IRAQ !! was it a waste of time ?

[ditchman]

 

WMD's?

 

 

 

not again please...........its wearing a bit thin now !

[TIGHTCHOKE]

In answer to the OPs question

 

 

 

YES!

[Gimlet]

The whole "adventure" was a farce from start to finish. The US invaded because it had sand kicked in its face on Sept 11 and it took out its frustration on the bystander it most disliked. Its what school bullies always do when they've been made to look foolish. Had Britain at the time not been led (or misled, in every sense) by a grinning megalomaniac we might have stood a chance of preventing this pointless and expensive fiasco. As it is Blair is just the latest in a long line of supercilious British buffoons who think they know how to run the world.

[Harnser]

The Middle East has never been able to claw its way out of the Stone Age ,and never will . Leave them alone and let them war among themselves . I do feel for the little old kids my heart bleeds for them .

 

Harnser

Edited June 11, 2014 by Harnser

[bullet1747]

no

[Hamster]

The whole "adventure" was a farce from start to finish. The US invaded because it had sand kicked in its face on Sept 11 and it took out its frustration on the bystander it most disliked. Its what school bullies always do when they've been made to look foolish. Had Britain at the time not been led (or misled, in every sense) by a grinning megalomaniac we might have stood a chance of preventing this pointless and expensive fiasco. As it is Blair is just the latest in a long line of supercilious British buffoons who think they know how to run the world.

 

Closer to the truth than most of the deluded visions so far posted. The invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan has served its intended purpose very well, a few people are extremely rich as a result, the US has influence and forces in yet more corners of the planet, two countries with not a hope in hell of defending themselves have been bombed into a rubble, refugees created to destabilise neighbouring countries, their own money will be used to rebuild more future target practice, their economies, infrastructure and any semblance of progress thwarted for decades (subtly important), factional differences fed, regional alliances divided, the people capable of holding them at bay executed, new religious zealots created, mistrust and hatred of the West fed and reignited to help future arms sales and the opportunity to assess and identify which ones to back to create further trouble spots as and when necessary.

 

The truth is stranger than fiction, the West and US in particular will never leave the Middle East alone because it's the region with oil and people unable to defend themselves.

[Psyxologos]

I think it was a waste of money, time and life on the everyday people's side of things (that's you and me). The texan idiot and his bliar friend made millions from their friends in the petrol, construction, 'defence' and 'security' business...

[overandunder2012]

i expect it wasnt just blair and co that did well out of it im sure a few members from the other side of the house had the old snout in the tough i doubt any of them missed out on the opportunity's

[ack-ack]

I blame the Agency

[evo]

personally , was it a waste of time,,,YES

 

but can we say that,,,,,NO

 

why ? because those poor soldiers and their families would feel cheated yet again,,,

 

but lets be honest we are now BRITAIN,

 

the GREAT fell off a long time ago, so sad but true, we have no armed forces anymore and no backbone either

 

atb Evo

[margun]

I reckon a Mr. P. Bliar, late of Downing Street, reckons it was very very very worth it; every time he checks his bank balance

See you in The Hague, Bliar.

Edited June 12, 2014 by margun

[Paul223]

Hmmmm

I agree with a lot of what gimlet said ... but I do feel that after the 9/11 attack a show of force and a priority list of high end targets needed to 'be done', and it has been, was it correct for us to stand with the US? In my opinion yes. Peace keeping for a decade? Yes, I agree that with their tribalistic ways it's not really going to work, but with a big power vacuum created by us it gave breathing space, with a little luck those tribal ways will come to and end, naturally, sooner.

The US invaded because it had sand kicked in its face on Sept 11 and it took out its frustration on the bystander it most disliked. Its what school bullies always do when they've been made to look foolish. Had Britain at the time not been led (or misled, in every sense) by a grinning megalomaniac we might have stood a chance of preventing this pointless and expensive fiasco. As it is Blair is just the latest in a long line of supercilious British buffoons who think they know how to run the world.

[aris]

Hmmmm

I agree with a lot of what gimlet said ... but I do feel that after the 9/11 attack a show of force and a priority list of high end targets needed to 'be done', and it has been, was it correct for us to stand with the US? In my opinion yes. Peace keeping for a decade? Yes, I agree that with their tribalistic ways it's not really going to work, but with a big power vacuum created by us it gave breathing space, with a little luck those tribal ways will come to and end, naturally, sooner.

 

Perhaps it was acceptable in Afghanistan, but the whole premise for going after Iraq was a lie. In the First Iraq War, Bush Sr, almost went for Iraq after they retreated from Kuwait, but he bottled it. I think the hawks in Washington regretted that greatly, so when Bush Jr became president, his first remit was to find an excuse to finish daddy's unfinished business in Iraq. 9/11 was a perfect excuse.

