SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group

 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: quehubo who wrote (112987)8/26/2003 10:42:32 PM
From: Bilow  Read Replies (1) of 281500
 
Hi quehubo; Re: "Who knows with Iran? I think it is hard to imagine the 8 years of war with Iraq did not significantly impact their ability to recover from the revolution. In fact it made recovery impossible."

The concept that recovery from war is "impossible" is silly. What do you think that Saddam did, spread radioactive waste on Iran's oil refineries? And most of the damage was to the refineries (which make much better targets than the oil fields themselves).

Everything that the oil industry owns has to be replaced or rebuilt over a certain period of time. Ten years is long past long enough to rebuild stuff.

I note that you do not repeat your accusation that Kuwait's oil production was permanently damaged by Iraq. Is this because you read the links I gave you?

Re: "You are the one blaming Bush for interrupting energy supplies from Iraq. I was trying to open your eyes to what Saddam has done."

The whole problem with your analysis is that it has as its underlying logic, some sort of blame game about who was worse for oil production, Saddam in the late 1980s, or Bush in the early 2000s. There are a couple of problems with your logic:

(1) In the late 1980s, the US was assisting Saddam and Iraq. Since that assistance ended with the Kuwait invasion, it is not reasonable to compare Iraq's or Saddam's capabilities from the late 1980s with his capabilities in the recent present (or his capabilities now, LOL). The fact is that when Saddam did try to capture Kuwait, the US did throw him out, even though the US was completely unprepared for major action in the Middle East. Any future such military action, with the US properly prepared with prepositioned equipment, would have been thwarted much easier.

(2) That Saddam would be damaging to oil production does not give Bush an excuse to do the same thing.

(3) The hell do you think that I am unaware of what Saddam has done? I've read several books on the Iran / Iraq war, which is actually a rather interesting conflict.

-- Carl
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext