Attention all soldiers

[DarkLadyNyara]

I assume you have something resembling evidence to back that claim up?

Okay, you asked for it.

During the war, Iraq enjoyed on-and-off relations with the United States: the United States supplied it with weapons and economic aid, but some U.S. officials also secretly supplied Iran with weapons at times. Following the war, there were moves within the United States Congress to isolate Iraq diplomatically and economically over concerns about human rights violations. These moves were disowned by high-ranking US senators like Robert Dole, who told Iraqi President Saddam Hussein that "Congress does not represent [U.S. President George] Bush or the government" and that Bush would veto any move toward sanctions against Iraq. (From the Iraqi transcript of the meeting, as published in Sifry.)

As Ayotallah Khomenei’s Islamic Revolution took hold in Iran, the United States saw Teheran as its main adversary in the Middle East, as did Iraq. Consequently, with huge levels of American support–over $40 billion in weapons and technology through the 1980s, with many transactions “off book”–Iraq fought against Iran for nearly a decade. In the latter stages of battle, eventually won by Iraq, U.S. officers provided intelligence and tactical advice to the Iraqis, all the while Baghdad was using chemical and biological weapons on the battlefield to suppress the Iranians. Once the war ended, Saddam killed many thousands of his own Kurdish population with chemical weapons. Meanwhile, U.S. economic aid to Iraq increased.

The rest of the article can be found at http://hnn.us/articles/1066.html
Also check here
If you want more evidence, try Google.

[nik0tine]

Spreading out your forces to several different places isn't wise... Remember the roman empire? The mongols? the huns? Germany in WWII? Napoleon? Etc... Many of these people tried to fight too many fronts or went too far when waiting for a bit would be better.

The united states isn't planning on doing this, though. Instead of having bases in Europe AND the middle east, the neo conservatives want to liquidate the european bases and re station those troops in the middle east. Permanantly.

[ShunNakamura]

true but the point I was trying to make was that we did come dangerousally close to overspreading by attacking Iraq when we did. We had to pull troops out of Afghanistan and other bases, as well that was when alot of talk of a possible draft was happening. The draft is when we don't have enough soldiers... So I would say we spread thin, maybe not TOO thin.. but we definately were pushing it. Should have waited till we were out of Afghanistan if we were going to do anything.

[Shadow Nexus]

And Shadow Nexus, all I can say is that if you don't think being a soldier is difficult, you don't know much about being a soldier.

Where did I say it's not difficult, Mr. Redneck? Your nick suits you perfectly.

EDIT: Uncalled for. Honestly, can you people discuss anything without being disrespectful? -Flesh Eating Virus

[ShunNakamura]

Anyway, about the whole soldier thing, no, I don't want to thank anyone, frankly. Why? Because I do not think that job is a hard one,

Shadow Nexus this is where he says that you said the job is not a hard one.

So I guess you did say, but was it a typo of some sort cause you say it can be " very degrading at times" right after it?

[Shadow Nexus]

O_o

It must have been a typo. Only I don't remember what I was trying to say there, certainly not that. I guess it was something like "Not because I don't believe that job is a hard one", or something like that, you know, confusing double negations.

*edits*

[The Redneck]

Nik0time--
Ahh, so we just want to dominate the entire world, as if we weren't already the world's superpower. (note that recommending I click the link was a bad idea, because another look revealed that Dick Cheny and Donald Rumsfeld are indeed not on the list of authors). And you believe that Bush has this massive conspiracy going because somebody says he should. Nice deductive work, there.

DarkLadyNyara--
Yes, I asked for "it". But the "it" I asked for was concerned...

Or why we didn't just do like France did and look the other way while Sodom tortured his people in exchange for a couple sweet oil contracts? (Hey, there's some "Blood for oil", there....)

Detailing how we let Sodom have some weapons to attack another terrorist regime is interesting (and not nearly as bad as allying with Stalin to help end the Nazi threat, but war sucks sometimes--in fact, it always sucks.), but we were talking about allowing Sodom to torture his people in exchange for oil contracts (thus my rather snide "blood for oil" comment, there....).

You were saying something about getting the facts straight?

Shadow Nexus--
Where did you say it's not difficult? That would be the 25th of March, at 1:39 PM. My nick does indeed suit me well--but apparently, to find one that would suit you would violate the anti-flaming regulations of this forum.

Camanche--

I said mostly. As in, of course they were in a horribly state before, but the war only helped to worsened it.

Which is why the people of Iraq are choosing their own leaders right? And likewise why the Iraqis are now digging up mass graves instead of being tossed into them, why the rape rooms and the infamous plastic-shredder are shut down, and nobody's losing ears for "disent"? Ahh, yes, putting a halt to all that just ruined their lives.... Damn the eeeeeeevil United States and their capitalist yankee pig-dog imperialist intervention! P'tui! P'tui on the Great Satan!