[shootgun]

Hmmmm

I agree with a lot of what gimlet said ... but I do feel that after the 9/11 attack a show of force and a priority list of high end targets needed to 'be done', and it has been, was it correct for us to stand with the US? In my opinion yes. Peace keeping for a decade? Yes, I agree that with their tribalistic ways it's not really going to work, but with a big power vacuum created by us it gave breathing space, with a little luck those tribal ways will come to and end, naturally, sooner.

Peace keeping? what peace? Let's not forget the Brits were pushed out from Basra ... How many of you knows that in the winter 2006-2007 Basra Palace Island was the most attacked military base in the world?

[Gimlet]

 

 

 

Almost. Stormin' Norman's infamous "turkey shoot" on the road to Basra in which coalition air attacks all but wiped out the retreating Iraqi armed forces after they had been driven from Kuwait paved the way for an all out attack on Saddam Hussein's regime in Baghdad. The coalition's Arab partners who had played a full part in the war and the turkey shoot were all for it but there was no UN resolution for regime change and the US and its western allies chose not to advance without one. It was a failure to seize the moment at the UN rather than a failure of US nerve. The US probably made the right decision. Had the West marched on without a UN mandate they would have been accused of imperialism and had they have turned a blind eye and left it to their Arab partners Iraq would probably have been torn apart by sectarianism and competing territorial claims, much as appears to be happening today. If, on the other hand, the UN had passed a resolution authorising regime change the process could have been legitimised and would have appeared neither as US imperialism nor Arab territorial plundering and Iraq would have been far less likely to have become the anarchic extremist breeding ground it is today.

It was an opportunity missed. Ironically, it was one time the US found itself in the right on matters of military intervention and had almost the whole of the Islamic middle east on its side that the UN failed to give it backing.

 

 

Perhaps it was acceptable in Afghanistan, but the whole premise for going after Iraq was a lie. In the First Iraq War, Bush Sr, almost went for Iraq after they retreated from Kuwait, but he bottled it. I think the hawks in Washington regretted that greatly, so when Bush Jr became president, his first remit was to find an excuse to finish daddy's unfinished business in Iraq. 9/11 was a perfect excuse.

[welshwarrior]

Have spent 24 months of my life there from early tours patrolling Basra in a beret very much Kosovo style, we could of turned thing around but to many decision where made by to many people countries, there was no unified plan. This lead to confusion in the collitlition and Iqrai powers so made avoid the "......" (Brand them what you will I was given 6 official names for them but I'll stick to Baddies) where happy to exploite.

 

In the end we left the Palace with flags flying in an armoured convoy because the locals and badies let us.

 

In that 24 months I wrote to 4 of my soldiers mothers/wife's/girlfriends with my condolences, the hardest letters to right, I like to think their life's where not given in vain but I think Iraq is a list course.

[overandunder2012]

i just hope now its all kicking off again no **** does what he's told by good old uncle sam and decides we should go back, now we bailed we should stay bailed who needs it not our problem.

 

military intervention is not an option as due to military cut backs we got no bullets in our guns

Edited June 12, 2014 by overandunder2012

[Chris Bb]

Ermmmm..... we were over there trying to impose our lifestyle on them ? But that's ok ?

 

No, that's not what I was trying to say.

 

"East is East & West is West, just leave it be, we can't change it" is what I meant.

[Reece]

Can't say I'm surprised by recent events, given the location. The group involved is also active in Syria, and of course being able to take weapons and men into Iraq from Syria is an advantage for them.

 

But don't worry, our wonderful Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair will sort it all out.

 

 

The BBC has a good feature on the situation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-27813239

[Fisherman Mike]

"The printing press is the greatest weapon in the armoury of the modern commander."

 

T E Lawrence.

[Gimlet]

"The printing press is the greatest weapon in the armoury of the modern commander."

 

T E Lawrence.

 

Or the internet as it is now. Trouble is the other side have got it as well.

 

If the promises TE Lawrence made to the Arabs had been honoured in 1919 by those in charge, the middle east would be a very different place today.

[margun]

 

But don't worry, our wonderful Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair will sort it all

 

 

And where is our Tony?

[Liamey]

Maybe Tony can go over by himself and politely ask them to stop, seeing as he is such a negotiator and all. Maybe that ugly wife of his could go too lol.

[Penelope]

Getting of scot free if reports on the proposed enquiry into the Iraq war are anything to go by.

 

And where is our Tony?

 

 

How can you ever trust a man that looked across the room, saw that and thought, 'corrrr, you're lovely!'

Maybe Tony can go over by himself and politely ask them to stop, seeing as he is such a negotiator and all. Maybe that ugly wife of his could go too lol.

[norfolk dumpling]

I see this morning Obama is looking to do something in Iraq - oh dear. Let's hope our government are not as stupid as the last lot and keep us out of this.