The state of Iraq

Uruguay feels that Iraq is an artificial construct, and if a true democracy ever took hold, the state would be likely to split. It is worrying that so little planning went into what would happen after the war, but a pullout of troops before the country is stable/ready would be irresponsible.

Reply 3

Well, the reasons given for going into the war were self-defensive. Perhaps considerations of the aftermath took second place to simply getting rid of the perceived threat ASAP.

Reply 4

Syntax

The war can probably be described more accurately as being pre-emptive. And Uruguay feels that the aftermath was not considered in full because leaders of the coalition were under the (mistaken) impression that they would be welcomed as liberators.

Reply 5

We were soundly promised by the coalition forces that they had planned for all circumstances and that they were ready to sort out the aftermath of the deposing of Saddam Hussein. We were promised that this would not be another Afghanistan. Clearly we have been lied to once more.

Reply 6

Syntax

The war can probably be described more accurately as being pre-emptive. And Uruguay feels that the aftermath was not considered in full because leaders of the coalition were under the (mistaken) impression that they would be welcomed as liberators.

Could well be. The Coalition forces certainly had a nasty shock, although the jubilant Iraqis dancing on Saddam's statue must not be forgotten. They WERE grateful to be rid of him.

Reply 7

You cannot enforce democratic ideals upon people that do not want them or will not allow for them. the country will be razed to the ground before they will allow for a democratic system. We should leave the country to its own devices.

Reply 8

Kondar

1

It is important to keep this history in mind as we look at the progress of freedom and democracy in Iraq. No nation in history has made the transition to a free society without facing challenges, setbacks and false starts. The past 2½ years have been a period of difficult struggle in Iraq, yet they have also been a time of great hope and achievement for the Iraqi people.

Just over 2½ years ago, Iraq was in the grip of a cruel dictator who had invaded his neighbors, sponsored terrorists, pursued and used weapons of mass destruction, murdered his own people and, for more than a decade, defied the demands of the United Nations and the civilized world.

Since then, the Iraqi people have assumed sovereignty over their country, held free elections, drafted a democratic constitution and approved that constitution in a nationwide referendum. It’s a remarkable transformation for a country that has virtually no experience with democracy and which is struggling to overcome the legacy of one of the worst tyrannies the world has known. And Iraqis achieved all this while determined enemies used violence and destruction to stop the progress.

There’s still a lot of difficult work to be done in Iraq. But thanks to the courage of the Iraqi people, the year 2005 will be recorded as a turning point in the history of Iraq, the history of the Middle East and the history of freedom. We’re making steady progress. The Iraqi forces are becoming more and more capable. They’re taking more responsibility for more and more territory. We’re transferring bases to their control, so they can take the fight to the enemy.

And that means American and coalition forces can concentrate on training Iraqis and hunting down the high-value targets, like the terrorist Zarqawi and his associates.

It should be noted that electoral officials estimated that up to eight million Iraqis voted - more than 60% of those registered. The United States considers this a great success which overwhelminigly diminishes the small amount of terrorists, whom mostly originiate from outside of Iraq. Will the United Nations let a handful of terrorists outshine the voice of 8 million Iraqi citizens?

Reply 9

teehar

We were soundly promised by the coalition forces that they had planned for all circumstances and that they were ready to sort out the aftermath of the deposing of Saddam Hussein. We were promised that this would not be another Afghanistan. Clearly we have been lied to once more.

Who is "we"? The Iraq war was not wholly a matter for the UN to decide, as I am painfully aware. But I don't want to get into that here. Right or wrong, there's nothing to be gained by bickering over the past.

Reply 10

Agent Smith

Could well be. The Coalition forces certainly had a nasty shock, although the jubilant Iraqis dancing on Saddam's statue must not be forgotten. They WERE grateful to be rid of him.

You are forgetting that they were in fact exiles of the old regime and that the whole thing was staged by US forces. And before someone like the delegate for micronesia decides to condemn this, it is a proven fact, read up about it before you attempt to deisregard it.

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Agent Smith

Who is "we"? The Iraq war was not wholly a matter for the UN to decide, as I am painfully aware. But I don't want to get into that here. Right or wrong, there's nothing to be gained by bickering over the past.

We is the rest of th world who were unsire of this invasion.

Reply 11

Bismarck

teehar

We is the rest of th world who were unsire of this invasion.

You are Saudi Arabia. Do try to keep that in mind.

Reply 12

Bismarck

You are Saudi Arabia. Do try to keep that in mind.

Saudi Arabia has always been firmly in opposition to the Iraq invasion.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0219-04.htm

Reply 13

teehar

You are forgetting that they were in fact exiles of the old regime and that the whole thing was staged by US forces. And before someone like the delegate for micronesia decides to condemn this, it is a proven fact, read up about it before you attempt to deisregard it.

OK, OK. Calm down. Whether that's true or not, it's not my place to take this any further. Others will do that.

Reply 14

Bismarck