USA POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST: DO YOU AGREE???

[Johnny Hughes]

The U.S. backed the Shah of Iran, a ruthless tyrant, against the people of Iran. We provided weapons. The Shah lost and the Iranians ended up hating the U.S. Then we backed Iraq and Saddam Hussein, a worse tyrant, in a long war against Iran. We provided weapons and intelligence. Then we made a secret deal with Iran to provide weapons if they would support the Contras in Central America. I can't spell Nicaraqua.

Along the way, we helped the Taliban come to power and provided the weapons we now fight against.

When Saddam invaded Kuwait, we threw him out but allowed him to remain in power. Now we have invaded and occupied Iraq. We did this because a group of Saudi Arabians attacked us on Nine/Eleven. People in the Middle East countries hate us regardless of their religion.

Now, the Sunnis hate the Shiites and have for 1300 years. Some of the Shiites hate other Shiite groups. We have provided weapons to all factions. The Sunnis and the Shiites hate the Kurds who hate the Turks. All of the above hate the Jews. We have provided weapons to every group involved. We provide weapons to all hoping it will bring peace. We borrow the money from the Chinese to do this. Iraqis are already as well armed as Texans but we still borrow the money and buy more weapons and hope it will bring peace.

All of our well intentioned foreign policy ideas fail because the ordinary people in all these countries hate us. We hold to the policy, in a magical thinking sort of way, that we can bring them Democracy. In those countries where elections were held: Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine, the USA backed side lost.

If our troops leave, there will be some escalation of the civil war that already exists in Iraq. I'd get our troops out of the middle of all this. We cannot determine events in the Middle East. I would focus on defending the Homeland. All these tribes and factions would go on hating but the USA and England would not be the object of their greatest hatred. I'd defend, with the Air Force and the Navy, the borders of our allies in the region such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel. I would not put our troops in the middle of all this senseless hatred and predictable violence. Support the troops, bring them home. Is my mini-history correct? I know I forgot countless blunders.
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Johnny Hughes

[QuadsOverQuads]

[ QUOTE ]
We provide weapons to all hoping it will bring peace.

we still borrow the money and buy more weapons and hope it will bring peace.

well intentioned foreign policy ideas

can bring them Democracy

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Is my mini-history correct?

[/ QUOTE ]

Fundamental errors are pointed out in bold, above.

(key: Bush and his ilk don't want peace and democracy in the United States, let alone in the middle east. Arms sales and military invasion are about something very, very different.)


q/q

[BigBuffet]

Johnny, the only bone i have to pick with your post is calling the Saudies our ally. As the saying goes, with friends like that, who needs enemies...

[AzDesertRat]

There's a lot more to it, and a lot of it's tied to our unwavering support of Israel. No matter how many elections are cast, we will always be seen as hand in hand with Israel. Basically, our support of one side will galvanize the opposition to vote in greater numbers like it does here to hot button issues.

Look at what happened in the Palestinian territories--Hamas won mainly because it opposed Israel and people felt that way. Iraq was not unexpected though given the demographics of the country. We supported the Shah or Iran. People revolted and associated the shah with us. Now Iran uses our support of Israel to rally Shi'ite Arabs against their current rulers which in turn are our allies--it's a never ending vicious cycle which can't even begin to be explained by our shortsighted foreign policy.

Our foreign policy in the last 40 years has been riddled with errors--not only in the Middle East, but all over the world My solution: heed the words of George Washington:

Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all... The Nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest ... Tis our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances, with any portion of the foreign world

I know it's not the 18th century, but those founding father figures were a lot smarter than a lot of people give them credit for today.

[Johnny Hughes]

THOMAS JEFFERSON SAID TO AVOID FOREIGN ENTANGLEMENTS.

[AzDesertRat]

He got the idea from Washington---that was from his farewell address.