So What Happens if Iraq is just a huge Civil War?

[leftyladyfrommo]

Do we just come home and stay out of it?

Our forces can't do anything to stop it. And we are becoming the target - more so with each day. The Middle East people hate us - let's just be truthful here.

So the Shia kill all of the Sunnis and then what?

Or Iraq just breaks up into 3 separate states?

And Iraq becomes another terrorist state. And the people in the North learn to live on poppies?

And Basra becomes an Iranian State?

Wow, who would have thought we could have so many options. And we didn't even really try.

[Beer Snob-50]

1. I think if Bush really analyzed the situation before he invaded

he would have known this was going to happen. Saddam kept these groups who really hate each other under his thumb and kept the region stable. This is not happening now. I suppose we really cannot just up and leave because "we broke it, we own it."

[Hugin]

2. His Dad *told* him this would happen...

He did it anyway.

The link has been floating around here for years.

[leftyladyfrommo]

4. I don't think it ever occurred to Bush or Rumsfeld that

they might be wrong. They are both so arrogant.

After all we are the number one world power with the mightiest army at our disposal.

Everyone was telling them to stay out of the Middle East. I just will never understand what they were smoking.

[oscar111]

3. stay, and the DRAFT becomes necessary. Plus, iran seems to be more and mor

more and more likely a target for bush invasion.

DRAFT will sink the GOP.. but invade iran, and folks will rally around the prez.

We end up with a popular GOP, and a draft. Two big wars next door to each other, and the dems here unpopular.

any ideas? Help!

[hippiechick]

7. 2 big wars?

You forgot Afghanistan ...

There is a tipping point, and I think Hurricane Katrina emphasized that our military and National Guard are not only being deployed beyond their carrying capacity at the moment, but also that we are woefully under-"guarded" stateside, in the event of a disaster.

Fighting endless wars using borrowed money on at least 3 fronts while the 'homeland' becomes a rat-infested garbage dump is not going to make the GOP more popular.

The Dems need to come up with a strategy to put their collective foot down NOW, make the short and long term consequences of all Georgie's warmongering plain to EVERY citizen, and STAND for us little folks that they're supposed to represent.

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. I don't think invading Iran will be popular at all - with anyone.

[LibDemAlways]

8. Shortly before the invasion a repuke I know

told me we needed to go in there to get rid of Saddam because he was so despised by the Iraqi people. He looked at me like I was from another planet when I said as bad as he was Saddam was effective in keeping all the factions in line and that the Iraqi people didn't need or want our interference and that we'd only succeed in killing a bunch of people and creating a civil war. Guess who doesn't speak with me anymore?

[Neil Lisst]

5. If civil war happens in Iraq, we will likely hunker down further.

Iran will back the Shia. The Kurds will take care of themselves, and the Turks won't like it. The Sunnis will get support from other Sunnis to their west.

It's a mess.

[mondo joe]

6. I think it's an absolute no-win option for us.

And I don't mean no winning the war -- I mean no good or better option.

As bad as fucking things up and then leaving is, our continued involvement just increases the damnage.

None of the options (split into 3 states, or other) seem any better than another to me.

[genie_weenie]

10. Turkey and The US government will NEVER

allow a Kurdish state. The best the Kurds could hope for is for Iraq to become some loose Confederation, but people read closely until new pipelines are built in Iraq, Baghdad is the center of all oil flow, neither the Kurds, Sunni Arabs, or shia Arabs is going to let Baghdad go. IT is the prize.

[gatorboy]

11. Bush & Co. Will never admit a civil war...

The new conservative talking point will be that it's just a simple "spat" :eyes:

[Virginian]

12. How about -- the sunnis spring Saddam and he resumes power.

My thoughts on this at the beginning was that Iraq would have a leader with a different name but the same game.

They could end up with the same government they had before we interfered. If Saddam resumes as leader, he will have some really good reasons to hate America and every single "reason" Bushco gave us for invading them will have come true, only now, Saddam's countrymen will all hate us too.

Yep, Bush is a uniter, he will have united the entire nation of Iraq against the US.