As a soldier I have many questions and concerns.The most pressing of these questions is, What are the positive effects this war can have on Iraq and the Middle East, as well as the negative aspect.

By Palmbchprincess on Tuesday, April 1, 2003 - 02:42 pm:

Mike,
You and I share a lot of the same feelings on this, as we've already discussed. In my opinion, here are the positive effects of the war,on the entire world, not just the Middle east. Freedom for the Iraqi people from a murderous tyrant. That is one of the biggest. Then, ridding the world, including ourselves, of the danger Saddam poses to other countries. Weakening the corruption and evil that is raging in the Middle East. It's only a small step in that task, but a signifigant one. As far as oil prices go, Amy is better equipped to comment on that than I am, since I have no background in economics. I don't know too much about the oil trade at all. Negative effects... Loss of lives. American, Brit, and civilian Arab lives. And we may be giving N. Korea an opportunity while we have our backs turned, focused on Iraq. Their leader has already used this war as an excuse to deny UN weapons inspectors. Other countries may also look at this as bullying on our part, and fear the UN and the USA. But overall I think more good than bad will come from this. Just the simple listing of the horrors Saddam is doing to his people is reason enough for me. As I said in the other topic, not intervening while he kills and tortures his people is the same as watching a grown man beat a small child, and doing nothing. As much as I don't like Bush, and don't want you and John to go, I think this is overdue.

By Ginnyk on Tuesday, April 1, 2003 - 10:20 pm:

I've been giving your question a lot of thought, Mike, and the answer for me is, I don't know.

If the war is over quickly, if the civilian casualties are kept really low, if the oilfields can be put back into production quickly, and if we get humanitarian aid in really quickly and there is not much guerilla warfare, then

Ideally, we would get the basis of a good (i.e., humane and fairly democratically inclined) Iraqi controlled government in place, one that could set up elections fairly soon, and elections would be held. That would demonstrate to the rest of the world that we are not empire-building, and that we don't have plans to try to run/rule the Middle East. I think that is critical. Then, if we would help the Iraqis build/rebuild their infrastructure and begin setting up an economic system where the profits from the oil that is that nation's greatest asset are used for all of the people - for building other sources of income for the average Iraqi, for education, better medical programs, and so on, that would be further proof that our motives were not based on the self-interests of the U.S.

And, if this can be done quickly, then the U.S. would have a better chance of doing some serious peace brokering around Israel. I believe that until some basis for peace between Israel and the Palestinians is a reality, the Middle East will continue to be a hot spot. It is one of my personal great griefs that Israel has become a nation which does the kinds of things it does vis a vis the Palestinians. I realize that most Israelis support what is happening because they are exhausted by and fearful of the many kinds of terrorist attacks they are subject to from the Palestinians, and I understand and grieve over that. But until this sorry problem is solved in some way that both sides feel is reasonably just, those attacks will continue. If the U.S. could be a major factor in bringing about some real basis for peace between those peoples, that would be the best possible outcome. And, imo, the only way most Palestinians will stop supporting the Palestinian terrorists is by getting them out of the camps and into their own homeland, where they can have houses and businesses, schools and hospitals, and an economy that works for them, and they can be an independent entity with a government that is really their own, knowing that they won't be evicted from their homes by the next group of opportunistic settlers trying to expand Israeli territory. If we can come out of Iraq with a solid victory that has brings about about real, demonstrable and positive change in that country fairly quickly, we will be in a much better position to force Israel to give up the West Bank settlements and negotiate a homeland deal for the Palestinians. If the U.S. uses the credit it can gain by establishing a humane Iraqi controlled government in Iraq to bring about some permanent and positive change in the Israel/Palestinian situation, that would be an extremely positive effect.

The negative effects, beyond the lives that will be lost, those of U.S. service men and women, and Iraqi soldiers and civilians, which is everyone's most immediate concern. Well, I suspect that by and large the average citizen of the Arab nations believes that at least part of the reason we are doing this is because Iraq is non-white and non-Christian (that they are, to use one of the worst terms, a bunch of "ragheads"). And also believes that we are doing this so that we can control Iraqi oil, and because Israel has great influence over U.S. politics and political decisions. Until we demonstrate clearly that this is not the case, the distrust of our motives and of our power will only grow, and will feed the propaganda of the Islamic fundamentalists that promotes terrorism.

And unless we start paying visible attention to the human rights violations in some countries which are our allies (or at least not our enemies)(like China, a major trade partner and a place where many American jobs have gone, and a country where there continue to be serious human rights violations), this concern for human rights could be perceived as rather one-sided and driven more by political and economic interests than a real concern for human rights. That is one of the negative effects already happening, and the less than diplomatic statements by some of the administration about nations which have been fairly staunch allies for decades doesn't help.

Sometimes I think the U.S. is in the position of the heavy-weight boxer who goes into a bar. If someone challenges him and he doesn't respond, he is a wimp, and the challenger will keep pressing until something happens; if he does respond, he is a bully because he is, after all, a heavy weight boxer with more power and skill than the other guy. It's not fair, and is a no win situation unless the boxer makes sure he has a lot of good friends with him when he goes into the bar who will help prevent such situations from ever happening or make sure they are dealt with quickly and quietly and without bad publicity. In that kind of situation, a wise man makes sure he has those friends.

By Feona on Wednesday, April 2, 2003 - 06:04 am:

One thing I feel that now the war is started the president can't leave the job half done like last time. I hope he finishes the job this time. I think the USA will look like an idiot if we pull out of Iraq again.

By Ginnyk on Wednesday, April 2, 2003 - 07:00 am:

Not only look like an idiot but make the nation much more vulnerable to opportunistic attacks from others, which makes it even more important that we handle the war and aftermath really intelligently.