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[Phantom]

Pretty much the only threat left in Iraq is the remnants of Saddams Loyal soldiers.

[Neruz]

Ookay, i see the problem here. You're both treating Iraq as a goal in and of itself.

Pop Quiz Time! Why did the U.S. invade Iraq?

[Phantom]

Something about Kuwait.

[sonerohi]

To appease American fear and get major approval spikes and ultimately have it all backfire?

[Neruz]

Both wrong.

Chutney has an older brother who was in Iraq, as the brother, he should probably know the real reason (maybe, maybe not.)

[bjlong]

I've made men bleed with muffins. The sweet pastry goodness can cut through flesh and bone after just the slightest modifications.

[Neruz]

Dwarven Battle Crumpet?

[Chutney]

Both wrong.

Chutney has an older brother who was in Iraq, as the brother, he should probably know the real reason (maybe, maybe not.)

I've never talked to him about why he's there, mostly just what he's doing and how he's doing.

[Phantom]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War

[Neruz]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War

You know, interestingly enough, there doesn't seem to be a section in there detailing why the U.S. invaded Iraq. You should have linked this page, which does sort of have the reasons.


The major reasons for invading Iraq were twofold; First, to show the Muslim world that America was neither soft nor weak, and thus not an easy target to be defied. Al Qaeda's attack on Sept 11 was primarily designed to show the world that America was impotant, cowardly and unable to defend themselves, it was hoped that the Muslim would would then rise up and overthrow what Al Qaeda saw as indirect Western oppression and form a true Muslim nation. Ovbiously this did not happen, although the invasion of Iraq hasn't really changed the Muslim perception of American power, as it was somewhat half-assed.

The second reason was to provide the American military with a solid base of operations in the Middle-East. By taking Iraq and effectively using it as a hostage, America could hope to put pressure on both Iran and the House of Saud, the two major benefactors of Al Qaeda. By taking Iraq and threatening to let Iran have it for example, the U.S. hoped to force the House of Saud to crack down on it's private citizens funding Al Qaeda (as the majority of Al Qaeda's funding comes from private Saudi citizenry.)

Unfortunately due to poor political manuvering, this objective was also less than successful, although that one is a bit more complicated.


Finally, i feel i should add that what is mostly keeping Iraq togther at the moment is American money. If the Americans (and thus the money) go, then the alliances they've carefully bought during the war will pretty quickly fall apart, as the Middle East is very familiar with America's operating policies from Afghanistan and they fully expect to be abandoned, just as they were then.

Sadly, it looks like their expectations are going to be met.

[kuro_suna]

By taking Iraq and threatening to let Iran have it for example, the U.S. hoped to force the House of Saud to crack down on it's private citizens funding Al Qaeda (as the majority of Al Qaeda's funding comes from private Saudi citizenry.)

Unfortunately due to poor political manuvering, this objective was also less than successful, although that one is a bit more complicated.

I'm thinking the problem here was skyrocketing oil prices changing the objectives from pressure Saud control of al qaeda to beg Sauds for higher pumping quotas.

[Neruz]

Well actually taking Iraqi Oil was another way to pressure the House of Saud; if the Americans held Iraq they could threaten to flood the market with cheap Iraqi Oil, which would screw the House of Saud and the Iranians over, as they wouldn't be able to keep selling at the current artificially inflated price.

The Saudi's knew that it would take the Americans some time to get the Iraqi Oil wells under full production, but they also knew they couldn't underestimate American technology and that it was possible the Americans could have the Iraqi Oil wells pumping within a year or two, so they were very willing to negotiate when that little tidbit came to light.

[PTTG??]

Iraq is rapidly nearing depletion; No one will ever be able to get that ground produce oil at the rate it did in the past, simply because it's costing more and more to get less and less. Iraqi oil is just not very likely to be a economic issue for any side.

The united states was once a net oil exporter, but the easy to access oil was, well, accessed, and is now gone. Same thing is happening in iraq.

If the US wanted oil, we could just go up north and knock over Canada.

However, "flooding the market with cheap oil" is unlikely as well, because oil companies will charge the maximum amount they can, and because oil demand is so unresponsive to price, even if all the oil in Iraq was brought online quite quickly, the effect would be rather marginal.

Frankly, the difference between the mideast with Americans in it and without is this: In one situation, the mideast is a roiling mass of ethnic, factional, sectarian, and political violence that is hopelessly tangled, and in the other situation, it is a roiling mass of ethnic, factional, sectarian, and political violence that is hopelessly tangled, and costs the US millions of dollars a month to maintain.

The only way the US could bring lasting peace to the region is to reduce it to a plain of glow-in-the-dark glass.

EDIT: corrected Hopefully->hopelessly.

[Realmfighter]

If the US wanted oil, we could just go up north and knock over Canada.

I would just go to my cabin and start spreading anti-american propaganda.

Americans would never find me before they die from hypothermia.

[Phantom]

If the US wanted oil, we could just go up north and knock over Canada.

I would just go to my cabin and start spreading anti-american propaganda.

Americans would never find me before they die from hypothermia.

Well you might get a trouble with those alaskans. And Bears. And Hunger. And thirst. And Bombs. And wolves. And the occasional Murderer.