What we already knew about the Iraq war.

[Kuya]

Here you go:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22794451/?GT1=10755

WASHINGTON - A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses."

The study counted 935 false statements in the two-year period. It found that in speeches, briefings, interviews and other venues, Bush and administration officials stated unequivocally on at least 532 occasions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or was trying to produce or obtain them or had links to al-Qaida or both.

"It is now beyond dispute that Iraq did not possess any weapons of mass destruction or have meaningful ties to al-Qaida," according to Charles Lewis and Mark Reading-Smith of the Fund for Independence in Journalism staff members, writing an overview of the study. "In short, the Bush administration led the nation to war on the basis of erroneous information that it methodically propagated and that culminated in military action against Iraq on March 19, 2003."

Both organizations obviously have liberal leanings, but they try to be non-partison, allegedly. Anyway, anybody who didn't know this already is either lying or still stuck in the "heat of the moment", as i like to call it. Because if i remember correctly, very few people actually questioned the validity of the reasons for going to war. Most people probably honestly thought Iraq had something to do with 911, and i was in 8th grade or something so i'm blameless.

Links to info on orgs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for ... _Integrity
http://www.tfij.org/

[Lordwafik]

Why can't they just say "Bush went to war so his daddy can smile again" ?

[Aerin]

If only people had realized this sooner... oh wait.

For some reason it reminds me of one website, let me see if I can find it brb...

EDIT: A here we go.

[Xavier]

The bullshit would've worked too if the war had only lasted as long as invading Baghdad. As soon as it became an occupation with no foreseeable end, people started to look around and go waaaaaaaaaaaa?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6..._gulfwars2.jpg

Some of the fine print is hilarious too.

[Aerin]

I remember that poster from the original random image thread lol awesome.

Think the fine print is:

Based on an idea by George Bush, Sr.
Production designed to destract you from the failing economy.
Produced by the military-industrial complex in association with Exxon, Texaco, Mobil, (something)
Directed by a desire to win the november elections.
The success of this military action has not yet been rated.

[Kuya]

Wonder what would need to happen to make people believe Iran did it.

[Michuru]

needz moar current events :ashira:

The worst part is that the government (aka Bush) won't be held accountable for starting a war that was unnecessary. Who wants to stage a coup? Ok ok... just kidding, really.

[Xavier]

needz moar current events :ashira:

The worst part is that the government (aka Bush) won't be held accountable for starting a war that was unnecessary. Who wants to stage a coup? Ok ok... just kidding, really.

Every 4 years the entire country has the option to stage a bloodless coup.

[Michuru]

needz moar current events :ashira:

The worst part is that the government (aka Bush) won't be held accountable for starting a war that was unnecessary. Who wants to stage a coup? Ok ok... just kidding, really.

Every 4 years the entire country has the option to stage a bloodless coup.

See, which is confusing, because why didn't they throw him out 4 years ago? Because they knew that good ol' Kerry wouldn't have helped the situation? This election will definately be interesting...

[evilbau]

i think this link is somewhat appropriate

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jHQ7Prwh7Gc

[skurlover]

If only people had realized this sooner... oh wait.

For some reason it reminds me of one website, let me see if I can find it brb...

EDIT: A here we go.

Its a good thing that most of the 30 thumbnails that I looked through had people that probably weren't old enough to even vote in the last election. Gogo impressionable children.

In all seriousness, the thing that disturbs me the most is the "HATE" part of the campaign. I may not have ever agreed with Bill or Hilary Clinton, but I can't say I've ever actively campaigned with the "I hate these people" message.

As for the OP, I tried really hard to say on message with the reasons for war, but even I'm completely lost when I think about how/why we got there. The main goal now is trying to figure out how to stabilize the region and get an international peace keeping force in there to enforce it so we can bring our hardworking men/women home soon. It is easy to look back in hindsight at everything, but there is few people that can honestly say they didn't want revenge for 9/11. We were presented with certain "intelligence" and had to make a decision based on that, much like our leaders at the time. It was wrong, but I don't hate anyone for being human.

[Kuya]

i think this link is somewhat appropriate

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jHQ7Prwh7Gc

Was that last year? I didn't know that.

[Kiro]

We haven't officially declared war on Iraq have we? It's just an occupation.

[Rhinox]

in before Swampdonkey and Egon.

[evilbau]

i think this link is somewhat appropriate

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jHQ7Prwh7Gc

Was that last year? I didn't know that.

More details
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_C ... ct_of_2006

[archibaldcrane]

It is easy to look back in hindsight at everything, but there is few people that can honestly say they didn't want revenge for 9/11. We were presented with certain "intelligence" and had to make a decision based on that, much like our leaders at the time. It was wrong, but I don't hate anyone for being human.

I don't hate them for being human, I hate them for being fucking retarded humans. I, like most americans, thought that Saddam Hussein was in control of chemical weapons. It's unfathomable to me that the U.N. was able to rid the entire country of them, but apparently they did.

That being said, even thinking that Hussein still had chemical weapons that he'd had for 20 years, the idea that something had changed in Iraq or in the world that meant that he needed to be ousted is completely preposterous. I watched the news with my hands on my face as we gave Saddam 48 hours to leave Baghdad "or else". The idea that we thought we had the right to engage in a total invasion of a sovereign nation that hadn't engaged in outward military aggression in over 10 years completely baffled me, and the administration's efforts to exploit a national tragedy of 9/11 to thrust us into a war that would claim more American lives than the original attack...it's amazing.

I feel like I still have my head in my hands. Not only was Iraq even -less- of a a threat than we thought, the war and occupation has cost, both in lives and billions of dollars, has been exponentially more than what anyone (myself included) has expected.

If you were for this war before it started, because of desire to "revenge 9/11" or why ever else, you were either retarded enough to buy the extremely weak connection the administration was trying to draw between 9/11 and Iraq (which there was none), or you just weren't even trying to care and wanted blood. It's completely irresponsible leadership and citizenry, and it disgusts me. Dismissing those responsible or their supporters for having "incomplete information" is such a total cop-out.

[Lordwafik]

I feel like I still have my head in my hands. Not only was Iraq even -less- of a a threat than we thought, the war and occupation has cost, both in lives and billions of dollars, has been exponentially more than what anyone (myself included) has expected.

Also to mention that USA has left Iraq in complete shambles. If they were to leave Iraq in the next election, that would suck majorly for the Iraqis because then they'd be left to fend for themselves against eachother. The whole situation there didn't exactly get better after Saddam went splat.

They better have a good exit strategy that leaves Iraq as a stable country rather than another South American style civil war.

[Quicklet]

Instead of making this thread, you could've just gone here http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 8192753501

[SwampdonkeyPLD]

in before Swampdonkey and Egon.

I've never once defended Bush for going to war, nor said I supported going to war.

[Xavier]

It is easy to look back in hindsight at everything, but there is few people that can honestly say they didn't want revenge for 9/11. We were presented with certain "intelligence" and had to make a decision based on that, much like our leaders at the time. It was wrong, but I don't hate anyone for being human.

I don't hate them for being human, I hate them for being fucking retarded humans. I, like most americans, thought that Saddam Hussein was in control of chemical weapons. It's unfathomable to me that the U.N. was able to rid the entire country of them, but apparently they did.

That being said, even thinking that Hussein still had chemical weapons that he'd had for 20 years, the idea that something had changed in Iraq or in the world that meant that he needed to be ousted is completely preposterous. I watched the news with my hands on my face as we gave Saddam 48 hours to leave Baghdad "or else". The idea that we thought we had the right to engage in a total invasion of a sovereign nation that hadn't engaged in outward military aggression in over 10 years completely baffled me, and the administration's efforts to exploit a national tragedy of 9/11 to thrust us into a war that would claim more American lives than the original attack...it's amazing.

The Bush doctrine of preemptive strikes is the biggest threat the world faces. How can any nation justify attacking another before a threat has actually emerged? Its impossible to avoid looking like the aggressor in that situation. Like you said, I had no reason to doubt that Hussein didn't still have chemical weapons, but everything beyond that was such a stretch.

And to skurlover, your "revenge" occurred in Afghanistan. You know, that country which actually had connections to 9/11.