Ambassador Murdered

[sexobon]

Originally Posted by tw

... Most servicemen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan were victims of dumb leaders in America. ... Citizens who failed to see impending obvious disasters are also guilty. ...

[Bold mine]

[IMHO]This is why it's easy for others to attack any Americans anytime and anywhere. In a country where the general population elects its leaders, all are responsible for their government's actions making all who can vote legitimate targets. It's a good reason to vote and make it an informed vote since you'll be held accountable for the ramifications of election outcomes anyway.

In countries with dictatorships, the general population may not have that influence on their leaders; so, we've decided that other governments can be segregated from their general populations and targeted separately. We didn't win a war with Iraq, just with its government.

Post Vietnam, our active duty military was downsized by shifting the function of many support units and some combat units to be held in reserve to the Reserves and National Guard. It was towards the end of the transition that Iraq invaded Kuwait and we weren't prepared to go into Iraq to conquer just the government which takes more ground forces than simply annihilating a country from the air. George Sr. just pushed them back and stopped. Many considered it unfinished business.

The events of 9/11 unfolded and George Jr. saw an opportunity to finish daddy's work. It was also payback time for the Iraqi leader who tried to have daddy assassinated so: 1.) We were told his government had WMD; but, we already knew that. The significance was bloated and exposed as such. 2.) Then we were told his government had terrorist connections. Again, the significance was bloated and exposed as such. 3.) Finally, we were told that we were saving the Iraqi people. This, in contradiction to our existing military intervention policy requiring 3 conditions (all 3 to be met) before intervening: 1. The indigenous population has to want us there (we weren't invited). 2. They have to be willing to fight for themselves (they weren't willing enough to fight to begin a revolt against dictatorship) and 3. They have to be able to continue what we've helped them accomplish after we leave (not likely wherever there's infighting among major religious factions).

The Iraqi leader and his government were toppled for daddy and son and their posterity while their cronies reaped benefits from war. We might have stayed longer; but, the new elected government representing those people we were supposedly there to save, who didn't invite us, who weren't inclined to start their own Arab Spring, and who are still fighting among themselves wanted to make all Americans (including the military under country SOFA) subject to their laws. How rude, it's like they didn't trust Americans to conduct themselves responsibly and exercise good judgment. [/IMHO]

Well the first thing you know, Obama's in the chair
His constituency says "Prez, get us outta there."
Said "Afghanistan is where the buildup oughta be"
So we do it all again in the land of poppy seed.

Leaving unfinished business that is
Relax, leave your wallets out
Don't look back now, ya hear.