Iraq didn't make the top five list because their infrastructure is weakened. Once they have their production and shipment facilities in place they will be top contenders. So have the future prospect of oil as a sublime motivation is not outside of the realm of possibility.
As for Iraq being the source of terrorism. Now that we have completely destroyed it and made a new base for Al Qaeda, that is a possibility. Was it a source prior to going in there, no way. Look at what Al Qaeda advocates, jihad in the name of religious fanaticism. What did Hussein stand for? Power and greed in the name of his family. They were completely at odds with eachother. Al Qaeda and Bin Laden were a threat to him and his corrupt, cruel way of life.
Did Hussein deserve to be taken out? Yes, but at a different time and in a different scenario. If we truly had the altruistic motive of freeing the Iraqi's and gaining democracy for them, then that war would have been undertaken in a completely different manner.
1. We would have helped set up a government in exile.
2. We would have found people in their own system who would have wanted to overthrow Hussein. Remember that many people who joined the Baath party did so only out of self preservation as I'm sure that has been the case in many despotic regimes.
3. We would have enlisted the aid of a true coalition. Not gone in as a slap happy cowboy ready to shoot first and ask questions later.
This war has been a fiasco perpetrated by an arrogant, egotistical, ineffective, lying administration from day one. If the goal was truly to counter terrorism, we would have stayed in Afghanistan and finished the job. Maybe then we could truthfully say "Mission Accomplished."
Pulling out of Iraq right now, will be a disaster, one of our own making. We broke it and we can't fix it. We have ignited the flames of religious intolerance and religious supremacy in the guise of Islamic fanatics. This will be the real battle in years to come.
I had the opportunity to attend a reunion of my old Army intelligence unit. One that has now been disbanded because of "dirty tricks" that were conducted in the 70's-80's. One of our unit members has stayed in and now has over 40 years service. He is still attached to intelligence duties and he had some very enlightening comments for us due to his recent covert trips to Iraq. Folks, that war is not winnable. As a former physician to Hussein told him, "You Americans do not have the stomach for what really needs to be done. These extremists are out to kill you." It is strictly a religious war.
Bush and his cronies have inflamed the cauldron and I believe they have put us and the world at greater risk. Ask yourselves, if Iraq was the threat that it was made out to be, why didn't the first George Bush go into Baghdad during 1991?
I once read that if ever there were a manual or a training course to become president, Bush senior would have been the one to use it. He held so many positions prior to running for president, he had been the director of central intelligence among many other positions.
During that war he listened to his advisors, analyzed the situation and decided not to go into Baghdad and overthrowing Hussein. He concluded that Iraq was a counter balance to Iran. Now look around and see who we are contending with in Iraq today? It's a de facto army supported and financed by Iran!
We have a mess in Iraq that will only get worse before it gets better no matter who is at the helm of the ship of state.
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