Rand Paul: Dick Cheney 'Wrong' About Almost Every Foreign Policy Decision

[Right_in_Virginia]

Read.  Listen.  Learn.

Not. Good. Enough.

You said, and I quote: "We can know with certainty that a Bush-Cheney administration would not have left Iraq in the hands of a caliphate."

Proof, ML.  Give me the proof; not your suppositions and wishful thinking.  Give me the certainty.

[EdinVA]

The Bush administration made a serious miscalculation and went to war without a clear mission or clear explanation of what American interests were threatened.  As I said before, I preferred at the time that we focus all our military assets on Afghanistan and AQ. 

I don't know what this has to do with Israel, but if you do, please enlighten me.

Oh, and thanks for reading my drivel for years.  Good to know.   ^-^

The mission was clear, remove Saddam and his WMD.
Bush's mistake was the 6 months we messed around with the UN waiting to invade and allowing Saddam to move his WMD's to syria, which we are now finding.
I do believe either the timing was wrong and we should have gotten a better handle on events in Afghanistan first, or we should have soldiered up.  We tried to do to much with to few troops.

[Dexter]

If you were in that position do you think there is a chance you would do an evil thing then to advance yourself or keep from getting fired or for any other reason?

I'd like to think I wouldn't, but what I would or wouldn't do has nothing to do with other people and their willingness to do evil things.

[Right_in_Virginia]

The mission going into Iraq was crystal clear.  And it WAS accomplished. 

If the mission was crystal clear, give it to me in one sentence. 

[bkepley]

I'd like to think I wouldn't, but what I would or wouldn't do has nothing to do with other people and their willingness to do evil things.

To me it does.  It indicates you might be just a little paranoid if you consider all others to be less honest than yourself. 

[DCPatriot]

Obama hasn't targeted Assad.  If he had, our troops would be all over Syria.  Obama talks a good game about unseating Assad while bombing Assad's opposition, commonly known as ISIS--who, by the way, are also Iran's enemy.

Russia is building a military air base in Syria to fight ISIS.  Just another offshoot of the rise of ISIS:  the strengthening of the Russian, Iranian and Syrian alliance.

Miss Saddam yet?

Obama couldn't repeat in Syria what he did in Libya because Putin told Obama to stick his "red line" up his a$$.

Today, Putin protects Syria to the point of allowing a military base in the country.  Plus, Russian troops are fighting ISIS in Syria.

Furthermore, ISIS was not 'born' in Iraq.   It was born in Benghazi, Libya, thanks to Obama and Clinton.  Our compliant media went along with Obama's order to stay out of Libya while he softened Gaddafi's military.  Two weeks promised became 6 months plus.

What puzzles me about Dexter and Godzilla et al....the evidence of Obama's actions and deeds clearly prove that he wants ALL dictators deposed...Libya, Iraq and Syria.  I'd include Egypt, but Obama's butt buddies...the Muslim Brotherhood were defeated by the Egyptian military in a successful coup, ultimately defining the MB as a terrorist organization.   Obama WANTS an Islamic State controlled by Teheran, Iran.

The USA is NOT an occupier force. 

We had the entire world behind us when we entered Iraq to depose Saddam Hussein.  Bush's way of giving thanks was to structure an agreement that we would leave a residual military in Iraq until it was proven that free elections could work and the centuries old rival between clans would cool down.

They had to pick a date, so why not 2011?

Soon as Maliki demanded American soldiers answer to Iraqi law and courts, Obama pounced on it as a way to leave Iraq defenseless.

WTF is so difficult for some of us in here to comprehend that?   

[Dexter]

To me it does.  It indicates you might be just a little paranoid if you consider all others to be less honest than yourself.

I consider some others to be less honest than myself. I also think greed is a very powerful thing that sometimes makes honest people do dishonest and even evil things.

[bkepley]

I consider some others to be less honest than myself. I also think greed is a very powerful thing that sometimes makes honest people do dishonest and even evil things.

The problem is that with your anti-war ad hominems you besmirch hundreds of thousands of people who are only doing the best they can to be honourable, honest people.

[Right_in_Virginia]

The mission was clear, remove Saddam and his WMD.
Bush's mistake was the 6 months we messed around with the UN waiting to invade and allowing Saddam to move his WMD's to syria, which we are now finding.
I do believe either the timing was wrong and we should have gotten a better handle on events in Afghanistan first, or we should have soldiered up.  We tried to do to much with to few troops. 

