Before this war, no Iraqi ever hurt me or anyone I know. No Iranian either.

[readmoreoften]

So why are my tax dollars going to kill Iraqi babies? And why do they keep insinuating that "they" might try to use my money to kill Iranian grandmothers?
Isn't there a community center in New Orleans that could be built with my taxes or something?
Or someone who needs healthcare. Hey, don't shoot me! I'm just asking!

Before this war, name one thing an Iraq ever did to you.

I'll start:

1) Before the Iraq War, I read two Iraqi blogs. They were well-written and didn't make me mad not even a little bit.
2) An Iraqi man sold my friend a baseball cap with the flag of Iraq on it. He was nice. The hat was of average quality.


Things Iranians have done to me:

1) An Iranian student of mine wrote a very interesting paper and listened attentively in class.
2) Another Iranian student turned asked questions and read the course materials. As of yet, I have no interest in killing her or her grandmother or her dog.


And you? How have you been harmed?

[acmavm]

1. Just because they have oil under the ground is good enough for me says

the justifiers for this war.

And I sure as hell ain't one of 'em.

[tazkcmo]

2. Once, in 1980

An Iranian asked me for directions to a disco. I was soooooooooooo mad!


I friggin HATE disco!

[KSCFAN]

3. A friend of mine's dad was held captive for over a year by Iranians.

[lynnertic]

4. I remember Katrina: No Iraqi left me on my rooftop to die.

[Pavulon]

5. Iran and the US have a long history of hostility

since the revolution. Iran mined the straight of hormuz and lost a naval battle. They killed americans and french in Beirut and killed americans they captured during the revolution.

Iran is however not capable of winning any conflict with the US or Israel, so they have no reason to start a war.

The Iraq war was not relevant to 9/11 or its aftermath. Complete snow job. No benefit to the US.

[Autumn Colors]

7. Why don't you go back a bit further historically?

How about mentioning that the CIA took out their DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED President in 1953 and put the U.S.-approved dictator, Shah Reza Pahlavi, back on the throne and trained SAVAK, his secret police who tortured many, many Iranians.

I mean, there are two sides to this -- it's not like the U.S. is totally innocent in the hostility between the two countries.

[Pavulon]

8. The UK was primary in that but so be it

the answer I gave was correct and truthful. Iran did engage in an international act of war by mining international waters, so we sank their battleships.

The french bombed them after Beirut.

During the cold war we manipulated governments just like the ussr.

[slipslidingaway]

11. If we do not look back further and realize how the people of Iran

struggled to gain a say in their government for decades only to have Britain and the US overthrow Mossadegh in 1953 then it will be difficult to move forward IMO.

http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2008-03-07.asp


"...British officials were intent on getting rid of Mossadegh in order to get their oil back. But Mossadegh was able to stymie their efforts by throwing British diplomats out of the country. The British turned to the United States to accomplish the dirty deed. Led by a flamboyant agent named Kermit Roosevelt, the grandson of Theodore Roosevelt, the CIA hired gangs of thugs and bribed the Iranian news media to foment an environment of chaos and violence that led up to the coup...

That was the root of the anger and resentment that finally boiled over in the 1979 Iranian Revolution in which U.S. officials were taken hostage. Kinzer related a fascinating story about one of the a high-ranking U.S. diplomats that were taken hostage. After a year in jail, one of his captives opened the door to his cell and the U.S. diplomat began screaming and berating him, exclaiming that civilized people don’t take innocent people hostage. After patiently listening to the man’s tirade, the Iranian told the man that he had no right to complain, given that the United States had taken his entire country hostage in 1953 and had held it hostage ever since.

Kinzer then carefully outlined the long-term consequences of the Iranian coup, including the U.S. government’s partnership with Saddam Hussein in his war against Iran. Kinzer then pointed out the obvious lesson — that U.S. interventions into other countries produce horrific long-term consequences, including for the American people..."


And maybe go back further to their Constitutional Revolution and the reason Mossadegh came to power

http://iranchamber.com/

[Pavulon]

12. I am aware of the history

the reality is that we will not apologize for messing with their government. They will not apologize for killing our people. We will kill there people in Iraq, they will try and kill ours.

The time to look at is now. What will they do now? Will they comply with the UN, will they follow up on Amenidijad's rantings.

Will the EU step in?

Lots of issues that have nothing to do with 50 years ago.

[slipslidingaway]

13. Why should they comply with the UN on the ban of enriching

uranium?

"Lots of issues that have nothing to do with 50 years ago."


And many issues are a result of what happened 50 years ago, Mossadegh was a secular leader who was elected by the Iranian people. It altered their future after they had fought and died for representation in their own nation. We cannot just dismiss our involvement, how it has changed their nation and the numbers of people who have died.

[Autumn Colors]

6. Iraqis and Iranians

Things Iraqis have done to me:
1) An Iraqi Kurd who I met by chance at the wine festival in Greece made me laugh nonstop that whole evening.

Things Iranians have done to me:
1) An entire family of Shi'ite Iranians in Tehran hosted me for 10 weeks as an AFS exchange student in the summer of 1978. They also introduced me to some very yummy food I'd never tasted before in my life.
2) They also took me on several trips to see different parts of their country.
3) Many Iranian strangers helped me repeatedly in shops, the post office, etc when I tried to make myself understood with my very minimal knowledge of Farsi.
4) Many members of the above Iranian family moved here to the U.S.A. (Austin, Texas), became U.S. citizens and ALL of them voted AGAINST George W. Bush in the last presidential election.

[hokies4ever]

9. They forced me to learn about Middle East politics

Damn educating myself! :rofl:

[QueenOfCalifornia]

10. And I have to ask

What have they done to you since this "occupation?"

You said no Iraqi or Iranian had hurt you prior to "this war."

How about since?

:shrug: