Iraq Bait

What exactly are we doing in Iraq now? At first we were there to end an imminent threat against our country (even though John Kerry passionately spoke about the lack of an imminent threat, and even though we knew our intelligence was weak, and even though we should have known—even if we did not know—that it wasn't a threat) then we were there for regime change. Now, we are there, I posit, as targets for "terrorists" by which I mean extremist Islamic Mujahadeen who are fighting the USA. The "you can fight them over there or you can fight them here" statement finally struck home. Fighting them over there. That's precisely what we're doing. We invaded Iraq to set up a US stronghold in the Middle East from which we can draw in and battle the fundamentalist Muslims. Oil was a bonus; Hussein was a bonus. I recently heard US troops in Fallujah using a technique by which they broadcast over loudspeakers, "We are here, brave Mujahadeen, come fight us!" This is what we're doing in the Middle East as a whole.

Now, I must say that it's an interesting plan. It's certainly better than fighting the terrorists over here in the USA (better for us at least; not so much the Iraqi civilians). However, 1. it's immoral to invade a country for strategic land-grabbing; 2. it's immoral to impose warfare on an innocent civilian population which has nothing to do with al Qaeda; 3. it's not very nice for our troops to be used as targets, and I'm sure they would feel the same if they were informed; and 4. it may not work at all.

The last is worthy of some serious thought. When will the jihadists decide that they don't want to fight a conventional army and that they are more powerful (if not any more effective) as terrorists? What is happening to Iraq in terms of civil war; meaning did we bargain on this power-grabbing that is going on and what can we do to stop it, and what effect does unifying jihadists and insurgents have on our overall security? Are we creating more hatred for the USA than we are preventing? My guess is yes, and it seems like an obvious guess.

Here is your link explaining how it works.

Now as to a better solution: Reexamine US policy. Listen to Osama bin Laden when he says why he attacked us and then address those grievances if they are valid (and respond to them even if they are not, explaining why they are not). Understand terrorists as misguided human beings, not crazy people who want to take our freedom. Stop pushing free trade as a solution to the world's problems (because even if it does work it will deplete the world of resources). Stop spreading advertising, consumerism, and materialism. Flood their culture with information so that the people know we are not only the evil people they are led to believe we are; we are not our television and our movies (how they see us study by Margaret and Melvin DeFleur). Read pieces like "Why do They Hate Us?" Define our war more clearly. Are we at war with "Terror" or with "Terrorism?" And what is a terrorist exactly? Are we simply at war with al Qaeda?

Define what America is "for" now? Do we want the entire world to be like us? That will be a problem because our world can't handle six billion of us. Let's set up a plan for how exactly the world can work; let's start some thinking. We may need to take control of our civilization instead of letting the market determine our course. Let's have a transparent government. Let's have that government set up priorities in writing. Let's conceive the world. Let's re-strengthen the UN and international law. Let's make the world love us by showing it our goodness, truth, honesty, nobility, and justice.