Some say it was about Oil, some say about strategic positioning

[Toots]

some say War Profiting. While all of those are true I believe the main reason was Bully Posturing. We wanted to show the world that the US would fight and destroy a country just because we could and would. It is a form of intimidation and the Republicans excel in intimidation. Plus it was a way of enriching the GOP through War Profiting and campaign kickbacks. I believe that 95% of the reason we went to war with Iraq was "to show them ragheads who's boss" I don't think that part of the plan worked so well though. Halliburton and Cheney have certainly gotten much wealthier but I don't think the other Mideast countries are overly impressed with the US war effort. I think they now feel they can hold their own against the US and the exact opposite of what the NeoCons wanted to accomplish is happening. We are not safer today than we were five years ago and will never ever again be so. The US has become a world Pariah and many people hate it with a passion that was not there before the Bush* Cabal.

[Jade Fox]

1. Very well put. I believe the author of "Bush On the Couch".....

would agree with you. The psychological implications of what we are
doing in Iraq outweigh the practical ones. And Bush wanted to go
to war with Iraq to both defend his father Bush I, and to best him.

Its disturbing, to say the least, how many Americans resonate with
the whole Bully Posturing approach. I didn't realize I lived in a country
populated by so many bully-wannabees.

[DistressedAmerican]

2. Bullies Only Know One Method, Imtimidation!

The good thing about bullies, when you punch them right back, they are nearly always feeble and weak.

They do not expect a response and when they get one, they just move onto some other victim.

[dansolo]

3. That might be for the people who support the war

I think that the motive you ascribe is applicable to the general population who support the war. The general public is more interested in the US strutting around the globe than freeing the Iraqis, or any other people for that matter. However, for the power brokers, the war is about power and greed, pure and simple. The only reason that the war has been going so poorly is because of their averice and arrogance, and their refusal to listen to the experience military and diplomatic personnel who happen to contradict their ideologically driven assumptions..

[smoogatz]

5. Good point.

If the US had followed the Powell Doctrine of overwhelming force and a clear exit strategy, we'd probably not have invaded in the first place, or if we had, would've crushed the insurgency in its infancy, before it had a chance to coalesce and gather steam. We should have had troops on every street corner in Baghdad, much as the allies did in Berlin after WWII. What was required was a show of invincible force, coupled with martial law--strict law and order, looters shot on sight, the whole deal. Instead, they tried to do it on the cheap, and now the insurgents are calling the shots, and US troops are hunkered down in reactive, defensive posture. A total clusterfuck.

[smoogatz]

4. Kick their Ass, Take their Gas

Strategic positioning of forward bases and becoming the dominant military power in the Middle East are really extensions of the oil grab. Bushco care about dominating the ME entirely because it has vast oil reserves. Iraq's may be bigger even than Saudi Arabia's--no meaningful exploration's been done there since before the Iran/Iraq war. We do know that Iraq has likely reserves of at least 220 billion barrels, and (pre-insurgency) the lowest production costs in the world. That's enough oil to supply 100% of US domestic consumption for around thirty years, at current rates. Its value @ $55 per barrel is over 12 TRILLION dollars--roughly equal to the entire GDP of the US for 2004. Anyone who tries to argue that Iraq's oil is an insignificant prize is talking through their hat.

[Colorado Blue]

6. Yes! I think you're right. Especially since recent publications

are now speculating that Saudi Arabia has been overpumping and may have overstated its reserves.

Here's a link to another discussion thread on this topic:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=209x1861