# Boehner: We Didn't Start the (Iraq) Fire **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 13, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079 "2007-02-13T21:34:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/1 "2007-02-13T21:34:46Z")
[He says this war goes all the way back to the Ira **n** hostage crisis of 1979](http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/feb/13/boehner_america_did_not_start_iraq_war#comment-207059). I disagree. There are those who say it really began with the Crusades, or with Muhammed. I say it goes all the way back to [Tiglathpileser](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_Captivity_of_Israel), the Assyrian king who attacked Israel in ~740 B.C. Beat _that_, Mr. Shortsighted House Minority Leader. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/2 "2007-02-13T21:43:00Z")
I think the root cause was competition between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/3 "2007-02-13T21:49:00Z")
Oh yeah? I think it began when the first two hydrogen atoms bumped into each other. Beat THAT! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/4 "2007-02-13T21:56:23Z")
In the Beginning, was the Word And the Bird was the Word _pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-ooooooo-Mao-Mao, pa-pa ooooo Mao Mao Mao…_ ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/5 "2007-02-13T22:01:55Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] In the Beginning, was the Word And the Bird was the Word _pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-ooooooo-Mao-Mao, pa-pa ooooo Mao Mao Mao…_ [/QUOTE] So you’re saying it’s China’s fault? ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/6 "2007-02-13T22:03:11Z")
The Big Bang was acutally a powerful IED made in Iran. That’s what unnamed briefers locked in a small room several thousand miles away told me, so you know it must be true. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/7 "2007-02-13T22:04:16Z")
The echo of the Big Bang still sounds in Iraq… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/8 "2007-02-13T22:09:47Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] So you’re saying it’s China’s fault? [/QUOTE] Nah, just kidding around, it was clearly all Jimmy Carter’s fault. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/9 "2007-02-13T22:18:17Z")
Y’know, I can’t see Brother Jimmy’s name anymore without hearing, “He’s history’s greatest monster!” ☹ ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/10 "2007-02-13T22:18:34Z")
But the Iranian hostage crisis – the whole Iranian Revolution – resulted ultimately from [Operation Ajax.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_ajax) So we **did** start it. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/11 "2007-02-13T22:20:25Z")
Its all the Europeans fault… 😛 -XT ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/12 "2007-02-13T22:31:46Z")
Good Lord! It’s truly frightening that he conflates the Iran hostage-takers with Lebanese factions in the 1980’s & al-Qaeda. I wonder how much of this sort of “they’re all the same” thinking there is in the corridors of power in Washington, maybe even the DoD. And how much there is in Iraq: “This started when Rome invaded Parthia on a Wednesday 400 years before the Hegira…” ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/13 "2007-02-13T22:40:30Z")
[QUOTE=foolsguinea] Good Lord! It’s truly frightening that he conflates the Iran hostage-takers with Lebanese factions in the 1980’s & al-Qaeda. [/quote] From Boehner? I expected nothing less. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/14 "2007-02-13T22:55:01Z")
Well, we have records of conflicts between the Sumerians (now Southern Iraq) and the Elamites (in adjacent Southwestern Iran) dating back to before 2000 BC. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/15 "2007-02-14T00:35:57Z")
Nah, it was all Abraham’s fault. We get blamed for everything else :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/16 "2007-02-14T00:42:36Z")
Hadn’t even thought about blaming the Jews! But, now that you mention it… ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/17 "2007-02-14T00:46:23Z")
Can’t this somehow be blamed on Bill Clinton? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/18 "2007-02-14T00:55:06Z")
Perhaps more to the point of explaining the crazy shenanagins of house republicans: > [@](#): > > “If we let Democrats force us into a debate on the surge (in troops) or the current situation in Iraq, we lose,” Reps. John Shadegg of Arizona and Pete Hoekstra of Michigan said in a letter to fellow Republicans. [here](http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/politics/4551329.html) PDF of the complete letter [here](http://majorityleader.house.gov/docUploads/ShadeggHoekstraDearColleague.pdf) They’re desperate. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/19 "2007-02-14T01:30:00Z")
To take the OP seriously, here’s what’s going on (I actually listened to the whole audio clip). Boehner is talking about acts of Islamic terrorism against the US. He lists all the acts of Islamic terrorism starting with the taking of US Hostages in Iran. Now, I don’t know if that qualifies as terrorism, but let’s say it does (for the sake of argument). Next, I don’t know if that was the first act of terrorism by Islamic religious fanatics against the US, so I’ll wait until Tamerlane or someone can clarify that. But, and this is where Boehner makes his biggest boner, he’s calling the Iraq war part of the war on [Islamic] terrorism. We know, of course, that Iraq was not part of the global terrorism network until we invaded, and even now that is not the major problem in Iraq-- the major problem is Iraqi Sunnis fighting Iraqi Shi’a. OK, enough for that deconstruction. Boehner is a poopy-pants. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/20 "2007-02-14T01:39:14Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Hadn’t even thought about blaming the Jews! But, now that you mention it… [/QUOTE] Why not? No Judaism, no Islam. (No Christianity either. 🙂 ) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079.md?page=2)