The war in Iraq and the events of 9/11 are unrelated.
I believe thoroughly the war in Iraq happened for a few reasons:
1) Bush wanted to finish what his father didn't. The first Bush could have finished the job in Iraq, but instead drew out.
2) Our government was thirsty for oil. I know this is cliché, but it seems awfully true. A lot of focus has been placed on oil.
3) Hussein really was a major problem. He was a tyrant and definitely needed to be taken from power. He had killed his own people in the past just to test weapons.
I think the WMD search was just an excuse to go in. The government knew all along that there were no "Weapons of Mass Destruction," but it gave them an excuse to send troops in, which eventually leads to occupation and restructuring of the Iraqi government.
Problem is that this is most likely a lost cause. As soon as the US pulls out, the government that has been set up will probably be toppled again. (Besides, we all know how good the US is at setting up governments for other countries *cough*CUBA*cough*) There is too much opposition to it. Democratic process doesn't work everywhere. Some people can't take complete freedom because they're accustomed to being ruled over.
2. We havent taken a SINGLE barrel of oil from Iraq. Don't say its about oil. We get that from "our friends, (I say as lightly as humanly possible)" the Saudis.
3. Agreed.
WMDs - We have found WMDs
1.77 metric tons of enriched uranium
1,500 gallons of chemical weapons
Roadside bomb loaded with sarin gas
1,000 radioactive materials--ideal for radioactive dirty bombs
17 chemical warheads--some containing cyclosarin, a nerve agent five times more powerful than sarin
7lb block of Sodium Cyanide
Imported 4,006 kg of natural uranium and 6,005 kg of depleted uranium (DU) from Italy in 1979
Imported 1,767 kg low enriched uranium (LEU) from Italy in 1982
Imported almost 50 kg of highly enriched uranium (HEU) from Russia and France
Procured 429 drums containing 138,098 kg yellowcake from Portugal in 1980
Procured 487 drums containing 148,348 kg yellowcake from Portugal in 1982
Procured 432 drums containing 137,435 kg of yellowcake from Niger in 1981
Procured 426 drums containing 139,409 kg of yellowcake from Niger in 1982
Imported 24,260 kg of uranium dioxide from Brazil between 1981-82
Produced 109 tonnes of uranium in 168 tonnes of yellowcake at Al Qaim uranium recovery plant, which was constructed between 1982-84
Produced 420 drums containing 99,457 kg uranium dioxide at Al Jesira uranium conversion facility
Produced UF6 at Rashdiya Engineering and Design Centre
Processed uranium dioxide to produce UF4, uranium metal and UF6 at Tuwaitha Chemical Laboratories
Processed UO2 and yellowcake to produce UO2, U3O8, UO3, UO4, UF4, and uranium metal at Tuwaitha
Experimental Research Laboratory for Fuel Fabrication
Processed UO2 to produce UCl4 at Tuwaitha Chemical Engineering Research laboratories
(
http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/SV/Invo/factsheet.html)
Regarding the toppling: Not going to happen; most Iraq's approve of the current government set-up. Not to mention there will ALWAYS be some troops still there, probably for decades.
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