Events Leading Up to Iraq War

[donquixote99]

A fascinating historical survey. See http://www.historycommons.org/timeli...vasion_of_iraq

Here's a taste:

March 8, 1992: Raw US World Dominance Plan Is Leaked to the Media

"U.S. Strategy Plan calls for Insuring No Rivals Develop" [The New York Times headline on March 8, 1992. Source: Public domain]

The Defense Planning Guidance, “a blueprint for the department’s spending priorities in the aftermath of the first Gulf War and the collapse of the Soviet Union,” is leaked to the New York Times. [NEW YORK TIMES, 3/8/1992; NEWSDAY, 3/16/2003]

The document causes controversy, because it hadn’t yet been “scrubbed” to replace candid language with euphemisms. [NEW YORK TIMES, 3/10/1992; NEW YORK TIMES, 3/11/1992; OBSERVER, 4/7/2002]

The document argues that the US dominates the world as sole superpower, and to maintain that role, it “must maintain the mechanisms for deterring potential competitors from even aspiring to a larger regional or global role.” [NEW YORK TIMES, 3/8/1992; NEW YORK TIMES, 3/8/1992]

As the Observer summarizes it, “America’s friends are potential enemies. They must be in a state of dependence and seek solutions to their problems in Washington.” [OBSERVER, 4/7/2002]

The document is mainly written by Paul Wolfowitz and I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, who hold relatively low posts at the time, but become deputy defense secretary and Vice President Cheney’s chief of staff, respectively, under George W. Bush. [NEWSDAY, 3/16/2003]

The authors conspicuously avoid mention of collective security arrangements through the United Nations, instead suggesting the US “should expect future coalitions to be ad hoc assemblies, often not lasting beyond the crisis being confronted.” [NEW YORK TIMES, 3/8/1992]

They call for “punishing” or “threatening punishment” against regional aggressors before they act. [HARPER'S, 10/2002]

Interests to be defended preemptively include “access to vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles, [and] threats to US citizens from terrorism.” The section describing US interests in the Middle East states that the “overall objective is to remain the predominant outside power in the region and preserve US and Western access to the region’s oil…, deter further aggression in the region, foster regional stability, protect US nationals and property, and safeguard… access to international air and seaways.” [NEW YORK TIMES, 3/8/1992]

Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) later says, “It is my opinion that [George W. Bush’s] plan for preemptive strikes was formed back at the end of the first Bush administration with that 1992 report.” [NEWSDAY, 3/16/2003]

In response to the controversy, US releases an updated version of the document in May 1992, which stresses that the US will work with the United Nations and its allies. [WASHINGTON POST, 5/24/1992; HARPER'S, 10/2002]

Entity Tags: Soviet Union, Lincoln Chafee, United States, Paul Wolfowitz, Lewis (“Scooter”) Libby

Timeline Tags: Complete 911 Timeline, US International Relations, Neoconservative Influence

Category Tags: Pre-9/11 Plans for War, Motives

emphasis and paragraph breaks added

The timeline material as a whole strongly supports my position that the Iraq war was naked neo-imperialist aggression aimed at furthering US interests through coercive, destructive means. It was in fact an immoral war that killed hundreds of thousands (at least) without any of the generally recognized justifications for use of deadly force as an instrument of policy.

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

The timeline material as a whole strongly supports my position that the Iraq war was naked neo-imperialist aggression aimed at furthering US interests through coercive, destructive means. It was in fact an immoral war that killed hundreds of thousands (at least) without any of the generally recognized justifications for use of deadly force as an instrument of policy.

I have never had any doubt about this.

And as long as I have a breath left in my body my cup shall runneth over with hate for these bastards that sent my first born son into harms way over a pack of lies.

[BlueStreak]

Yeah, but it's our imperialist expansion and we're exceptional, so it's okay.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

I have never had any doubt about this.

And as long as I have a breath left in my body my cup shall runneth over with hate for these bastards that sent my first born son into harms way over a pack of lies.

Hear, Hear!!!

I love to watch the reaction when I tell certain people;

"In my opinion, the greatest disrespect ever foisted upon our military folks is to waste their lives making them fight bogus wars."

Dave

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Hear, Hear!!!

I love to watch the reaction when I tell certain people;

"In my opinion, the greatest disrespect ever foisted upon our military folks is to waste their lives making them fight bogus wars."

Dave

That's head-exploding material right there - enough to make Sarah Palin go Fembot on ya.

[Dondilion]

Although a film, the Cheney character in the movie "W" reflects nakedly, unapologetically the imperialist sentiments in the Donq link. His arguments in the son Bush cabinet meetings are instructive.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

The timeline material as a whole strongly supports my position that the Iraq war was naked neo-imperialist aggression aimed at furthering US interests through coercive, destructive means. It was in fact an immoral war that killed hundreds of thousands (at least) without any of the generally recognized justifications for use of deadly force as an instrument of policy.

You certainly won't get an argument from me here! I'll also add that the Iraq War was partly motivated by Neocon pique. They were furious with Bush 41 for not continuing on to Baghdad as part of Desert Storm. The Wolfowitz/Libby paper was written just after that and, I believe, was in part a response to it.

John

[CarlV]

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

I have never had any doubt about this.

And as long as I have a breath left in my body my cup shall runneth over with hate for these bastards that sent my first born son into harms way over a pack of lies.

I like your style.


Carl

[merrylander]

The picture of Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld going down the Whitehouse steps with ear to ear smiles I will never forget. There has to be a special corner of Hell reseved for those two.

[Oerets]

Nothing new there for those that picked choosing to see what was happening at the time over the propaganda and out and out lies.



Barney