ISRAEL - IRAN - SYRIA - HAMAS - HEZBOLLAH - WWWIII?

You did not answer my question! McTag, do you think things would have been better if the USA and Britain had ignored the al-Qaeda December 2001 to March 2003 buildup in northeastern Iraq, and ignored Saddam continuing his mass murders of his own civilians since 1979?

By the way, the teaty the UK and the USA and other member countries have with the UN permits them to act in what these countries perceive is their own self-defense without first obtaining a UN mandate.

I can't see it was any business of the UK or the USA to interfere without a UN mandate.

Since Saddam was no threat to anyone but his own people, the self-defence argument falls.
And the "perception" of a threat is now recognised to have been no perception, but a deception.

Congressional Intelligence Report 09/08/2006
Postwar information indicates that the Intelligence Community accurately assessed that al-Qa'ida affiliate group Ansar al-Islam operated in Kurdish-controlled northeastern Iraq

www.c-span.org/resources/pdf/hjres114.pdf
Public Law 107-243 107th Congress Joint Resolution Oct. 16, 2002 (H.J. Res. 114) To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq

Whereas in 1990 in response to Iraq's war of aggression against and illegal occupation of Kuwait, the United States forged a coalition of nations to liberate Kuwait and its people in order to defend the national security of the United States and enforce United Nations Security Council resolutions relating to Iraq;

Whereas Iraq persists in violating resolutions of the United Nations Security Council by continuing to engage in brutal repression of its civilian population thereby threatening international peace and security in the region, by refusing to release, repatriate, or account for non-Iraqi citizens wrongfully detained by Iraq, including an American serviceman, and by failing to return property wrongfully seized by Iraq from Kuwait;

Whereas the current Iraqi regime has demonstrated its continuing hostility toward, and willingness to attack, the United States, including by attempting in 1993 to assassinate former President Bush and by firing on many thousands of occasions on United States and Coalition Armed Forces engaged in enforcing the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council;

Whereas members of al Qaida, an organization bearing responsibility for attacks on the United States, its citizens, and interests, including the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, are known to be in Iraq;

Whereas Iraq continues to aid and harbor other international terrorist organizations, including organizations that threaten the lives and safety of United States citizens[/u];

Whereas in December 1991, Congress expressed its sense that it supports the use of all necessary means to achieve the goals of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 as being consistent with the Authorization of Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution (Public Law 102-1),' that Iraq's repression of its civilian population violates United Nations Security Council Resolution 688 and `constitutes a continuing threat to the peace, security, and stability of the Persian Gulf region,' and that Congress, `supports the use of all necessary means to achieve the goals of United Nations Security Council Resolution 688';

Whereas the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-338) expressed the sense of Congress that it should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove from power the current Iraqi regime and promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime;

Whereas on September 12, 2002, President Bush committed the United States to `work with the United Nations Security Council to meet our common challenge' posed by Iraq and to `work for the necessary resolutions,' while also making clear that `the Security Council resolutions will be enforced, and the just demands of peace and security will be met, or action will be unavoidable';

Whereas Congress has taken steps to pursue vigorously the war on terrorism through the provision of authorities and funding requested by the President to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such persons or organizations;

Whereas the President and Congress are determined to continue to take all appropriate actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such persons or organizations;

Whereas the President has authority under the Constitution to take action in order to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States, as Congress recognized in the joint resolution on Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40); and,

Whereas it is in the national security interests of the United States to restore international peace and security to the Persian Gulf region:

Now therefore be it, Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, Authorization for use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. 50 USC 1541 note.

Foofie wrote:

So, I come to the conclusion that in my opinion it is to give the civilized world a better image of Germany in the 21st century. Pure purchasing of good will from the world community, I believe.

Well, that's your opinion.


Since 1991, when Germany donated the first two of several submarines, it has always been said by Israel (and Germany) that such was done because "Germany has a historic responsibility to help Israel because of the mass murder of Jews in World War II"...

I think I read that Egypt wants to buy these submarines also.

McTag, do you think things would have been better if the USA and Britain had ignored the al-Qaeda December 2001 to March 2003 buildup in northeastern Iraq, and ignored Saddam continuing his mass murders of his own civilians since 1979?

About 300 al-Qaeda moved into northeastern Iraq from Afghanistan in December 2001. By the time we invaded Iraq in March 2003, there were over 1000 al-Qaeda in north eastern Iraq. USA forces encountered them in March and April 2003. More stormed into central Iraq after we invaded Iraq. They were a highly probable future threat to UK and USA. To think they would have merely camped out in northeastern Iraq if we had not invaded Iraq is naive at best.

Bush said we had to go into Iraq because of the latter's WMD and association with AQ. Of course, none of this was true, and Bush knew it. We have since devastated Iraq, killing and wounding hundreds of thousands. Bush said he was a war president and used Iraq to prove it. Also, he went in to grab the country's oil, something he failed to do.

The Bush administration linked Iraq to 9/11, which was a big lie.

It is naive to think that this group would saunter from north eastern Iraq to the US to perpetrate acts of terrorism. To use this as a pretext for an invasion of the entire country--when this group was operating in an area out of the control of the government of Iraq, and in direct control of the US and its allies in that area--isn't naive, it's devious.

Advocate wrote:

The Bush administration linked Iraq to 9/11, which was a big lie.

That's another bull puke accusation. Bush linked the al-Qaeda in Iraq when we invaded to 9/11. Get real, will ya!