"Iraq is the immediate justification." Link to the PNAC document.

[madfloridian]

http://www.newamericancentury.org/defensenationalsecurity.htm

I was just reading the great summary Amen1234 posted about the Wolfowitz grilling this morning. It reminded me again of the arrogance of this bunch.

I believe this same document refers to Iraq as a "gateway."

Read "Rebuilding America's Defenses".

This bunch has the blood of our soldiers and the dead Iraqis on their hands.

[madfloridian]

1. "transcends the issue of Saddam Hussein" from 2000

From page 14 of the original document, not the pdf page:

SNIP...."Indeed, the United States has for decades sought to play a more permanent role in Gulf regional security. While the unresolved conflict with Iraq provides the immediate justification, the need for a substantial American force presence in the Gulf transcends the issue of the regime of Saddam Hussein. In East Asia, the pattern of U.S. military operations is shifting to the south: in recent years, significant naval forces have been sent to the region around Taiwan in response to Chinese provocation, and now a contingent of U.S. troops is supporting the Australianled mission to East Timor. Across the globe, the trend is for a larger U.S. security perimeter, bringing with it new kinds of missions......"

This was all planned years ago.

And our soldiers keep dying.