[nik0tine]

Nik0time--
Ahh, so we just want to dominate the entire world, as if we weren't already the world's superpower.

If you would have read the report "Rebuilding America's Defenses" (I don't expect you to read a 90 page document for an argument over the internet) you would have found that the goal of this war was to ensure that we CONTINUE to dominate the world for the next 100 or so years, with nobody else to bother us.

(note that recommending I click the link was a bad idea, because another look revealed that Dick Cheny and Donald Rumsfeld are indeed not on the list of authors).

I believe you are wrong about this, but I will take a look anyway.

And you believe that Bush has this massive conspiracy going because somebody says he should. Nice deductive work, there.

Again, if you would have read the document you would have noticed that it parallels what Bush is doing to a T.

EDIT: I looked over the list of project participants and, oddly enough, you were right. Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld do not appear to be in there. However, Paul Wolfowitz IS in there, and that most definetly says something, don't you think?

[Camanche]

For hecks sake, you're putting words into other peoples mouths The Redneck and just making yourself seem more ignorant in the process. I obviously never said any of those things, nor meant them.

When I say the war helped worsen it, I meant that, you know, the dropping of bombs and the fighting didn't help the state of the people. Of course the war has given them the opportunity to do all the things you mentioned, but all the destruction has also hindered their daily lives as well.

[Sasquatch]

Camanche: "When I say the war helped worsen it, I meant that, you know, the dropping of bombs and the fighting didn't help the state of the people. Of course the war has given them the opportunity to do all the things you mentioned, but all the destruction has also hindered their daily lives as well."

He's not putting words in your mouth at all. He's just reasoning that you're trying to say the people of Iraq are worse off because of this war than they were before. Which is a crock. Sure, for a short time, there was more destruction, but the reconstruction effort has done wonders for the Iraqi people. You can thank the liberal media for not relaying reports of the millions of Iraqis that now have things they haven't had for decades--things like clean water, electricity, sanitation, etc. The daily lives of the Iraqis are BETTER now than they were before the war started, simply because Saddam was ousted and they were being controlled by a government that cares more about their people. And it's a shame that U.S. citizens have to travel eight thousand miles to help these people out, when Saddam and his family are living in luxury you and I wouldn't be able to dream about. (I've been through one of the palaces--I don't know about you, but I sure as hell could never imagine living in a place like that.) So now you're just making yourself seem more ignorant.

nik0tine: "I looked over the list of project participants and, oddly enough, you were right. Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld do not appear to be in there. However, Paul Wolfowitz IS in there, and that most definetly says something, don't you think?"

When and why did you read this 90-page report? And yes, that definitely does say something. It says that you don't know what you're talking about. One guy on Bush's staff was one of many that wrote this "plan", and thus you think Bush's move to fight back against terrorism is a plan to control the world. Oh wait...is "control" alright? You say we're not trying to "take over the world", we're just trying to...what, dominate it? Control the world? Ah, big difference there.

Shadow Nexus -- The military serves for freedom. That's not an interest you believe in? Or is it just your own freedom that you care about, and nobody else's?

[lordblazer]

You shouldn't violate OPSEC, but you can say a general unit, your MOS, stuff like that. I just got out of Iraq, about a month ago--Combat Engineer, near BIAP, under 1st Cav.

My father was a Gulf War Veteran left the military at the rank of Major a few years after the war.I have great respect for them.I have tweelve cousins overseas. 5 of them in Iraq.

[theundeadhero]

This is why I stopped posting in threads like this. It was a simple thread to soldiers and then war flamers thrashed it.

[Casey]

Aside from the *beep* politics,

I WANT TO SAY THANKYOU TO THE GUYS THAT'VE BEEN OVER THERE OR ARE OVER THERE. STAY SAFE. IM PRAYING FOR YOU GUYS. AND THANKS TO ALL YOU MILITARY PERSONAL.

That is all.

EDIT: No swearing. And it's personnel. -Flu

[nik0tine]

When and why did you read this 90-page report? And yes, that definitely does say something. It says that you don't know what you're talking about. One guy on Bush's staff was one of many that wrote this "plan", and thus you think Bush's move to fight back against terrorism is a plan to control the world. Oh wait...is "control" alright? You say we're not trying to "take over the world", we're just trying to...what, dominate it? Control the world? Ah, big difference there.

If you would read the god damn thing you would notice how eerily similar things are between this document, and what Bush is doing. But keeping a closed mind is your choice. You don't have to even SKIM it if you don't want to. However, try not to criticize my opinion if you refuse to look into it. That is all I have to say about this right now.

And how about this: Thanks to everybody who fights for positive change.

[The Captain]

I think you've found a way around the swear filter noname.

Nevermind, all is well.

Take care all.