I know this will anger many Conservative Americans but.........?

Question

Given that the U.S. did in fact invade a sovereign nation without any validity and on the pretext which was patently false, why do some Americans still believe they're the good guys? Let's honest here, the U.S. invaded and is now an occupying force. They were and are the aggressor, to deny this is, shall we say, not at all honest. My question is, why are Americans surprised by people fighting them? If the U.S. were invaded, I suspect, many of them would be less than pleased. So again I ask? Why this belief in being the good guys? Saddam was a tyrant, so what? the U.S. liked him fine enough when he was doing there bidding. The U.S. cared not one bit, when he was killing the kurds, with their weapons. Why now? We know it wasn't 9/11. We know it wasn't weapons. I suspect the attempt at a global hegemony lead by the U.S.

Opinions, Comments, and I would like hear from some U.S. servicemen what their honest views are.

Actually EXPOSING, I am a conservative, just not American. You not only didn't answer the question, you immidiately made assumptions and worse made my point for me. You Saddam was a bad guy and he was killing his own. My point is YOU the Good Ol' U.S. of A. didn't even flinch while he doing it because he was your buddy. So don't get cute. You lie down with dogs you get up fleas, and like it or not, the U.S. now has a lot of fleas.

Thank you Scott, your honest answer was what I want to see. Just how Americans really feel, not the propoganda from either the left or right, just what you think. I believe many Americans don't realize the scope of the lies and of the length of time it will take to end this.

FOA, you can join EXPOSING in a time out. Clearly you haven't a clue and it does no good to give any more attention. Bad little fascist, bad.

Well thank you Bob, I ask a genuine question and you feel the need to simply name call. Oh and by the way, I have two brothers serving in Afghanistan as we speak, but you go ahead, you believe all Canadians are cowards, I know better.

usmc, again, my point is that the U.S. created Saddam, this is matter of historical fact, even your own govn't. admits this. The problem lies with the lies. Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11, sorry but George lied. I merely am interested to know if Americans really understand their part in creating this mess to begin with.

sjsosullivan, like scott you offer insight and excellent points. Again I am pleased to see some answers which I may not completely agree with but do offer points to be considered....refreshing.

usmc, with respect, the U.S. helped put Saddam's b'ath party in power back in 1968 with the CIA spearheading the move, and later propped him up during the mid 70's and early 80's, especially when he was fighting Iran.

Answer 1

I'm a conservative American and I'm not offended. It's a valid question. I actually agree with most of what you say. The pretext was false (or at least incorrect)...whether or not this was on purpose, I don't want to debate...and we are an occupying force there.

The problem is, now that we've done that, we now have to finish what we began. If we just up and leave now, as some propose, we leave a power vacuum which will be filled by insurgents who believe that killing people that aren't like them is the answer to solving problems. We all say we would never allow another Hitler type person to come to power again, but that's exactly what we'd be doing.

No, I don't like that we were taken in there under false pretexts. I don't like that we're still there playing policeman between the Shiites and the Sunis. But we can't leave now, or we'll wind up making Iran and their religious fanatics even more powerful.

Answer 2

Having served during the period of the first Gulf War, Saddam instigated the fight, by expelling UNSCOM from Iraq. It was reported on every news channel in the world. Can refute that. It's the truth. Once he did that, the previous 8 years of Intel on Iraq could only support the botched, yet credible reports saying there were WMD's. There was a probable cause, the UN did state as a term for surender in the first war that there would be consequences. There have been consequences for the US as well, diplomatically, so to think of this, and paint it in a highly biased light, is in fact just as wrong as what you are accusing the Amdinistration of. I suggest an in depth research of Intel on Iraq for the previous 20 years before casting disparities.

Conversely, a good deal of what has gone on in Asia Minor has been the direct result of thousands of years of warfare and strife. Going back to Greece, the Europeans became interested in the hullabaloo. It wasn't really a wise decision, but, meh. So, as the decades and centuries muddled along, in came Christianity, then Islam, and the stage was slowly set for the Napoleonic Wars, WWI, and WWII, which ultimately set the stage for the modern fiasco. Frankly? I think we need to pull together a summit of all of the regional states, for a round table on ending the violence, and allowing the US to depart as quickly and quietly as possible. All any peoples ever want is self-determination. It's time all parties stopped with the immature games, and became men, so they could discuss making it real. I say this about my country (USA) and the countries involved in the Gulf Region (Does NOT include Russia or China)

Answer 3

First to Laura S - This is NOT linked to 9/11.

Secondly I'm British, not American, but the British Government was involved in this with the 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' claims which were later proved to be false.

Why did Britian and American invade Iraq?
Oil.

As has been said previously, nothing was done about Saddam for years.

Saddam was not by any means an innocent, but, what right do the British, Americans, or anyone else have to invade another country when they are not themselves being attacked by that country?

