Reptile & Amphibian Forums

To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.
– Abraham Lincoln

I r a q W a r F a c t S h e e t
N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 4

Weapons of Mass Destruction Found: Zero
Evidence for a link between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda: None
Total number of U.S. troop deaths: 1200 and rising
Average number of U.S. troop deaths per day: Two plus
U.S. Troops wounded: Over 17,000
Total number of civilian deaths from the war: Over 100,000
Cost of the war to date: $125 billion
Current cost of the war per week: $1 billion
What $125 billion can buy: 2 million additional public school teachers, 1.5 million public housing units, 5 years of global anti-hunger efforts, 12 years of world-wide AIDS programs
Unemployment rate in Iraq: 40%
Acute malnutrition rate for children under five since the start of the war: Doubled
Number who are without access to clean drinking water, and so subject to diseases like cholera: Millions
Institutions ruined by the war: Hospitals, universities, museums, police, basic services (electricity, water, sanitation)
Kidnappings and rapes: Epidemic
Temperature in Baghdad during the summer: 115º/80º F
Hours of electricity per day in Baghdad: Around 8
Has abuse now been eliminated from the U.S. prisons? No.
Iraqis who want U.S. to leave immediately: 57% (USA Today poll)
Oil reserves in Iraq: World's second largest, currently estimated at 112.5 billion barrels, about 11% of the world total
Value of contracts awarded to Halliburton: $11 million (More than twice for any other contractor. A number of "no-bid" contracts.)

Background of Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi : Ex-Ba'athist, MI6, CIA
Number of new U.S. military bases planned for Iraq: 6 to 14
Planned U.S. Embassy: 1,300 persons (world's largest)
If the U.S. withdraws abruptly, will it add to the chaos: Yes
If the U.S. maintains its military presence, will it add to the chaos: Yes
Is there an alternative? Yes. A truly international peacekeeping force under strict UN control.* *For more on how this peacekeeping force would work, scroll down on the Home page, click
on "Backing for Assertions in the Dove Ad," then scroll down and click on "The Need for a
Truly International Peacekeeping Force." Articles by Zunes, Cole and Hiro.
Update (Oct. 4): See now the powerful article by Stanley Hoffman on the News page.

M o r e F a c t s
I n s t i t u t e f o r P o l i c y S t u d i e s

*Horrifying isnt it?*

Fred Albury

Nothing really surprising there. The one thing that really stands out is the destruction of hospitals. I remember reading a specific event where U.S. soldiers open fired on a hospital. That's about as clear cut of a breach of the Geneva Conventions as it gets.

ONE MURDEROUS DICTATOR TAKEN OUT OF POWER-1

That is worth something to the people of Iraq who have lived in total fear throughout Saddam's reign. Sure It is chaotic now and there are alot of American Troops dead which is sad but quite frankly that is war. In a few years when things have settled down over there I believe the American public will find the war to have been worth it.

YOU'VE GOT YOUR OPINION AND I'VE GOT MINE !!!!!!!!

Just ask the Israelis how things settle down... And ask them how long they are already hoping for things to settle down.

The same is it in Iraq. Not a pleasurable prospect...
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The #1 Boa constrictor site in the world wide web

For the 100,000 DEAD IRAQ CITIZENS and their survivimg fa,ily members?

For the 1,200 DEAD U.S. Troops?

Or perhaps the 17,000 injured troops?

settled down? Think about it. Think about all the children that grew up in the midst of this? Do you think that all of them will "Settle Down" as they mature?

I wouldnt want to bet anyones life here on it.

Fred Albury

Listen something had to be done over there. So he doesnt have WMD but this man is sadistic and would of continued killing his own people until his death. So what is your proposal Mr. FRED ALBURY to sit back and watch on TV as innocent civilians are being killed by there dictator for his sick thrills.
Its people like you who are truly confused you probably griped about Saddam while he was in power and then when something gets down you start whining agian.

