Cost of Iraq war???????

[Chris Melia]

for the cost of Iraq war go here
National Priorities Project - Cost of War

just unreal

regards


Chris.

[Ron Earp]

ABC News: Cost of War Per U.S. Family: $20,900

[David Briggs]

The entire state of California runs on less than we are spending in Iraq/yr.
We are wasting the lives of our soldiers and our National Treasure there.
IMHO

[Simon]

It's the cost in lives that scares me sh*tless.
Brave lads like Chris's son (amongst others), putting their lives on the line.
I'm sure all our wishes are with them all for a safe return.

Simon

[Russ Noble]

Did the politicians involved go to sleep during their history lessons at school?

The cost in lives to the occupying forces was totally forseeable and has many parallels in the past.

It's one thing to go in and destroy critical targets with a high tech, low risk attack, but to become an occupying force on the ground is fraught with risk particularly when the occupying countries involved have totally different political systems, values and aspirations.

If the people universally greet you with open arms as a liberating force and then you leave, then you are fine. If that doesn't happen and you become an occupying force, in the long term you will never win.

Look at Europe after WW2 Germany and Berlin.

[speed220mph]

I think the appropriate question would be more like what would be the cost it we don't finish it? As Larry the Cable Guy says, "Git'r done." Imagine the outcome had we been defeated on the Normady Beaches or turned tail at Guadalcanal.

[Chris P.]

I don't have sound here at work, but I think this is the video I am looking for. Remember all that "flip-flop" childish crap that the republicans couldn't shut up about concerning John Kerry?

Remember this pre-2000 interview?

YouTube - George W. Bush on Nation Building In 2000

That's a pretty big and important flip-flop.

[Iron Sheik]

Chris P,,, EXCELLENT,,,,,

However,

You “unpatriotic”, “infidel”,,,,

You are lucky, you have not been send to Guantanamo ,,,YET!!

You must be foreigner; a “true American” couldn’t possibly disagree with his “majesty”, “Tricky Dick” and “CUNTeliza Rice”.

Here is one for you from DICKY

https://pol.moveon.org/donate/cheney...6585213-wgJYuz

[DaveM]

The Iraq war was a personal vendetta foisted on America by Bush and Cheney. Beating the war drums in 2002 Bush actually said of Saddam "He tried to kill my daddy". Saddam was obviously a bad person, but the real war should have remained Afghanistan. Because of the Iraq diversion the Taliban has regrouped and now Pakistan is imploding. The monetary cost is truly obscene. The exploding U.S. deficit is the major reason for a dwindling dollar. Let's just hope Cheney doesn't bomb Iran!!

[Russ Noble]

Originally Posted by speed220mph

I think the appropriate question would be more like what would be the cost it we don't finish it? As Larry the Cable Guy says, "Git'r done." Imagine the outcome had we been defeated on the Normady Beaches or turned tail at Guadalcanal.

Hmmm…. And how do you propose to ‘finish it’? It’s a totally different scenario to Guadalcanal or France.

After being a brutal occupying force in Europe for decades, could Russia, a country with the military manpower and led by a ruthless dictator with the will to win, and also not known for it’s respect for human rights or world opinion, ‘finish it’?

In the end if the population doesn’t whole heartedly support the ‘liberating forces’ then it will never finish……

I can’t see there ever being a satisfactory resolution to Iraq. Did I hear Bush the other day muttering that he wanted to invade Iran as well…..? Jeez….?

[Bill Musarra]

As with most if not all politicians, there are times when you will see them say one thing, and then 8-10 years later you will hear them say the other. I will only say that with "time", circumstances change. I think we all know that. The reasons for not invading Iraq in 94 as outlined in the Moveon piece, were the right things to do. They had only invaded the helpless country of Kuait. So driving them out was all that was needed. As most of the informed people know, Moveon.org is the radical left wing arm of the democratic party. They of course will say what is expedient to their cause. What is really bad though, is the politicians who change their mind, stance, position, what ever you call it on a weekly basis. I don't care what political affiliation you are. The reasons for invading Iraq were spelled out by every politician on both sides of the isle, supported and funded by both sides of the isle. Quotes can be brought up to show that they did.(those that don't now) Even if it was bad intel, it doesn' matter. We are there now. The question to be argued is what to do now, and what will happen if we do(stay or leave). You can argue all you want about what has been proven or disproven about the intel, or why we are there, it still doesn't matter, we are there. I think no one wants any of our troups to make the ultimate sacrifice. What we have to remember is that this is being done by an all volunteer army(U S). These kids want to serve their country and those troops know why they are there, and are willing to be there.(I am sure someone will find exception with what I am saying).
So, what do you think will happen if we pull up stakes and leave. How many Iraquis will die then, what will happen to the country, what will happen to our image throughout the free world. What will the radicals in the mideast do then. Talk about a real debate... That is far better than "your wrong and I'm right"

Bill

[Pete McCluskey.]