Answer 4

As the responses show, there are those of us who try to take a step back and actually sort through the facts (best as they can be ascertained) and come away with conclusions that don't say a lot a good things about the mission in Iraq. Don't get me wrong, some good things may come from our misguided adventure. Certainly the formation of an independent Kurdistan would be one of those...of course our military is opposing such a state, which seems par for the course as we dissappoint the one group that truly supports our being there.

The other side of the argument just simply believe what they believe and no facts to the contrary will every sway their views.

Answer 5

Same old, Same old. First of all this is clearly linked to 9/11 and everyone seems to forget that fact! We were attacked on our own soil just like WWII and like WWII we took the battle to them. To protect people like you. If we just give terrorist, as we call them an angry nod then where would we be today? Just possibly more dead Americans? Oh well! I personally don't see the great enlightenment that you seem to think that exists in this world. War is a fact it has always existed and until the world ends I really don't see the world being so enlightened that there will never be war. We are human and humans like to force other humans to think the way they think. I really don't care if you feel the way that you feel that's your right and guess what my Grandfather's, Uncles, Cousins and two Cousins now are fighting for you to be able to have your own beliefs and your freedom to voice what you feel. So here's to your journey to enlightenment and here's to the entire world becoming as enlightened as you and God Bless you and your freedom for your search for enlightenment! Not conservative but believe in conserving our freedom! I also gave you a star because you had the guts and are willing to read the thoughts of others.

Answer 6

You said......

"Given that the U.S. did in fact invade a sovereign nation without any validity and on the pretext which was patently false"

Why do you assume that?

There have been numerous interviews with Saddams generals where they said straight out that he moved plane and truck loads of weapons out of the country into Turkey for several days before the US announced their intent to search.

His intelligence and spys knew what was going on inside our government, just like our spys knew what was going on in theirs.

This isn't hollywood, most things that go on will NEVER be know. None of us will get a tight and tidy closing explanation where everything is finally explained so it makes sense or even see any of the info that caused ANY of the decisions made...all we can do is "theorize" and preach like we know what's up.

None of us in the general public have access to the information that the higher military and government do. All opinions are just that...opinions. We dont have enough FACTS to say any different, propose other solutions, or claim expert and knowledgable status.

Answer 7

Is it so bad that we take care of our own interest first? Saddam was an enemy. At the time it seemed like a good thing to advance ourselves and give the Iraqi people a chance at freedom. Check out the provisions of the 1991 ceasefire agreement. We had the right to attack 15 days after that was signed because Saddam had already violated the agreement.

Answer 8

Anger? Naw, I feel sorry for ya. Lets see, who was in charge when the Kurds were being gassed? Was it Carter or was it Clinton? Invaded without validity? I could have sworn that there was something about UN resolutions and Clinton's displeasure with Saddam somewhere in this story. But since we're being 'honest' here your not entirely wrong. We do have a bad habit of making the enemies of our enemies our friends no matter how sick they are. But if you are really honest I think you'd agree that most people only hear what they want to hear based on perceived notions. You need to get out a little more and listen to someone other than a those on the Left.

Answer 9

I'm not a serviceperson, but I definitely have asked the same questions and totally agree with you.

Saddam was not linked to 9-1-1 or to Al-Quaeda, but somehow we channeled our anger at this country. Saddam was not an innocent by any means, but I feel that we have gone in and totally dismantled this country.

What is worst is that because we started it, the other side is angered at our country. When we pull out, they most likely will cry for vengeance (after all, if your kinsman were attacked would you not want vengeance). What is worse, think about a child who grows up to find out that their father is destroyed by an invading force, would not that child hate and want vengeance for the wrongs done to their father?> It would not matter if that father was wrong or not, the fact that an enemy killed, injured, or tortured my father, that child probably would want revenge. So this invasion will affect the next generation and future generations.

"They" may have destroyed a few thousand lives on 9/1/2001, but "we" have destroyed a lot more people in that country than were destroyed over here.

I heard from one serviceman that in the region he was in, the only building left standing was the Ministry of Oil building. All other buildings were destroyed in that city. Yeah, this is to protect us against terrorists that threaten us!! Sorry, but there is something unethical about a President who earns his fortune in the oil industry going to war in a region primarily known for oil.

I know some people will not agree and that is their right, just as it is my right to believe that this war is unethical.

Answer 10

They believe that they are the good guys because most of them believe all the crap that is report it to them and because they thing that if other countries don't hold the believe systems and cultural ideas that they have, everybody else is wrong so they have the need to pass on to everyone else their "wisdom". they don't get it that not everyone want to be like them, that we are just perfectly fine the way we are/

ok I know Saddam wasn't the best leader for his country but, why have the us not free Cuba, I tell you why, nothing to gain.