I don't think the US will occupy Iraq for long after the war. Continued US presence there will just inflame the region. We'll go in, take out Saddam, take some time flushing out the weapons caches and WMD material, assist in free elections, then get the hell out.
One of the things I find most amusing is the empty criticism "it's all about the oil." Not true, but even if it were, so what: What will a post-saddam Iraq look like? Big energy firms from half a dozen countries fighting tooth and nail for contracts, spending tens of billions of dollars on infrastructure and long term development, employing the Iraqi population in the process and flooding a newly established democratic government with oil revenues... Iraq as a whole seeing the benefit of its natural resources rather than just the despots at the top.... laying the groundwork for a self sustaining economy with no need to waste its cash on anthrax or nuke research.... gee, what a nightmare
if you look at history, whenever the US went into a country and 'occupied' it, several decades later they were much better off. Look at Germany, Japan, Korea, etc...
furthermore, how ironic is it that France and Russia already have oil contracts established with Saddam's regime that would be in danger of annullment were he overthrown... maybe American conservatives are the ones who should be yelling "it's all about the oil/money/etc."
>>maybe American conservatives are the ones who should be yelling "it's all about the oil/money/etc."<< Hear hear. Jack
Have you read DarkHorse's last post Optional or is it that you don't let the facts stand in the way of a good slogan ? Jack
A good slogan? Well if "Remember the Maine" worked in the Spanish American War.... Why can't "Remember the Oil" work now?