Posted by Lilly from ? (160.129.27.22) on Tuesday, November 19, 2002 at 12:19PM :
In Reply to: well now, hm... posted by Lilly from ? (160.129.27.22) on Monday, November 18, 2002 at 7:23PM :
However, it is my opinion that the author is right that the US gov't is concerned with the effect its military aggression against Iraq will have on Saudi Arabia... this doesn't mean that the US gov't *cares* about the Saudi royal family... it's, again, a Machiavellian strategy, manipulation...
Actually, I like the article... it's interesting, but, some of his own ideas that he states in the beginning of the piece he undermines later in the article. For example, the author writes:
"Why are we so eager to take up arms? ... as many on the left aver, we covet Iraq's 0il reserves? That's just a vague cliché. Perhaps a fuller explanation hinges neither on oil nor on weapons of mass destruction, but on geopolitical necessity." But then he later infers that the "geopolitical necessity" for the US gov't to act against Saddam right now is in fact based on its drive for Iraqi oil & influenced by its drive for Saudi oil.
& early in the article, he states that "... the president continues to draw a broad link between an attack on Iraq and Osama bin Laden's attack on us. The act of deposing Saddam has become part of the war on terror, and not without reason. For in truth that is a war Osama declared on us, three years before 9-11, in part over our conduct not only toward Saudi Arabia, but also in Iraq." But, later in the article, he infers that Osama & Sept. 11 are used as an *excuse* by Pentagon planners for military action against Saddam. "Is Osama, through the Saudi people, actually driving U.S. policy? Good heavens, no. The hard line in the administration has always seen September 11 as an opportunity (that's their job), and played it accordingly." So, what was he trying to say about Osama exactly? Why even mention Osama's reasons for declaring a war against the US gov't? He should have left that crap about Osama's sympathies out of the article & just focused on the Saudi issue... just my opinion.
-- Lilly
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