Why did we go to war in Iraq?

[Hamlette]

I noticed this paragraph in Krugman's piece this morning:

"But I've always found claims that profiteering was the motive for the Iraq war — as opposed to a fringe benefit — as implausible as claims that the war was about fighting terrorism. There are deeper motives here."

I don't think it had anything to do with oil or terrorism or bringing democracy or peace to the middle east.

What are the deeper motives?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

1. Global domination...starting with the weakest first.

[DUreader]

2. Oil And Mil. Bases in Iraq are the Means to the PNAC ends

www.newamericancentury. ?

[truthspeaker]

3. long-term strategic goals in the Middle East

US bases close to Israel.

American control of an oil-producing state, with forces in a position to threaten other oil-producing states.

Last, and stupidest: If the Muslim extremists see us conquer Iraq, they will fear our strength and stop conducting terrorist attacks on US interests. Many neocons and freepers think that Clinton's failure to attack Iraq after the assassination attempt on Bush I and Saddam's obstruction of weapons inspectors was a sign of American weakness, emboldening Muslim extremists to carry out the USS Cole bombing and the 9/11 attacks.

[DulceDecorum]

4. So Halliburton can pump oil INTO Iraqi wells.

Iraq's problems were well known to the United States before the war. The Energy Infrastructure Planning Group, set up by senior Bush administration officials in September 2002 to plan for the oil industry in the event of war, learned that Iraq was reinjecting crude oil to maintain pressure in the Kirkuk field. "Iraqis acknowledged it was a poor practice," said one administration expert involved with the group, and as the main war wound down, the Iraqis "were unequivocal that that practice had to stop and right away."

But it did not. The amount of oil being reinjected is now 150,000 to 250,000 barrels a day, down from as much as 400,000 barrels a day last summer, said Mr. McKee, but he added that he had never encountered such a practice in his long career in the oil industry. The reinjection of oil was a clear sign of trouble in the underground reservoirs, but the energy planning task force decided not to address them, partly for political reasons, according to participants. "We didn't want to give fuel to the fire of debate that was saying the U.S. was just doing this to steal the oil," an administration official said.

Task force participants said there was another potential political factor. The group had secretly decided, without soliciting bids, that the contract for fixing Iraq's oil infrastructure would go to Kellogg, Brown & Root, a unit of Halliburton, which had an existing Pentagon contract related to war planning. Halliburton was previously run by Vice President Dick Cheney. "Everyone realized the selection of K.B.R. was going to look bad," said one task force member.
http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/oil/2003/1130risks.htm

[adriennel]

5. Bush the Great

well, the authors of "Shock and Awe" have been waiting since 1996 to test out their little theory. All that right-wing research couldn't go to waste; they just needed an excuse to go to war.

The Bush Administration had (has) grand visions of bringing "peace" and "democracy" to the Middle East. Bush believed, or his lackies convinced him, that he would go down in history as the man who solved the crisis in the Middle East. Of course, this was back when they thought the Iraqi people would flood the streets offering American soldiers flowers and greet them as saviors.

Clearly, this administration is delusional. They still are delusional about the situation in Iraq. I read that freeper email posted yesterday about all the positive changes that have occurred in Iraq since Saddam "fell". These images do not jive with the fact that the UN and other humanitarian organizations still feel Iraq is too dangerous to send their people. To me this is a big red flag--humanitarian agencies, people who have worked in war and poverty ravaged countries, are deeming the Iraq situation too insecure. How can this be good?

I think the main impetus for the war on Iraq was a political, new world ordervisions of grandeur.

These factors cannot be discounted, though:

Saddam was mean to George's daddy.

these people love to make more money than humanly possible

and they've been waiting years to get their hands on oil fields in the middle east.

[moondust]

6. Show of force

in the terrists' back yard.

[Curious Dave]

7. It was the oil

Saudi Arabia (number one in known reserves) is a diasaster waiting to happen. When they have their Islamic revolution its going to make the revolution in Iraq in the 70s look like a Boy Scout Jamboree. I think the move into Iraq (number two in know reserves) was a strategic acknowledgement of that strong possibility.

So, if your viewpoint is that we're a society hopelessly addicted to oil, then invading Iraq was a smart move. Myself, I don't hold that belief.

What we need isn't a war against Iraq. What we need is a war against energy dependancy on the resources of unstable regions of the world. The first person who runs for office with a serious and practical plan toward energy independance (and has the political wherewithall to make it reality) has got my vote and I don't care what party nominates him!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. energy independence? that would be Kerry

it's way up there in his priorities.

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/energy/plan.html

[Curious Dave]

10. Thanks

Thanks for the link. I'm still among the undecided. More info is a good thing!

[info being]

9. Here's one way of explaining it

http://www.kucinich.us/dk.html

[wuushew]

11. I am more concerned why a sizeable number of the public supported it

Until we understand the sickness which permeates the American psyche, future Iraq scenarios are not only possible but highly likely.

[DACT]

13. Saddam Hussein was not some sort of benevolent leader

He was a sick fuck and America (anti-war activists included) hated him.

[Hamlette]

14. thanks...

the sickness which permeates the American psyche (at least as far as this war is concerned) is fear.

Our government told us Saddam was about to drop the big one on us and kill us all (45 minutes...remember?)

I know people who are working 2 or 3 jobs just to keep kith and kin together. They don't have the time to question the man behind the curtain. And they want to believe their government is telling the truth. To believe otherwise would require massive doses of medication.

I still don't get it. Bringing the war to the terrorists doesn't make any sense as the neocons have wanted to invade Iraq since at least 1991. Bush being the one who brought peace and democracy to the middle east must just be what they told him so he'd go along. The neocons don't care about exporting peace and democracy. They don't WANT peace OR democracy.

World domination is the only thing that makes sense. But what happens when they get it? How does it improve their lives? Is it all about power? Sheesh, somebody needs a nap.

[DrWeird]

12. So George Bush can get 72 virgins in heaven.

Now when the shadows attack his ascendancy to demigodhood is ensured.