Iraq: the long list of reasons for the war

Iraq Forum

Reasons for the Iraq war are numerous and make for an interesting list. All these reasons have been touted - many by the Bush government - at one time or other as motivating factors. Now despite the many reasons, much of a compliant mainstream media (here in Britain anyway) have settled on the idea that the war was really all about spreading democracy throughout the middle east. This despite the fact that the West has spent over a century trying to prevent the Shiite majority ruling over most of the Middle East.

Anyway here's the list:

1. threat from WMD
2. threat from the Hussein regime
3. Crusade leading to armageddon
4. protect Israel
5. US hegemony
6. steal the oil
7. control the oil
8. control the middle east
9. revenge for 9/11
10. terrorism and links to Al Qaeda
11. destroy the opec cartel
12. democracy
13. freedom
14. democratic domino effect
15. fuel the US military industrial complex
16. imperialism
17. strategic interest
18. revenge for 9/11
19. revenge for assassination attempt on daddy Bush
20. distract Americans from disastrous economy
21. distract Americans away from self-destructive self-indulgent life-styles

22, prevent Hussein from selling Iraq oil in Euros rather than dollars
23. showcase new technologies and weapons
24. let wolrd know that pre-emptive strike is now the new US military doctrine
25. distract Americans from the Bush's governments inability to catch the guy planned the 9/11 strike
26. distract Americans from the Bush government's neglegance that led to 9/11

27. war gets votes. (Thatcher: most unpopular UK leader in decades, rioting in cities all over the country, mass unemployment - then Falkland war and she gets a landslide victory).
28. the religious right like nothing better than fighting God's war