# The real reason for the Iraqi war. In a nutshell. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 13, 2003, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069 "2003-03-13T10:47:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/81 "2003-03-16T21:22:08Z")
Well, not so fast there, podner! There are variants: [“Never attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence.” ~_Richard Loft_](http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/gds/thibaud/quotes.html) [“Never attribute to malice what you can attribute to stupidity.” ~_Dean Funk_](http://www.monkeyrivertown.com/brains.php?ART=102) However, _most_ search results give credit either to “Unknown”, “Anonymous” or… “_Hanlon’s Razor_.” So on balance, I think at least Google tilts toward **Derleth** here. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/82 "2003-03-16T21:32:51Z")
**elucidator** , I don’t do people’s research for them. ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/83 "2003-03-16T21:46:16Z")
Then, **Derleth** , you have absolutely no justification for disputing quotations. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/84 "2003-03-16T22:12:49Z")
And its “podhuh”, not “podner”. Amarrilah, armadillah, podnuh. Yankees. Sheeesh. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/85 "2003-03-16T22:13:56Z")
So just who the hell _is_ Nick Diamos, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/86 "2003-03-16T22:51:25Z")
**pod·ner** - _n_: **1** One who podens **2** The results of a podening. _et: Old Lesser Tansanian podenurma - “to give [say] credit wrongly”_ [sub]::looking:: Did he buy that?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/87 "2003-03-16T22:56:30Z")
**pod·ner** - _n_: **1** One who podens **2** The results of a podening. _et: Old Lesser Tansanian podenurma - “to give [say] credit wrongly”_ [sub]::looking:: Did he buy that?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/88 "2003-03-16T23:02:26Z")
**Tristan** , Last night on C-Span they had a debate on whether the war with Iraq was a good idea. Two argued pro, two con. Christopher Hitchens was one of the pros (and first to speak, I think). I only caught the end of his opening piece, but it sounded like he made a powerful argument. So did the others. Durig the first speech being made by the second con, C-Span lost the feed. Anyway, there video section is here. The debate was put on by the Los Angelos (sp?) Times–IIRC?? It hasn’t been posted yet, but hopefully it will. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/89 "2003-03-16T23:09:39Z")
**Tristan** , Last night on C-Span they had a debate on whether the war with Iraq was a good idea. Two argued pro, two con. Christopher Hitchens was one of the pros (and first to speak, I think). I only caught the end of his opening piece, but it sounded like he made a powerful argument. So did the others. Durig the first speech being made by the second con, C-Span lost the feed. Anyway, there video section is here. The debate was put on by the Los Angelos (sp?) Times–IIRC?? It hasn’t been posted yet, but hopefully it will. ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/90 "2003-03-16T23:10:08Z")
**hamster** - _n_: **1** Double posting, rat-humped overworked, rammlegrasted hummelmuffer ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/91 "2003-03-16T23:44:54Z")
Won’t buy it, but I’ll damn sure steal it. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/92 "2003-03-17T00:46:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Weirddave \* > **See, Jasper, I think that’s exactly what’s going to happen. I won’t link the Guardian story, Beagle already did it. I am convinced, from their historical actions and from the way France tends to treat problems in the Middle-East ( they tend to walk the line of appeasement, which makes little sense to me because that cost them their country in 1940, but it’s their choice to make ) that there is going to be lots of evidence brought out after the war proving active French collusion with Iraq in all facits of weapons development, up to and including WMD. ( And please, folks, spare me the “cite”. I am saying what I think is going to happen, not presenting something as fact without proof ) THAT would explain French reluctance to condone war with Iraq quite well.** We’ll see, is all I can obviously say to that. As said, it would highly surprise me. Unless, of course, France sold Iraq some second grade WMD’s that don’t really work, and don’t want Saddam to find out. 😉 > [@](#): > > \*\*I really want to do this with U.N. approval. France has kind of queered that with it’s “We’ll veto any resolution that authorizes war” stance, however. Even if Iraq stepped up to the table and offered unhindered inspection and complete disarmament ( Not bloody likely ) and the U.S. aregeed to shelve their military for now ( Also not bloody likely ), France would veto the mesure. This makes a mockery of everything the U.N. is about. \*\* Well, of course France is not alone in vetoing resolutions that don’t suit their interests. The US vetoed a resolution [as recently as last December](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2596249.stm). And it has a significant history of vetoing UN resolutions dating back 4 decennia. It’s not like the US can really blame France for playing the same game. If you ask me, the UN needs to get rid of the veto voting structure altogether. It gets shit from left and right for being ineffective: how the hell CAN they be when every member of the (very diverse) security council can shoot down a proposition? Ask yourself this: is there any democracy in the world where the ratifying body (say, the Senate) isn’t functioning by majority rule (or in some cases, 2/3 majority)? A veto system is an archaic system. ---
**Author:** ![Eclectic\_Skeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@Eclectic\_Skeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eclectic_Skeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/93 "2003-03-17T21:36:45Z")
Beagle, I would like to see a breakdown of all the countries that helped to arm Iraq. I am not doubting what you are saying, that Russia, China, and France were the top three, I just would like to see a factual basis to your assertion. The US definitely had a hand in Iraq’s chemical and biological weapons programs. > **[The Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News and Analysis](https://www.washingtonpost.com/?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A52241-2002Dec29¬Found=true)** > > Breaking news and analysis on politics, business, world national news, entertainment more. In-depth DC, Virginia, Maryland news coverage including traffic, weather, crime, education, restaurant reviews and more. Colin Powell apparently brokered the sale of Italian Augusta helicopters to Iraq, something that came out of Iran-Contra, but that seems relatively minor. [http://www.consortiumnews.com/archive/colin10.html](http://www.consortiumnews.com/archive/colin10.html) China did sell optic fiber technology to Iraq for their missile defense systems, but,ironically, that technology was sold to China by ATT under Clinton. > **[Newsmax.com - Breaking news from around the globe](https://www.newsmax.com)** > > Newsmax.com reports today’s news headlines, live news stream, news videos from Americans and global readers > seeking the latest in current events, politics, U.S., world news, health, finance, and more. ---
**Author:** ![Eclectic\_Skeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@Eclectic\_Skeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eclectic_Skeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069/94 "2003-03-18T21:41:24Z")
I hope I didn’t kill the thread. To revive it, I will return to the original question, which was “the real reason behind the Iraq war,” and I will state my belief, which is that it is war profiteering, pure and simple. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-reason-for-the-iraqi-war-in-a-nutshell/161069.md?page=4)