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THE War in Iraq Thread pt 2 (merged)

What's on your mind?
General interest discussions, not necessarily related to depletion.

Postby khebab » Mon 08 Nov 2004, 09:54:40

[quote="jato"]We are in Iraq to establish a strategic presence. To apply force or the threat of force to oil producing countries in order to keep the oil flowing freely to the world markets, thereby keeping the price down and ensuring a cheap supply of energy for the USA.

It won’t work.

I believe it had nothing to do with “terrorismâ€
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Postby khebab » Mon 08 Nov 2004, 09:57:26

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TrueKaiser', '.')..
2. selling oil in euro's: technically there was one weapon of mass destruction there. it was the willingness of sadam to sell his oil in euros undermining our petro-dollar system.

Not only Saddam, apparently Russians and Chinese are now trying to achieve the same goals (see thread on the subject).
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Postby khebab » Mon 08 Nov 2004, 10:32:45

I was personnaly thinking that invading Iraq was an indirect blow to the Saudis and that they were in fact the real target because:
    1) Saudi Arabia had sponsored openly for decades terrorism activities across the world and especially against Israel (ex: hamas)
    2) 99% of 9/11 hijackers were Saudis and the mastermind is the son of a powerful Saudi familly and I believe SA is the true sponsoring state behind 9/11
    3) Saudi Arabia did not support the Iraq invasion (US airplanes were not able to use Saudi bases to launch attacks against Iraq)
    4) Instauring democracy in one of their neighbors is a slap in their face and pose a threat to their secular feodal system.

Basically, after Afganistan Saudi Arabia should have been the next logical target but this is a sacred land for muslims and they produce 20% of the world oil so you cannot attack them directly. Invading Iraq was delivering an important message to Saudis: we are in your backyard and we are watching you so beware!

I personnally believe Iraq was not really posing a threat, this is just the marketing message to sell the war to the mass. most of their military and industrial infrastructure has been destroyed during the first war anyway. Ok, Saddam was a bad guy, blah, blah,... but they are all bad guys in this region. Saddam was starting selling oil in Euros, maybe but it's a small drop in the sea. Invading Iraq is costly for the US but it is a long term investment in terms of oil reserves and strategic positioning .
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Reasons for Iraq

Postby smallpoxgirl » Mon 08 Nov 2004, 17:43:56

The real question, IMHO, is why did the US attack Iraq the first time. Bush the elder gave Sadam the go ahead for invading Kuwait and then sent an army after him but never occupied Iraq. Why? The most reasonable explanation I've seen is that Bush anticipated peak oil and decided to set aside Iraq as a strategic oil reserve. Iraq is oil rich but had poorly developed its oil resources by 1991 due to political instability including the Iran/Iraq war. If you believe the stories about Reagan conspiring with Saudi Arabia to flood the oil market in the 80's and bankrupt the USSR, then it would make sense that by '91 with the USSR crumbling, they would want to decrease world oil supply and bolster profits for their friends in Texas. By placing Iraq under embargo for 13 years, the Bush-Clinton-Bush administrations maintained Iraq's oil relatively undeveloped. By keeping Sadam in power rather than occupying the country, they prevented the oil from being developed too early, and they gave themselves an easy scape goat to blame for all the starving people. Now as peak oil looms large and oil prices are climbing, they've decided they need to tap that reserve. They sure weren't going to give all that money to Sadam, so he's out and they're trying to establishing a puppet government that will funnel all the money back to US corporations. The only wild card, IMHO, is that Bush is rather boorish in his approach to the whole thing and has the locals hoping mad.

The secondary benefit is giving the US a reason to maintain a massive military presence in the middle east which it can use to threaten and intimidate other oil producing countries.
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Postby KiddieKorral » Mon 08 Nov 2004, 17:46:22

Who the heck knows what the Bush administration was thinking? All I have to say is, follow the oil.
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Postby Freud » Mon 08 Nov 2004, 19:06:01

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('trespam', 'D')o Americans support a war for oil? I think it depends on how the question is posed. Would most Americans volunteer to help rebuild Iraq as part of the effort to secure Mideast oil supplies? I think not. I think they would first look for ways to use oil more effectively. Americans probably will not admit to supporting war for oil if you ask them, though they do through their day-to-day actions. But their day-to-day actions are built on abstraction and distance from the effects and suffering, whether in Iraq or in elsewhere.

