Would Bush still have invaded Iraq, had there been no 9-11?

[mtnsnake]

Were the horrific events of 9-11 necessary for Bush and Cheney's pre-meditated Iraq war to take place?

Or would the invasion of Iraq have taken place REGARDLESS, even if the terrorist attacks on 9-11 never happened?

[shesemsmom]

1. Oh yes,

he would have invaded. Got to save face for Daddy. 9/11 just gave him a reason.

[colonel odis]

2. i think 9/11 was merely the pretext. bush would have found a way.

n/t

[poppet]

3. would have invaded in any case - n/t

[illflem]

4. He would have tried

but with no public support failed.

[mtnsnake]

9. That's what I was wondering

I'm trying to imagine a scenario where the chimp tries to convince the country of attacking Iraq had there been no terrorist attacks on us to begin with. The mood would've been completely different, and I wonder if he could've/would've still found a way to get the support to attack.

[aquart]

5. Probably.

Look how they're prepping us for invading Iran.

[H2O Man]

6. Yes.

In fact, he would have made strikes in Afghanistan and invaded Iraq within months of when he did, even without 9-11.

[EstimatedProphet]

7. Regardless

There simply would have been another pretext. But after all, that's what 9/11 was for, so it would have happened anyway.

[noamnety]

8. It was already planned.

9/11 was their PR stunt to garner public support. If it wasn't for that, they would have created a different stunt.

[DireStrike]

10. Ding ding ding!

Not sure who made it happen, but it was definitely somebody who wanted to see us hit Iraq.

[sam sarrha]

11. they were making speeches about it in 1998..Of Course they would have

Reaganomics requires the invasion of numerous defenseless small 3rd world countries... that is part of the plan...

since the Earth was renamed 'Planet Reagan'..all small 3rd world countries are subject to invasion based on a pool of random lies...

did you know that Noriaga had put 4 Cali Cartel bankers.. one the was the Brains of their money laundering scheme.. in jail and we immediately invaded and put the head Cali Banker in power as president of Panama.. and within 6 months the amount of Cocaine shipped out of Panama to the USA increased by 500%...?

if you dont believe that look at the Heroin now FLOODING out of Afghanistan.. drugs and gut wrenching poverty are also part of the equation.

[Jose Diablo]

12. Iraq? Yes

There would have been something else even if 9-11 had been thwarted.

However, Afganistan would have been hard to explain without 9-11. What possible motive could the administration used for Afganistan, given they were ready to pull the trigger and it had been planned since May, 01 for a mid Oct,01 start.

I cannot understand why the general population here in the USA cannot see this.

[Straight Shooter]

13. bush stressed the danger of WMD in his inaugural speech

Many on DU have said it, myself included, that when bush was given his training pants by the Supreme Court, we all remarked, "Here comes war."

Some DU'ers were quicker on the draw and indicated immediately that the war would be against Iraq. Saddam was a bad bad boy and didn't do what his original benefactors told him to do. Pride goeth before a fall.

Don't look back, bush, something's gaining.