5 years on. How do you feel about it all now?

[David]

In response to the war thread that was recently resurrected -

what are your views on the war in Iraq, taking into account everything we know now?

Please answer honestly - I've tried to include as many categories as I can think of. The last option is not supposed to be funny - I have noticed that the mainstream media, at least, no longer has any interest in the war, so I suppose the same possibly goes for a lot of people.

I am very interested to know people's answers, especially when taking Tess's original poll (in the other thread) into account.

[Dave The Man]

My Answer is easy:

"I really couldn't care less."

I just feel it be like Desert Storm in 1991 when people talk about it but don't really care a whole lot about it.


I 1st Cared but after about a Month I didn't really care since the 1st Air Strikes and the Quick Victory

[nomadjack]

My feelings on Iraq don't fit any of the responses you listed David and I suspect I have a minority view, particularly for someone whose views are nominally 'left' on most issues. Overall, though the reasons put forward by the 'Coalition of the Willing' (what bullshit) for going to war were largely illegitmate and based on lies, I was supportive of the war in the sense that Saddam, as a dictator, needed to be removed from power. I have no philosophical problem with war (ie there can be a just war in my opinion) as a tool to remove despots, and wish the international community was always prepared to forcibly remove dictators like Hussein.

That being said, the US and its allies have handled the aftermath of the war incredibly badly right from the last days of the Iraqi surrender. Instead of building a lasting peace they have absolutely destroyed Iraqi society and created a mess that will potentially take 50 years to clean up.

In short, the war was justified, but not for the reasons put forward by the coalition. More significantly for me, the handling of the aftermath of the war has been disasterous and morally reprehensible.

[David]

Actually nomad, that's not all that different to my own views on it.

I picked the fourth option, as I do agree that many of the arguments from the Bush administration were a load of rubbish, but also that the removal of Saddam was in itself a good thing, not just for the people of Iraq but also for stability in the region and the rest of the world.

My main concern is that, once America and the rest withdraw their troops (I'd say it will follow soon after Obama or Clinton's election victory) they will leave Iraq in, almost certainly, a worse situation than what it was prior to the invasion. I really can't see the democratically elected Iraqi government lasting very long in the face of violent opposition, without any support from the American army. It's hard to see any positives from here.

[London Dave]

I was, and still are, OK with going into Afghanistan. Iraq, more skeptical. didn't believe Bush or Howard, but Blair getting behind it made me think...OK, go.

The real 'crime' as far as Iraq goes was not the decision to go in, but how it was done (or not done!) Fiasco by Ricks, Sy Hersh's reports in New Yorker and other investigations tell the tale better than I could.

I'd reckon Iraq will come out of this in the future, in years, but will the price be worth it?

[bwphantom]

I agree with nomad on this. Saddam had to removed from power. Question is was there another way to go about it?

Still think this was a case of finishing what Daddy started.

Moron!

[London Dave]

[sherrife]

http://www.newmatilda.com/2008/01/21/under-carpet-bombs

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are merely two theatres of the same racist, imperialist war on terror.

Don't be fooled by the guise of 'humanitarian intervention'. The US state department estimated that the life expectancy for Afghanis before the war "45.1 years for women and 46.6 years for men". The CIA World Book now has figures in the range of 43 for both genders, whilst other ( probably less biased) sources are much less optimistic, stating rather that children are expected to live to the ripe old age of 38.

This is not about democracy, this is not about peace, this is about strategic, economic and military control.

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

Saddam did have to go, but so have many other despots. Why stop at him?

[John Wren]

he who controls the oil .....

[Alec. J. Hidell]

If Iraq didn't have oil, there wouldn't have been a war.

[sherrife]

What about Iran, Israel, Syria, etc.

Oil was vital, but geo-strategic sh!t also had a massive part to play. Not sure if everyone realises, but America now controls almost all of Iran's national borders...

[Alec. J. Hidell]

When a man like Mr Mandela says it was/is about the Oil, then it confirms totally what I believe

[Mountains Magpie]

[tcnthat]