I like to use the example of vegetarianism versus eating meat. I think eating meat is fine, but I think the people eating it should be willing to look that cow in the eyes, and then smash its brains out with a rock. Or cut its throat. I guess that's more humane (cow-mane?) way: throat cutting. It would be nice if people were more exposed to the costs of their actions, e.g. visiting a slaughter house.


You've just highlighted every year since '45.
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Postby PresidentBush » Tue 09 Nov 2004, 00:54:38

Only way I can get it up in bed with Laura.
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Iraq: Whats an

Postby Muffloj » Thu 13 Jan 2005, 00:59:08

Every day on CNN I see and hear of these insurgents blowing up US soldiers and getting themselvs shot all to hell . Who exactly are we shooting ? What where they doing before we invaded Iraq . I cant help but imagine a 21 year old grocery bagger turned insugent when we blew up his house , killed a few of his family members , and invaded his hometown .
I need to be convinced that the haman beings that we are slaughtering arent just defending there homes .
How do you think Texas would react to being "liberated" by a foreign nation .
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Re: Whats an "Insurgent" ?

Postby skiwi » Thu 13 Jan 2005, 01:33:05

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Muffloj', '
')
How do you think Texas would react to being "liberated" by a foreign nation .


Unlike the Iraqis they should be relieved :P
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Postby Ayoob_Reloaded » Thu 13 Jan 2005, 02:10:36

Watch Red Dawn. Those are insurgents.
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Postby Sencha » Thu 13 Jan 2005, 07:32:23

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')atch Red Dawn. Those are insurgents.


Wow, so the entire Iraqi population are technically insurgents then? :wink:

We are so going to live out that movie. I bet the Russo-Sino Army will drop right on my college green.

"Looks like those ROTC boys missed their drop!"

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Re: Whats an "Insurgent" ?

Postby Chuck » Thu 13 Jan 2005, 08:31:36

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Muffloj', 'E')very day on CNN I see and hear of these insurgents blowing up US soldiers and getting themselvs shot all to hell . Who exactly are we shooting ?


I'm quoting that Marine general before the liberation of Falujah.

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Postby Jack » Thu 13 Jan 2005, 08:58:27

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') need to be convinced that the haman beings that we are slaughtering arent just defending there homes .


So cutting the heads off of aid workers constitutes defending their homes? Making videos of same, just for grins, is also part of defending their homes? And creating roadside bombs that kill Iraqis as well as U.S. soldiers - that's "just defending their homes"?

Oh, come now. You're buying into the liberal propaganda. You can do better. 8)
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Re: Whats an "Insurgent" ?

Postby BabyPeanut » Thu 13 Jan 2005, 09:00:13

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Muffloj', 'H')ow do you think Texas would react to being "liberated" by a foreign nation .

That would be very expensive. Do you know how much a deprogramming team costs per hour?
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Postby BabyPeanut » Thu 13 Jan 2005, 09:10:05

$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', '"Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)"
Insurgent In*sur"gent, a. L. insurgens, p. pr. of insurgere
to rise up; pref. in- in + surgere to rise. See Surge.
Rising in opposition to civil or political authority, or
against an established government; insubordinate; rebellious.
``The insurgent provinces.'' --Motley.

"Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)"
Insurgent In*sur"gent, n. Cf. F. insurgent.
A person who rises in revolt against civil authority or an
established government; one who openly and actively resists
the execution of laws; a rebel.
')

I don't see how the definition of insurgent does not fit.
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Postby Muffloj » Thu 13 Jan 2005, 11:01:21

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')o cutting the heads off of aid workers constitutes defending their homes?


Well the phrase " Aid Workers " works for you and I to distinguish from a member the invading force but maby not for a native who was told that the entire invasion was for his benifit . So yes Maby to him he is defending his home .

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')aking videos of same, just for grins, is also part of defending their homes


I agree the the videos they create arent as well produced as the ones we see from a birds eye view of some bomber aircraft as hundreds or thousands of pounds of explosives careen towords a "identified target" in the middle town .
There are cultural differences reflected in these videos , but i cant see that one shows a more cival means to war . Both have a simular purpose and are only justified by the mind ofthe viewer. Neither video was created just for a grin . killing is killing is killing.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ')And creating roadside bombs that kill Iraqis as well as U.S. soldiers - that's "just defending their homes"?


