Which was worse: The invasion of Kuwait or the invasion of Iraq?

[kentuck]

We went to war the first time with Saddam because he invaded Kuwait. He invaded Iraq reportedly because they were drilling at angles to get Iraqi oil. Bush Sr got his coalition and drove them out of Kuwait. However, he thought it would have been foolish to go to Baghdad at that time.

Then, after 9/11, we invade Iraq because Saddam invaded Kuwait. And he had WMDs. And was making nuclear weapons that could end up as a "mushroom" cloud. Was one invasion worse than the other or was the invasion of Iraq justified? Just asking...

[Cooley Hurd]

1. From an ecological standpoint, the Kuwait invasion was far worse...

...due to the retreating Iraqi armies setting fire to the oil wells and dumping oil into the sea. However, from a loss-of-life standpoint, the US invasion of Iraq is MUCH worse.

[baldguy]

2. Saddam made no pretense of nobility when he invaded Kuwait

The world knew he was a despot, and expected him to make a nuisance of himself from time to time. The invasion of Kuwait was just one more in a long string of crimes.

America, for billions of people around the world, is the Shining City On The Hill. It was the very symbol of freedom, equality, justice and hope for a better world. And we had the economic power to spread those ideas aboard.

George Bush took that power, murdered three quarters of a million people with it and plunged the
Middle East into chaos which our great-grandchildren will still be dealing with.

[Benhurst]

3. Yeah, the Shining City on the Hill.

What bullshit.

[MH1]

4. Well, I think it was true to say it *was* perceived that way.

It may have been bullshit all along, but the illusion was working.

I don't think it was worth all those deaths to prove that it was an illusion all along, though.

[Benhurst]

5. Yeah, I fear it was bullshit all along. But before Bush we were

close enough to delude ourselves and others.

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. Saddam also invaded Iran

That war lasted 8 years and millions died. Of course we backed him that time.

[Solon]

7. He didn't go into Kuwait till we gave the OK.

Also, we knew about the WMDs because we were holding the receipts, granted, by 2003, all his remaining stocks of WMDs were so decayed as to be useless, and we know the nuclear stuff was just made up.