The Oil Drum

169 comments on What fraction of America's $4+ gallon gasoline is due to the war in Iraq?

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research24 on July 11, 2008 - 10:27am

There is an element missing from the question posed here. That is, it addresses the question only from perspective of the effects of toppling Saddam.

Let's ask this question: Where would we stand if Saddam were still in power. (1) Would we still be trying to keep him in his box and, what would the cost of that be? (2) If we tired of the cost of keeping him contained, would he give up his designs to control Arab oil? Would he stop making war on his neighbors. Would he stop exterminating anyone who disagrees with him? (3) With Iran building nuclear weapons, would dear ole Saddam sit quietly by and do nothing, or would he engage in an arms race with the ayatollahs?

I would submit that Saddam would likely be an even bigger problem today than he was 7 years ago. The military cost of keeping him down probably would have been less, but it takes little imagination as to what the political cost would now be on the price of oil with both Iraq and Iran going at each other yet again.

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BrianT on July 11, 2008 - 10:36am

My question still stands, trollbot.

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neal on July 12, 2008 - 6:28am

I think that your comments on Saddam are really, really dumb.
1/ Saddam was boxed in for 12 years and not a threat to the west or Iran.
2/ Saddam was a mean S.O.B., but at least under him there was no Al-Qaida-in-Iraq.
3/ A few warships off the coast, patrol the no fly zones, fire a few cruise missiles occasionally. 6 years (2003-08) at a few billion dollars/year and no bodycount.
4/ 120,000 troops freed up that could have finished the job in Afghanistan= no resurgance of the Taliban and one dead Bin Laden.
The troll comment about you was harsh but at least a troll has a brain.