# Do you think Osama bin Laden wants the USA to invade Iraq? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 12, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505 "2003-02-12T03:12:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505/1 "2003-02-12T03:12:29Z")
Do you think Osama bin Laden wants the USA to invade Iraq? Please provide your reasons. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505/2 "2003-02-12T03:44:02Z")
I think so. He believes that it will start a war between the Islamic countries and the “Crusaders”, the Western countries. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505/3 "2003-02-12T03:47:22Z")
I think he does. I think his main goal has always been to incite a holy war between Muslims and the west. By starting a war with Iraq, we’re doing just that. It’s no coincidence that in the last year, while we’ve been talking tough about Iraq, fundamentalist Islamic groups have gained significant popular support in countries like Pakistan and Turkey – even if we completely wipe out Saddam, we may find ourselves facing a nuclear-armed Pakistan controlled by fundamentalists. Or constant attacks on Americans travelling. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505/4 "2003-02-12T06:03:35Z")
Of course. For one thing, this makes the US even more of a police state so it becomes easier to topple. Besides, bin Laden doesn’t like Iraq’s secular government, so much the better if the US helps to overthrow it. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505/5 "2003-02-12T07:36:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Giraffe \* > It’s no coincidence that in the last year, while we’ve been talking tough about Iraq, fundamentalist Islamic groups have gained significant popular support in countries like Pakistan and **Turkey** Emphasis mine. Without in any way invalidating your point ( which I think is reasonable ), I just thought I’d point out that regarding the recent elections in Turkey as being a major validation of the Islamists is probably a mistake. The victory there of a religious party appears to have been largely on the backs of a protest vote against the incumbents, was made only after that party toned down the relgious rhetoric quite significantly ( and denied they were “pro-Islamist” ), and at any rate did not come even close to representing a majority of Turkey’s voters. They were the single most successful party, but in all they only got about 34% of the vote ( of those who even bothered to vote ) and like I said it appears the majority of those were protest votes from outside their core constituency. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505/6 "2003-02-12T07:50:58Z")
Sure, because he figures that ole Saddie will lob bombs on Israel again, and Israel’ll get pissed off and respond, despite the US’s vehement requests for Israel to stay out of it and let us handle it. Then, the rest of the Middle East will (probably) feel that they have to get involved and the whole world will turn to shit real quick. You know, if Binny _does_ turn out to be the anti-Christ, I’m gonna be _pissed._ ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505/7 "2003-02-12T08:17:35Z")
The only possible downside to an American attack on Iraq for bin Laden would be if the US scored a quick, near-bloodless victory, _and_ manages to unify the country under a popular, west-friendly government. Since the chances of that are near nil, Osama appears to be practically drooling over the possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505/8 "2003-02-12T15:31:25Z")
Like everyone else said. He must also be pleased with the wedge being driven between the US and Europe. He probably marvels at the extreme stupidity of Bush and his advisors. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505/9 "2003-02-12T16:17:23Z")
Every minute and every dollar we spend on Iraq is one minute and one dollar less we spend fighting al-Quaeda. Plus, when we mobilize reservists, police forces and emergency response units are decimated, making it harder to respond to a terrorist attack here. Wonder why we’re hearing so much chatter about an attack on U.S. soil lately? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505/10 "2003-02-12T16:28:40Z")
They can take up a lot of our time and money and scare my Mama by talking and doing nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505/11 "2003-02-12T17:46:09Z")
Course he does. Instability and strife in the Middle East can only benefit him And Bush wants Osama to want America to invade, cos that way he gets to justify invading with the “terrorist” tie-in. It’s no coincidence that Osama’s broadcast was rapidly confirmed and publicized as genuine, unlike just about every other broadcast. Everyone wins! Oh, except maybe Saddam, the people of Iraq, the Middle East and the rest of the planet. But no-one we need worry about. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505/12 "2003-02-12T18:02:33Z")
OK, so let’s put Bush, Osama and Saddam in a stadium in bathing suits with baseball bats and let 'em settle it that way. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-osama-bin-laden-wants-the-usa-to-invade-iraq/154505/13 "2003-02-12T18:26:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Futile Gesture \* > \*\*Course he does. Instability and strife in the Middle East can only benefit him > > And Bush wants Osama to want America to invade, cos that way he gets to justify invading with the “terrorist” tie-in. It’s no coincidence that Osama’s broadcast was rapidly confirmed and publicized as genuine, unlike just about every other broadcast. > > Everyone wins! Oh, except maybe Saddam, the people of Iraq, the Middle East and the rest of the planet. > > But no-one we need worry about. \*\* [Not entirely correct.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=160863) > [@](#): > > Looking at the figures supplied by puddleglum in a cold statistical light: for the hypothetical average Iraqi, a war to get rid of Saddam is no worse than living under Saddam for 6-12 months. On the other hand, no war and no other changes simply means that the suffering is drawn out indefinitly. > > Or to continue that logic in the same cold statistical light - not having a war now causes the equivalent amount of Iraqi civilian deaths as 1-2 wars per year or 10-20 wars if Saddam stays around for only another decade.