they have created instability in the region and have the perfect backdrop of terrorists taking over the country. Not only that, but now that the very same people who control Iran is now in control of Iraq, they can make believe that Iran is trying to move into Iraq and then attack Iran for their oil too.

2. The second reason was for just plain old revenge.

I don't believe it had anything to do with what Saddam did to the Kurds because WHO GAVE Saddam in the weapons that Saddam used on the Kurds? The US did.

Answer 3

I think Bush wanted to be the President that brought peace to the Middle East, but quickly realized that you cannot bomb someone into accepting Democracy. Other than that, I have no reason. While Iraq may be a threat to Israel, they are no threat to the US, so the War on Terror claim is baseless.

Answer 4

Saddam supported and granted asylum to terrorist groups and allowed them to build training facilities there. Saddam was a threat to world peace and had WMDs. Saddam violated 14 UN resolutions and the UN had no balls to take action. Saddam conducted genocide on Kurds. Even before Bush got to office the US government felt that there was a need to remove Saddam from power in order to protect the US and other countries from him.

Answer 5

Because it was easy. As we all know, the majority of terrorists come from Saudi Arabia, but no, no way the USA could attack one of their greatest financial partner. So he just decided he'd bomb that dumba** of Saddam...I'm not gonna say he was a good man, since he killed and tortured Lord knows how many people, but I highly doubt he had anything to do with terrorism.

Answer 6

The initial reason was in search of WMD's, and to get rid of Saddam, after that was accomplished,it gets a little fuzzy as to why we must stay,until a government,that wants no part of the leadership role required to end the sectarian violence, gets the power and WILL to "end the sectarian violence".....Got me what the new plan is,but I'd sure like to read the plan,in it's entirety..(." you can lead a horse to water,but you can't make him drink")

Answer 7

We?
The soldiers went to Iraq, not us.
Also, Bush did not go to war, he "started" the war(but not in it).

Answer 8

Bush went to Iraq because he had issues with his father and wanted to one up with him. He didn't need Cheney and Rove he needs mental health. {Psychatrist]

Answer 9

The reasons we went to war are the reasons Bush has given us for the past 4½ years. No "hidden" reasons, no "secret" reasons, no "oil greed" reasons.

Bush may not be a genius, but he's never lied about the reasons, never hidden any reasons, has been quite up front about everything.

What type of mental illness is it when you believe there's a conspiracy about everything?

Answer 10

It is the best place to fight terrorism, we confront them and kill them in the middle east. Saddam had to be dealt with at some point, the UN should have done it years before, but had no teeth. Saddam wanted the world to think he still had WMD's so that he would be a threat, that is why the whole world thought he did. This strategy of President Bush just may be brilliant.