yachtboy! wrote:

why are we in Iraq?

Good question...and Brad gave a good answer:

You are in Iraq because the American Military had lost Osama and Bush had to
divert the attention and anger of the American people and make it look like
he was doing something about it.

You are in Iraq because War is good for business.

You are in Iraq because there was a recession in America.

You are in Iraq because two days after Bush sent in the troops he announced
a $3.6 trillion dollar rescue package for the American economy.

You are in Iraq so that American businesses can rebuild the country and
spend some of that $3.6 trillion and pay it to American workers and
shareholders.

You are in Iraq so that American businesses can supply guns, tanks, hummers,
radios, uniforms, aircraft, buildings, food, helmets and 6ft wooden boxes
and restock using some of that $3.6 trillion.

You are in Iraq because War is good for business.

Well stated, Brad!

Read General Smedley Butler's book (circa 1940) and you will see just
how right that last statement of yours really is...

Also, if you read "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins
(recently on the Best Seller lists for months), his answer to yachtboy's
question about "Why Iraq" is:

1) A great strategic location in the Middle East; easy access to the
Arabian Sea and many Middle Eastern countries of interest. (No doubt
why we are building 3 or 4 permanent bases there).

2) Oil reserves some say are as great as those in Saudi Arabia.

3) Between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the largest amount of fresh
water in the Middle East.

Many have asked why we have no exit policy for Iraq. Uh, with all the
economic and geopolitical reasons given above, I don't think our gummint
wants to exit.

I guess "we the people" had a chance to decide if the above strategy was
worth the maiming and death of our youth and countless innocent
civilians. Looks like 51% went along with the plan...

P.S. As Perkins points out in "Confessions", maybe, just maybe, the
Islamist world isn't mad at us because of our "life style", but rather
that they are tired of us jerking them around, our tinkering in their
politics and having to dance to our tune. (Again, before you turn your
flame throwers on, give "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" a quick
read). Or better yet, have W loan you his Bible and read about "walking
a mile in the other man's shoes". Imagine yourself for a moment as the
citizen of another country. For decades the CIA has been tinkering with
your politics, bribing officials, arranging assassinations and fixing
elections. After *decades* of this, mightn't *you* finally get a little
****ed off?