Actually, i believe we are arguing the wrong things...I have a question for Tampa and I would hope he would answer it honestly: Is there ANY scenario in which you would be for a war with Iraq? ie: If the inspectors find an anthrax bomb, nuke ect...or if there was definitive link to al quada??? List exactly what you would have to hear or see in order for you to be for an Iraqi invasion......On the other hand, you may not want ANY war for ANY reason which is on it's surface morally correct, however if that is the case I believe you and others should say so rather then argue against the U.S....so what are your requirements?
You ask a fair question, and I will answer it. first and foremost: a definitive link to al quada - without question, without hesitation. without mercy. Secondly: Should the inspectors find evidence of weapons of mass destruction, and Iraq refuses to destroy them, I would support an invasion to disarm them. I am not flatly opposed to this or any war - but the consequences of this or any war are so extreme that undeniable evidence must prevail. Charges of he "might have", or he "might give" etc. do not warrant placing thousands, hundreds of thousands. let alone millions of human beings at risk. I hope that answers your question.
how can bombing Iraq stop terrorism? even taking the administration's claim as true, at best a war could only remove some potential weapons from circulation. how will that stop, or even deter, the next 9/11?
"Secondly: Should the inspectors find evidence of weapons of mass destruction, and Iraq refuses to destroy them, I would support an invasion to disarm them." The Inspectors will find NOTHING, that's a reason to go in. We already know they got the stuff. CIA knows and they know where to look, and no we are not giving target information to the UN.
Secondly: Should the inspectors find evidence of weapons of mass destruction, and Iraq refuses to destroy them, I would support an invasion to disarm them. Thanks for the answer but here is the problem: It's not the fact that they destroy the weapons that are found, it's why do they have them still?? destroying weapons AFTER they are found is kind of like confessing to murder after you were arrested with a bloody knife in your hand..And just he idea that they're finding them should be considered a serious problem. Another disturbing thing is the fact that they are hiding some weapons...I mean , in your heart can you honestly say that you don't belive there is a batch of chemical weapons stored somewhere? I think we all know its there and we are playing a game of cat and mouse.
Madison sez "how can bombing Iraq stop terrorism? even taking the administration's claim as true, at best a war could only remove some potential weapons from circulation. how will that stop, or even deter, the next 9/11?" You want the truth about stopping a 9/11 - lets say an entirely different scenario, like a tractor trailer with fertilizer or something. The truth is a nut can do it, and there is noway to stop it. The is very little defense against suicidal nut cases, if they do not communicate and have a small cell, its nearly impossible to find them. What we can stop is the nations that help, sponsor, and supply the terrorists. Iraq already has the materials and the borders with Iran, Syria, and Jordan - anything can go through those borders. We are not JUST GOING to BOMB IRAQ, we are going in and replacing the government, and there will be American Inspectors backed up by M1-A2 Tanks. That when we will find the weapons. The Bombing will be pin pointed at communications, and Saddams loyal Repub guard. You won't see carpet bombing. If you think that IRAQ does not have WMD then there is NEVER GOING to be PROOF for you until we have boots on the ground to discover it. ONLY AN IDIOT WOULD THINK THAT UN INSPECTORS WILL FIND ANYTHING.
...Ahh haa - since they can't find them, that's proof that they have them! You gotta love that kind of logic. No my friend, we do not know that they have them - we know that they once did - that's all we know for sure. If the CIA has knowledge of the location of such WMD, than we should immediately bomb such locations - and I assure you we would. But we haven't, because we do not have such information. My best advice to you is to turn off the Fox News Channel, and think about all of this - really think about it
From the recent rabble on this thread, the only semblance of rationality that I have been able to locate has been from Tampa... if you guys carefully think about what he said and end up agreeing with the sense he is making, then there is hope for you... if you are intellectually incapable of this, I genuinely pity you...
UN Inspectors will find Nothing - If you Trust anything the UN does, then you are beyond hope. And the U.S. will not freely give out locations, until we have our own inspectors on the ground.
The USA must be prepared to reap the consequences of any illegal unilateral action... the international community will not weep for the USA in the context of further September 11s within the USA if it goes ahead with illegal, criminal, non-mandated war on the Iraqis... lunatics who support this oil war should bear that in mind...