Rebuild Iraq - WHY?

[Ed_S]

Another topic referenced this article which contains the following comments:

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After the 90-minute private meeting, Kirkuk's governor Abdel-Rahman Mustafa said the senators were briefed on the severe economic problems and high unemployment facing the city.

Kirkuk has some of Iraq's biggest oil fields...

Clinton and Reed ... said Friday that the costs of rebuilding Iraq should be spread among more nations.

Now, does anyone NOT see how those costs should be funded, or by whom?
It's their country, and they DO have the resources, which we just handed back to the people of Iraq!

Can ANYONE give a logical, common sense acceptable, reason WHY we should spend a nickel "rebuilding" anything other than damage our forces caused??? If that, since it was supposedly done largely on behalf of the Iraqi people?

Just stay until their gov. is established and the oil pumps are running, then walk away. Send them a bill to cover the war expenses, too. They can afford it better than we can!

[MTAtech]

Well we spend billions destroying Iraq in order to invade it. They didn't ask us to invade. Our president said we needed to do it for our own defense. Seems fair that if we broke Iraq we have an obligation to fix it.

[John Prophet]

should be one way or the other, if we cant "touch" their oil, then their oil out to pay for whatever $$$needs they have..which it can do many many times over. If they can get a decent govt, not like a thief thug murderer like they had..then they have resources to have a decent economy etc.

[brandon184]

Why? Because your President said he would. Go Bush!

The U.S. more or less accepted that obligation when they decided to invade. Go talk to Bush if you have a problem with it... I recall it being his idea?

They can afford it better than we can!

That doesn't mean they should be obligated to pay for anything.

- Brandon

[shahani]

President Bush needs to take responsibility for his actions. It was his initiative to invade Iraq. It has to be his initiative to rebuild what he destroyed.

You cannot invade a nation based on lies and fabrications and not expect to pay a penalty.

[Martoch]

Did Iraq pay to rebuild the parts of Kuwait that they destroyed?
Just curious...

BTW, don't anyone try to tell me that they didn't cause destruction in Kuwait...I was there.

[shahani]

So Bush should do what Saddam did or didn't do?

[Ed_S]

Seems fair that if we broke Iraq we have an obligation to fix it.

But we're paying, or planning to pay, for a lot of things that weren't "broke" by the war - and the removal of Saddam "fixed" the major problem! Regardless why we did it, the people of Iraq are reaping the benefits. Don't you get it? We're handing those oil fields over on a silver platter! Paying the bill wouldn't take away ANYTHING that we didn't "liberate" for them!

That doesn't mean they should be obligated to pay for anything.

It's their country, their needs, this makes rebuilding it their responsibility. Technically, you're right if you mean they're not obligated to reimburse war costs - they should, however, offer to do so in gratitude!

President Bush needs to take responsibility for his actions.

Agreed - I just don't think the rest of us should bear it with him.

Oh, and just one little point - has any country offered to pay for New York's rebuild? Or the Pentagon?
Have we even asked? Heaven forbid, NO!

[shahani]

Well, I think the Saudis should pay for 9/11 since they are responsible.

[Skywalker[TSG]]

The purpose of the war was to get rid of saddam , not to cause harm to a already suffering people.The people of Iraq had nothing to do with the regim or the reasons foe the war.

If you do not rebuild and give them a chance to live in peace
you will only provide a breedingground for another regim and/or fundamentalism.