The principles and values in regard to Iraq during the tenure of Reagan Bush were as follows:
1. Containment of the Soviet communist threat. Our values of freedom and liberty are not in alignment with Soviet style communism. Therefore, containment of their influence in the region and threat of expansion was a priority.
2. The free flow of oil with no clear victor in the conflict with Iran. A victorious dictator is not in alignment with the principles of a democratic Republic. Free flowing oil, which would have another disastrous effect on our economy if it stopped flowing, was a priority since our economy had just started recovering from the awful stagflation of the Carter years.
It's important to note in 1980, President Carter proclaimed the "Carter Doctrine," declaring the U.S. was willing to use military force to prevent an outside power from conquering the Gulf.
It's also important to note our military was in desperate need of rebuilding, and was considered a laughing-stock by many nations of the world after Carter's failed attempt at freeing our hostages from Iran.
The Iran-Iraq war, played a significant part in our foreign policy decisions. Reagan and Bush's policy toward Iraq was in no small measure influenced by events in Iran. Reagan and Bush were also influenced by the Carter hostage debacle. The principles of a free people would not stand idly by while another country held our citizens hostage.
In hindsight, mistakes were made. However, foreign policy hindsight always looks twenty-twenty when viewed from the vantage point of history. In the big picture of foreign policy, Reagan and Bush wanted to end the threat of Soviet communism. And it was no mere coincidence that the Berlin wall fell during President Bush's tenure in office.
History will remember Reagan and Bush as unshakably principled foreign policy leaders who skillfully ushered in a new era of peace between two huge military super-powers, thus ensuring the continued advance of mankind toward progress, liberty and freedom. The left will incorrectly remember the opposite and focus on those foreign policy decisions which could have been improved upon, which most of them never had the temerity or insight to dispute then.
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