Quote:
Originally posted by Lanny_MacDonald@Sep 10 2004, 12:34 PM
Everything Bush wanted to achieve in regards to terrorism after 9/11 he has washed away with the action of going into Iraq. He has lost world sympathy.
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That's the big thing on me. Comparing the war on terror right after Sept. 11th to the present day. Not a pretty picture.
Afghanistan was a good start in the world's eyes it seems. The motives behind the war were not called into question as the evidence and justifications for the war were clear and well founded. People wondered if the war could be won, citing Russia vs. Afghanistan in the 80's as an example, but no one really questioned the reasons for going to war. The same can't be said for Iraq, however.
Motives and evidence for the war were questioned even before the invasion took place. Stepping over the UN to invade Iraq only to find that all the evidence used to justifiy the war was false was a good way to isolate America from the world and turn sympathy into dislike and hatred. Especially in the Middle East, where many people have a little more help encouraging those ill feelings towards the USA with propoganda through the government, local media and radical terrorists.
So, as I have said before, I have no idea how people can think the war on terror is going smoothly. We are worse off since 9/11 in my eyes, and this is because of invading Iraq. Countless resources wasted to fight a losing battle overseas that could have gone into Homeland Security and Intelligence at home. Anti-Americanism is as high as it's ever been because of Bush's 'go it alone attitude' and the credibility of the motives and evidence behind the war. What we may see in the Western World as just a really big screw up or whatever, is more easily seen as an imperialistic invasion by many people in the Middle East.
Anyways, great post Lanny...