Dont think that this is even worth rebutting. The ignorance of the poster is obvious. And not because he disagrees with me. Just because of a lack of homework done.And a lack of accountability, whether he is wrong or right...

Sadaam was installed into power by the U.S., funded by the U.S. and allowed to commit TERRIBLE attrocities not only on his own people but on the Kurds...all while being given technology and weaponry by ...you guessed it...the U.S.

So, if him being a monster was such an issue,then we would have dissacoiated ourselves from him long ago. But he was OUR MONSTER and helped with containing IRAN, our enemy.

Remember, this world is FULL of Tyrants and leaders with Genocide on their sick minds. The U.S. doesnt intervene in probably about 75% of those cases. North Korea....Syria..etc etc

Lastly, if you are going to use my REAL NAME, the least you ought to do is stop hiding behind your (pseudo business?) title. Its akin to cursing someone while you drive by in your car. Use your real name. Real tough guy stuff.....lol Time to grow a backbone.

Start Thinking,

Fred

Hey FRED my real name is Brandon Redding would you like my address and phone number too, oh yeah I can send pics if you like.LMAO

It is obvious we are going to have different opinions me being the son of military parents and you the offspring of two tree hugging BS activist.

I know of Saddams rise to power and I am ashamed to say we did have a hand in his EARLY years as leader of IRAQ.But that does not mean we should sit back and watch him kill thousands and then say we shouldnt get involved because we helped him at one point.Is that concept really that hard to understand.

I dont think your problem is with the war I think you use the war as a indirect attack on BUSH. OK I dont agree with ALOT OF BUSH'S POLICIES but guess what he isnt going anywhere for 4 more years so you might as well stand behind your country even if you do not like the leader.

YOUR GO.

I too come from a military family. My grandfather, Father, myself, and both my nephews all served,or are serving. My Youngest nephew was in Iraq in the initial occupation.

That being said...I backed the invasion of Afghanistan-but to this day, I think the Iraq business was bad judgement and bad timing.

What Saddam was did and was doing did not make enough of a difference to prompt a second front, when our economy was taking a beating at home. We could easily have waited another year or two. The WMD's were not there. Bush was so anxious to get into a war with Iraq that he did not check questionable reports of WMD's. He has a history of rash judgements and aggression instead of dilopmacy. An example of how abrassive was when N. Korea felt compelled to announce that it did have nuclear weapons to protect it self from Bush.

What really bothers me about Bush is that he has repeatedly come out and said it is America's mission to inflict our standards of Freedom on other nations. It is very reminicent of Napoleon's France, when they invaded the rest of Europe to "instill" French democracy. No nation wants another to force them to be different and it is incredibly arrogant for us to try.

And Finally, we do not have the obligation to be the police of the world. A president's first obligation is his own people. Defend our country yes. But when the mandate changes from defence to imposing our value systems on other countries, it reeks of Imperialism.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

I to come from a family with a proud tradition of Military service for this country.

You are completely right when you assume that I dislike Bush, his policies, his cabinet, his v.p..
But I am dismayed equally at the democrats, who dont seem much better, maybe a little bit but not much.

BOTH are OWNED by big corporations.
Both are mere pupets for the rich and wealthy.

BUSH has waged an unjust war, on false principles, at the expense of American Military lives and the lives of the CITZENS of IRAQ.

And the American public has swallowed his lies and propoganda, hook, line and sinker. At least 51% of them did. They elected this miscreant into office.

This country is headed in the wrong direction, we are being LED in the wrong direction, by our leaders.

To not question them, what they do, and how it affects us all is to me the very WORST brand of anti-patriotism.

This country was instilled with checks and balances in government to prevent such disasters or at least lesson them, those same checks and balances have been overriddden, and to question them is deemed UNPATRIOTIC by those that would chose to follow along without thinking, even if it costs them, or members of their own families their very lives. Even if it costs us our security. Unquestioning faith..in a man that lies...in a system that repeatedly fails its citzens, in a government that spends money like waterwhen there are those that are in need...

No greater shame is there.

sincerely,

Fred Albury