I still do not understand our obsession with Iraq.  We knew Osama and AQ were in Afghanistan, but we chose to invade Iraq and weaken our fight against the ones who attacked us. 

Iraq, IMO, was a waste of American blood and treasure...loses made worse by the power vacuum we created.

I still try, but am not able to reconcile why we did this.   

[DCPatriot]

The problem is that with your anti-war ad hominems you besmirch hundreds of thousands of people who are only doing the best they can to be honourable, honest people.

Good post.   

Now if only you could get your head out of your posterior regarding Donald Trump.   

[Right_in_Virginia]

WTF is so difficult for some of us in here to comprehend that?   

Love ya, DC.  But I'm done with this topic.  Sometimes friends just have to agree to disagree.   

[DCPatriot]

Love ya, DC.  But I'm done with this topic.  Sometimes friends just have to agree to disagree.   

My feelings mirror yours, R-i-V.     

My post wasn't meant to challenge your position as much as it was to set the naive members straight.

I'm outta here too! 

[bkepley]

Good post.   

Now if only you could get your head out of your posterior regarding Donald Trump.   

If anyone has deserved ad hominem it is the putrid Donald  Trump who has brought it down on his own head.

[DCPatriot]

I still do not understand our obsession with Iraq.  We knew Osama and AQ were in Afghanistan, but we chose to invade Iraq and weaken our fight against the ones who attacked us. 

Iraq, IMO, was a waste of American blood and treasure...loses made worse by the power vacuum we created.

I still try, but am not able to reconcile why we did this.   

Actually, I believe one of the goals was to remove Saddam and instill a residual force there to keep Iran honest.

THAT'S the reason Obama left Iraq defenseless against terror.

[bkepley]

Good post.   

Now if only you could get your head out of your posterior regarding Donald Trump.   

By the way you should take care of who you toast.  I hate the National Security hating morons on the right who are also Trumpetts in general.

[Dexter]

I still try, but am not able to reconcile why we did this.   

We did it to make money for war profiteers.

[Dexter]

The problem is that with your anti-war ad hominems you besmirch hundreds of thousands of people who are only doing the best they can to be honourable, honest people.

You can be honest and misguided at the same time. I don't think Musiclady and DCPatriot are dishonest or dishonorable people. I think they've been misled by our politicians and the elites that pull their puppet strings.

[bkepley]

We did it to make money for war profiteers.

There you go again Dexter.  You are the last man standing in the contest of morality.

[bkepley]

You can be honest and misguided at the same time. I don't think Musiclady and DCPatriot are dishonest or dishonorable people. I think they've been misled by our politicians and the elites that pull their puppet strings.

You have a serious problem dude.  Do you possess any arms.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Actually, I believe one of the goals was to remove Saddam and instill a residual force there to keep Iran honest.

THAT'S the reason Obama left Iraq defenseless against terror.

Hey!  I thought you were gone.   

Anyway ....  as I was sayin'--Obama left Iraq (and they were not defenseless...not after all the years we spent training them) was because both Maliki and he wanted the US out.  For Maliki it was a dumbass political calculation, for Obama it was a dumbass campaign pledge. 

As for ISIS, I don't care where the birthing room was.  I think these fanatical groups grow naturally in the sand.  But I believe heart, mind and soul that they never would have set their sights on Iraq if Saddam were still around.  That would have left them to Syria where they would have been contained and more easily destroyed.

Now go enjoy the rest of the holiday.  (That's my plan).   ^-^

[Dexter]

You have a serious problem dude.

Oh?

Do you possess any arms.

Yes.

[bkepley]

Oh?

Yes.

Well we're commin'to getcha anyway thanks for the warning.:;

[Dexter]

Well we're commin'to getcha anyway thanks for the warning.:;

Better be careful. I got a perfect 40 on all of my rifle qualifications.

[mystery-ak]

Better be careful. I got a perfect 40 on all of my rifle qualifications.

 

[bkepley]

Better be careful. I got a perfect 40 on all of my rifle qualifications.

LOL - I have no doubt Dexter, you seem like a very good man.  I only wish you would take more care because others are also good men.