2/20    Ok serious question, NOT political.  This is straight up procedural.
        Has it been declared that we didn't find WMD in iraq? (think so).
        So why did we go into iraq (what was the gain), and if nobody really
        knows, why is nobody looking for the reason?
        \_ Political stability, military strategy (Iran), and to prevent
           Saddam from financing terrorism.
           \_ Ok, fair answers. I grant you 2 and 3 probably actually worked
              was that the political stability we were looking for?
              what i mean is, wasn't that area "stable" under saddam?
              \_ This is somewhat of a guess, but it wasn't stability of Iraq
                 that was the concern, but stability of the entire Middle East.
                 During the first Gulf War, Sadaam demonstrated that he was
                 more than willing to launch missles at Israel and Saudi
                 Arabia. That was largely the reason why the US had troops
                 in Saudi Arabia. And the presence of troops in Saudi Arabia
                 was one of the major reasons (among many I'm sure) why OBL
                 was so angry the US. After Sadaam's capture, the US pulled
                 its troops out of Saudi Arabia.
                 \_ So basically the people threatened with Saudi and Israel
                    and we got the whole world to help the two nations that
                    arguably the rest of the world hates more than the US.
              \_ I think it is pretty clear that the Gulf War strengthened
                 Iran strategically.
                 \_ Did you notice iran went for a nuclear enrichment
                    program just to save themselves?  I guess they learned
                    from iraq and dprk, if you have no nukes, you are
                    screwed.  Will it be a balance of power in the region
                    Iran/Pakistan?
                 \_ Having a battle-tested US army on your border is not
                    a position of strength if you are anti-US.
                    \_ This is a temporary situation. A weak, divided Iraq
                       is a huge win for Iran. Remember Iraq fought two bloody
                       wars with Iran in the 80s.
                       \_ Well, yes, but largely at our behest (cf. pix of
                          Rusmfeld shaking hands with Saddam) and mostly
                          because we were still pissed about the hostages
                          and the Iranians overthrowing our puppet, the Shah.
                          The biggest win for Iran here is that Iraq no
                          longer _wants_ to fight with Iran, even if it
                          could.
        \_ The reason was that the GOP needed to find a way to funnel taxpayer
           dollars to their big donors and the cover of a war was the easiest
           way to do this. Don't you remember the "Permanent Republican
           Majority?"
           \_ But isn't this the case for any administration- that the
              funneling comes regardless of whatever policy happens?
              \_ Sure, but defence contractors don't donate to Democrats.
                 Remember how Clinton slashed the DoD budget?
        \_ The reason that no one in the Administration is looking is that
           Rahm Emmanuel has the Prez's ear on policy right now, and RE's
           take on the whole thing is don't look back, don't investigate.
           Cf. RE blowing his top when Eric Holder started looking into
           whether CIA operatives could be prosecuted for tortuure.