I think its called friendly fire . Any war is subject to these casualties .
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... wusa07.xml
An example
No thank you on the propaganda . Is it your turn to do better ?
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Postby BabyPeanut » Thu 13 Jan 2005, 13:05:21

The marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation defines a insurgent as "Your plastic pal who's fun to be with."

rape me
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Postby Jack » Thu 13 Jan 2005, 13:37:17

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Muffloj', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')o cutting the heads off of aid workers constitutes defending their homes?


Well the phrase " Aid Workers " works for you and I to distinguish from a member the invading force but maby not for a native who was told that the entire invasion was for his benifit . So yes Maby to him he is defending his home .



Image

Does the name Margaret Hassan ring a bell?

It takes a really brave bunch to gang up on a 59 year old woman who had lived in Iraq since the 1970's, doesn't it? And then they terrorize and murder her.

But they aren't so courageous when they aren't murdering women, are they?

Image

Frankly, the Marines were far too gentle with Fallujah.
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Postby Kingcoal » Thu 13 Jan 2005, 13:42:59

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BabyPeanut', '[')code]"Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)"
Insurgent In*sur"gent, a. L. insurgens, p. pr. of insurgere
to rise up; pref. in- in + surgere to rise. See Surge.
Rising in opposition to civil or political authority, or
against an established government; insubordinate; rebellious.
``The insurgent provinces.'' --Motley.

"Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)"
Insurgent In*sur"gent, n. Cf. F. insurgent.
A person who rises in revolt against civil authority or an
established government; one who openly and actively resists
the execution of laws; a rebel.
[/code]

I don't see how the definition of insurgent does not fit.


After Desert Storm, the coalition chose to leave SH in power and make his government sign over the sovereignty of Iraq to the UN. SH broke those conditions several times by target locking US and British Jets and interfering with weapons inspectors, ultimately kicking them out.

The problem with the recent occupation is that it was not sanctioned by the UN, thus the term insurgent is used rather loosely. Vietnam all over again.

When you fight a war, you have to go all out and obliterate your enemy. In order to justify this war, the US is using rationalizations similar to those used during the Vietnam war. Those rationalizations require the US to be "good guys" which limits how dirty you can fight.

In other words, if this were a real war, the US would have just nuked the whole country. Presto chango, no insurgents, no population to feed and take care of and a whole lot of oil to exploit. The biggest Achilles heal of the US is it's compulsion to be "good." If you want to fight a "good war" then maybe you shouldn't fight that war.
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Postby JoeW » Thu 13 Jan 2005, 15:37:25

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Muffloj', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')o cutting the heads off of aid workers constitutes defending their homes?


Well the phrase " Aid Workers " works for you and I to distinguish from a member the invading force but maby not for a native who was told that the entire invasion was for his benifit . So yes Maby to him he is defending his home .


Does the name Margaret Hassan ring a bell?

It takes a really brave bunch to gang up on a 59 year old woman who had lived in Iraq since the 1970's, doesn't it? And then they terrorize and murder her.

But they aren't so courageous when they aren't murdering women, are they?

Frankly, the Marines were far too gentle with Fallujah.

I guess the US forces are cowards as well, since the entire war was fought with the knowledge that US forces would be far superior to the enemy's.

A distinction needs to be made between "terrorists" and "insurgents." Those who kill noncombatants with the intent to terrorize their enemy are terrorists.
Those who attack US military targets, whether by roadside bomb, ak-47, or spitballs, are enemy combatants, or "insurgents."
Whether they are right or wrong in their belief, they are fighting for something they believe in, and they are attacking enemy combatants--our military. That just makes them opposing forces, not terrorists.
You want to talk about courage? Look at the Iraqis wielding machine guns who charged American tanks when they invaded Iraq... Now that's courage. And it's stupid, too. I don't think many Americans outside those in our military would have that kind of courage if foreign tanks were patrolling our streets.
Anyhow, I've said what I have to say. Terrorists are one thing. Insurgents are something else. Let's be clear when we talk about these people. The journalists get it wrong just about every time.
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