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country." - George Washington

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke

In doing what we ought, we deserve no praise, because it is our duty. - Saint Aurelius Augustine (Augustine of Hippo)

"For those that will fight for it....Freedom...has a flavor the protected shall never know". - L/Cpl Edwin L. Craft, B Co. 3rd AT's, Khe Sahn Combat Base, February 1968

Never in the history of the world has any soldier sacrificed more for the freedom and liberty of total strangers than the American soldier. - Zell Miller (D) Georgia 2004

For it has been said so truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and burn that flag. - Zell Miller (D) Georgia 2004

"From time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." - Thomas Jefferson

"War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong; and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses." - Thomas Jefferson

"Liberty is never unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. Of all the so-called natural human rights that have ever been invented, liberty is the least to be cheap and is never free of cost." - Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers

[Pat Buckley]

I would never let Larry the Cable guy make important decisions that affect the lives of many.

I don't care how many Iraqi's die if we leave now - all I care about is that one more soldier (American, British, Australian, whatever) doesn't die in this futile conflict.

Our (the USA's) image in the world stinks - for good reason. It can hardly be worse. Our State Department has consistently made the wrong choices for the last 50 years.

I was pissed off about the Viet Nam conflict - but felt a little better thinking that perhaps we had at least learned a lesson.

I was wrong.

[Chris P.]

No doubt PNAC played a big part in us making the move into Iraq, especially knowing how little Bush can handle on his own in terms of direction and decision making.

Project for the New American Century - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

and

Welcome to the Project for the New American Century

and get a load of this straight from the horses mouth and look who signed it at the bottom -

Statement of Principles

No wonder the world hates us.

[Dean Lampe]

F#%k what the world thinks! Do you want the French to set our foreign policy? What a stupid idea. The right thing is not always the popular thing. I hate this arm chair quarter back shit. On 9/12 everyone wanted to fight terrorist. The difference is that you have lost your spine. If the media would have had the influence over our lives in WWII that it has now, we would likely be speaking German today. Remember how many UN resolutions Saddam broke? 17! The UN put us in this mess. If Russia and China would have stood against Saddam and enforced the resolutions THEY passed, maybe Saddam would have backed down. They were getting huge kick backs, thats why they didn't support action. If you think Bush went to war for revenge or for personal benefit from oil, you are just an idiot. If you think Saddam had no link to terrorist, you are an idiot, if you think there were no weapons of mass destruction you are an idiot. Even Clinton said the WMD's were there.

Just once I would like to here a solution come out of those big fu&%ing mouths doing all the complaining. By the way, how many attacks have there been in this country since we started the war on terrorism? Thats what I thought. God bless this country and the troops that give there lives to bring freedom to those who have never none it. Maybe we should pull all our troops out and let Iran take control, thats who we are fighting anyway. Then let them make nuclear weapons. I think you would see Israel nuke the whole Arab community. Would that make you feel better?

I love these threads because I like to fight about politics. I also like to see what you guys are passionate about besides your cars.

Oh ya, thats just my opinion.

By the way, thanks Pete for those awesome quotes. Those are great patriots for all over the world and all different times.

[Pat Buckley]

I think you are an idiot, Dean.

That's my opinion.

I love these political discussions too!

[Russ Noble]

Originally Posted by Dlampe

F#%k what the world thinks! Do you want the French to set our foreign policy? What a stupid idea.

Why not? Your Yank politicians try to set ours! What a stupid idea!

However Bill Musarra summed the Iraqi situation up, you are there now, what are you going to do about it?

I love these political discussions too!

Cheers,

[Pete McCluskey.]

Dean why don't you stop holding back and say what you really mean?

BTW I agree with you and I love these political debates also

[Dean Lampe]

Well, I'm glad we have all that straightened out. Since we are all idiots, maybe one of us should run for office! I think that is the only real qualification need for the next elections!

I'm still waiting to hear some real solutions from those that so clearly disagree with the current path our country has taken. By the way, didn't all of you liberals vote these democrats into office to bring the troops home? How is that working for you? With a congressional approval rating around 11% these guys must make you proud. Hell, President Bush's approval rating is over 30%. IF I had voted for the dem's because I thought they would bring the troops home, I would be really upset with their lack of commitment on that subject. They could cut off the funding and Bush would have to bring the troops home. Why haven't they done that? My guess is that they know it is the wrong thing to do and just used our soldiers and the war as a tool to get themselves elected.

Pat, come on. "Dean, I think your an idiot" Thats all you have for me? Where is that inner "Gashole" that I've known for all these years?

[Chris]

When the ceasefire was declared in 1991, it was conditional, and rightfully so. Saddam thumbed his nose at those conditions for 12 years. That's long enough. Letting him get away with that would've sent the wrong message to all the dictators around the world, regardless of religion.