What's the best justification for the war on Iraq?

[Onlooker]

I think it's incredible that this is a war that cannot possibly be justified. There are no WMDs, no chemical weapons, no Al Qaeda. Now, we're even reinstalling Saddam's generals to try to maintain the peace. Obviously, we're not protecting American lives when Americans are dying every day in Iraq. We're not building better relationships with Middle Eastern countries. We're not bringing stability to the Middle East where terrorism is clearly on the upswing. We're not even getting reduced gas prices!

There really is no way to justify this war. Has there ever been a more pointless war than this?

[Junkdrawer]

1. Other - To increase Halliburton profits, to gain hegemony in the region,

and to keep China dependent on the West for energy.

[AlinPA]

2. Other: To make Bush* "a war president"; increase Halliburton's bottom

line.

[democratreformed]

3. Other - NONE n/t

[oblivious]

4. Other

1. Because Saddam was trying to convince OPEC to switch to payment in Euros.
2. Because it was doable
3. Because Sharon considered Iraq a threat to Israel.
4. To show Iran, Syria and the Saudis who's boss.
5. To use Iraq to control middle East oil and indirectly the Chinese economy.
6. Because what's the use of having all that power if you don't use it.
7. To generate big income for near bankrupt Cheney corporate cronies.
8. To show the world just how stupid a neocon can be.

[ixion]

5. Other - there is NO justification for the INVASION of Iraq.

It was not a war, really, but TRUE definition of a war. We have not really had a war since WWII, IMO.

[oblivious]

6. You're right.

You can't call it a war when a country is attacked after it has allowed the international community to disarm it. You can call it a slaughter, mass murder or something, but not a war.

[Onlooker]

7. nevermind

[Jack Rabbit]

8. Other: get rid of Saddam

End the suffering of the Iraqi people and getting rid of Saddam's generals come closest in the given choices. Your point, of course, is that none of this has been accomplished and is well taken.

Saddam's brutality as a justification for war was hinted at by the junta in the run up to the war, but the reasons that were stressed were the weapons and the terrorist ties, both of which were discredited before the first missiles were fired.

Of course, getting rid of Saddam had nothing more to do with it than the phantom missiles or terrorist associations, but at least one could support generalizations about Saddam's brutality with facts.

Saddam's brutality, like the biochemical arsenal that was no longer or the al Qaida association that never was in the first place, were just PR points. The real reason for the invasion and occupation is to impose a neo-liberal colonial regime in Iraq.

The rise of insurgency shows that that has not been accomplished, either.

[Q]

9. If it was 'just'...

...you wouldn't need to be LOOKING for a justification.

[wadestock]

10. Of course there is no justification

This was George W. Bush's vendetta against Saddam....in which he dragged a wonderful highly trained and motivated volunteer army to do his bidding.

10 years of inspections and our bulldozing over skuds and other deployment systems removed Iraq's ability to DEPLOY WMD.

Bush said he would "rewrite the history books".
Well he certainly did.

And don't get fooled by the line "the world is better off without Saddam".

Not at the cost of 15,000 citizens and 1000s of American lives.
Saddam was in a box. The problem was contained. It's no longer contained, we look like chit around the world, we've made a mess that can't be cleaned up, and we're no better off in terms of lessening our probability of terrorist attacks in the future.

Current costs of operations since 911 are 205 billion with another 60 billion through this end calendar year easily spent. That money spent on true homeland security would have provided Americans some REAL protection.

[leftofthedial]

11. It exists for the following reasons---none are justification

Halliburton et al profits and control of oil reserves

Political cover for the bushgang (makes L'il George a "war presidient," serves as a domestic political wedge issue)

establish permanent American military presence in Middle East (furthers the PNAC plan for American hegemony)

This is an unjustifiable outrage.

[davekriss]

12. Like all polls...

...this skews the answers to "there is justification for the war", one of the several choices, when in fact there is NO justification for the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq.

For honest coverage, a row should be added saying "There is no justification for this illegal war". Watch the numbers there grooooooowwwwwww!

[LadeJarl]

13. So Jr. could finish what Sr. couldn't! (n/t)

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

14. To brutally murder all Arabs

Oh wait, that was their unofficial reason. :eyes: