>>>>Yes, I agree. The question I'd have for you is, "Are you willing to take your principles onto the battlefield?" If so, what are you fighting for? Don't say, "To make the world safe from terrorism". This situation, like it or not, isn't about freedom. The jihadists don't hate us for our freedoms. They hate us for our presence in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The hate us for our policies on Israel.
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>>>I'm not sure the argument was ever about that the jihadists hate us for our freedom, but they hated us for our ideals and philosophies long before they hated us for being in Iraq. Iraq just acerbated the situation.
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>>>>What's the reason? Oil!
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>>>I will never believe this. I think we have yet to see one drop of profit from Iraq's oil that directly benefited anyone exept Iraq.
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>>How soon we forget, Jay!
>>SUrely you remember Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld and others spouting the "fact" that Iraq's oil revenues would quickly finance the Iraqi people's freedom.
>>Surely you remember the innuendo by the Administration that your France and Germany and Russia were non-willing because of their oil interests in the area.
>>And, by the way, the issue isn't "profit from Iraq's oil" but rather controlling the supply. The U.S. has always had the capability to pay more than anyone else for what they need/want and have been happy to do so.
>>Iraq will make handsome profis from its oil eventually, but they will pale in comparison to what EXXON will make from the very same stuff.
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>How quickly you don't understand, Jim! I said in part, "...directly benefited anyone exept Iraq." I still stand by that. Financing their freedom is not a direct profit for us. People have this vision of a direct pipeline going from Iraq to the gas stations here. Just isn't happening.

Yea, my comprehension is waning these days.
But I interpret the Wolfowitz/Rumsfeld/et.al. statements to mean that Iraqi oil will be used to pay "reparations" to the U.S. for the cost of the war.
Am I wrong about that? If correct, then I'd say "...directly benefited anyone exept Iraq." has to have a different meaning than what the words say. Also if correct, it's a neat trick to be the AGRESSOR, make a mess of the country, then have THEM pay you for its fixing!