# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/21 "2007-02-14T01:40:52Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Next, I don’t know if that was the first act of terrorism by Islamic religious fanatics against the US … . [/QUOTE] Wouldn’t that be the Barbary Pirates? ---
**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, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/22 "2007-02-14T01:43:05Z")
[QUOTE=Pochacco] Wouldn’t that be the Barbary Pirates? [/QUOTE] I don’t think they were religious fanatics. The profit motive\* figured in there somewhere. \*As distinct from the prophet motive. [d&r] ---
**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, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/23 "2007-02-14T01:55:00Z")
Regretably, the ground is frozen, we cannot dig a hole until the thaw. More’s the pity. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/24 "2007-02-14T02:00:35Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Regretably, the ground is frozen, we cannot dig a hole until the thaw. More’s the pity. [/QUOTE] That’s what explosives are for, **luci**. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/25 "2007-02-14T02:09:31Z")
Boehner: We Didn’t Start the (Iraq) Fire It was totally Mike’s idea! ---
**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, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/26 "2007-02-14T04:31:32Z")
The surge is WORKING! [Al Sadr Fled Iraq, Fearing U.S. Bombs](http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/IraqCoverage/story?id=2872953) > [@](#): > > While members of the U.S. House of Representatives take turns weighing in on President Bush’s planned troop surge… > According to senior military officials, al Sadr left Baghdad two to three weeks ago and fled to Tehran, Iran, where he has family… > Sources believe al Sadr is worried about an increase of 20,000 U.S. troops in the Iraqi capital… > Sources say two scenarios are possible: Either al Sadr will be driven further into extremist mode or he will continue going forward with the political process. These are anonymous sources, just like the ones that told us about those nasty Iranian weapons over the weekend. The accuracy and timing of these announcements has _nothing whatsoever_ to do with the debate in the house this week. How could you even think that they might? :dubious: They shut down the US PSYOP unit, didn’t they? ---
**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, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/27 "2007-02-14T14:33:46Z")
For some reason I’m having a childhood flashback. My brother and I are arguing in front of Mom over who started the fight. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079/28 "2007-02-14T14:38:56Z")
He’s just following [the official GOP script](http://majorityleader.house.gov/docUploads/ShadeggHoekstraDearColleague.pdf), however foolish it may make him look. > [@](#): > > Democrats want to force us to focus on defending the surge, making the case that it will work and explaining why the President’s new Iraq policy is different from prior efforts and therefore justified. > > We urge you to instead broaden the debate to the threat posed to Americans, the world, and all “unbelievers” by radical Islamists. We would further urge you to join us in educating the American people about the views of radical Islamists and the consequences of not defeating radical Islam in Iraq. > > The debate should not be about the surge or its details. This debate should not even be about the Iraq war to date, mistakes that have been made, or whether we can, or cannot, win militarily. **If we let Democrats force us into a debate on the surge or the current situation in Iraq, we lose**. Given that the argument you want to present instead loses too, why not just face the facts? ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boehner-we-didnt-start-the-iraq-fire/392079.md?page=1)