Comments on: Rooney: What Are We Doing In Iraq?

Andy Thinks Getting Rid Of Saddam Hussein Was Good But Wonders What We Are Doing There Now

[brasam-2009]

Lest people forget,as Hamiltongrad seems to have, that the U.S. supported and encoraged Sadam in the first place!

[thfxyz]

The conflict in Iraq is not about "Iraqi freedom", "American freedom", "family values" etc. - it is about money to be made by selected contractors, i.e. Halliburton (22% profit this last quarter). Where else can you send in 130,000 armed militia to lock in the oil fields and have the tax payers financially support this effort. This was the same situation in Vietnam and is probably why the Kennedys were murdered. The longer the conflict the more money to be made - that is one of the reasons we do not want to find Osama Bin Laden - while he is at large (hiding in some cave or where ever) the more we can scare the American people to support the "war on terror", the more we have to spend and the more money ends up in the pocket of Halliburton and their company of war contractors.

[diehard9111]

Dear Mr. Rooney, The "Why are we in Iraq?" piece asked a simple question that I see got a lot of complicated answers from people who agreed with your stance. I would like to enter my answer as to why I think we are in Iraq. We are killing our enemies. Who are our enemies? Radicle extremists who think nothing of killing themselves, innocent civilians and OUR troops. I would much rather we take them on in their country than ours. While we have lost close to 3000 brave men and women over the last 3 years fighting this war (not to mention the wounded), we lost 3000 innocent civilians to these exact same "enemies" in a couple hours 5 years ago.I am sure people can come up with all sorts of rhetoric and stats that can try and dilute or dispute my view of the situation, but I think we must do this. I have had family and friends fight and/or die in most of our wars so I feel like I can have my opinion and try to answer your question.In any case, too many brave men and women have died defending your right to express your opinion for me to say you shouldn't. I really believe that those who think we are not fighting an enemy that wants the destruction of the United States of America is vastly underestimating and not listening to our enemies' leaders. They sound good when talking to our media, but when they talk to their people, it is a different story. While I am not a journalist (obviously), I do think for myself most of the time and my pen or rifle is a voting booth. Regards.

[rwe1123]

Mr Rooney.
Is it really your place to wonder? Should we be considering YOU for a replacement to our current president in 2008? Do you have the qualifications to run the country? Or the desire for that matter? If not, please stop the criticism. You don't know best and aren't running the country. He is. You are not. Get over it and retire. I pray you will gain real peace in your life through Jesus and not some hateful commentary.

[hamiltongrad]

!! Please see MEMRI.ORG new documentary on Arab Press and Media on 911, 5 years later. It is something you have to see and hear to believe.

MEMRI translates Arab newspapers and TV.

This is very important.

[hamiltongrad]

Omar al-Faruq was a leader of Al-Qaeda, killed by our troops in Iraq. He was no a resistance fighter, but a pal of Bin Laden, sent to kill more Americans. That his death was not even registered in CBS news is revealing. Please see Aljazeera,net, which surprisingly has many very good articles and information about Middle East , and appears pretty straight forward in reporting (Kudos).
Also check out MEMRI.org. for English transliation of Arab press and TV. Also interesting.
To "Progressives"- your dissent and social activism - why only directed at Anglo-Saxon targets ?

[hamiltongrad]

!!! There was a strong connection between Iraq and Al - qaeda
M. Atta met with Iraqi intel. in Prague just 5 months before 9 11, according to Czech fov't. If you doubt, then why did he stop off in Prague on May 30, 2000, barred at the airport due to vias problems, returned by BUS ( so important !! ) and the very next day left for the USA ? Perhaps the pastries were yummy ?
Captured Farouk Hijazi top aid to Saddam admits to numerous meetings with al - Q, many even reported in Iraqi press in the late 1990s.
Pres. Clinton knew of these connections, Feb 18, 1998,"Unholy axis of terrorists, and organized international criminals" regarding Saddams WMD. "There is no more clear example of this threat than Saddam Hussin." (Bill Clinton)
Documents from 1998 uncovered by our troops, show that on Feb 19, 1998, memos from Hussein's intel. service planned meeting between Saddam and bin Laden. 4 days later, feb 23, Bin Laden "fatwa" issued in support of Iraq.
Please see Weekly Standard Sept1 &8, 2003 for more revealing details. Since our media did not even cover Omar al-Faruq death ( he was a major Al-Qaeda leader killed by Brit troops in Iraq), why would you expect to find this type of data on TV, as it does not fit the story line. Bottom line, no attack in 5 years on US soil. Connect the dots.

[shanes877]

Dear Mr. Rooney

When I listened to your comments, I was struck by the phrase you used "That's how many of our young men get killed? " I am not a feminist, however, if even one female has been killed in Iraq, shouldn't you acknowledge it? According to the website, http://www.icasualties.org/oif/female.aspx
61 females in the US military have died in Iraq. This is 2006's reality. I know it's a much smaller number than the men but the news media needs to tell the whole truth no matter what it is. These women deserve your anger and concern too.

[alaska-07]

Dear Mr. Rooney, My husband & I served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Viet Nam "conflict". I was state-side & he was in Nam. Both of us THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS FOR YOUR COMMENTARY THIS PAST SUNDAY. We hope the President was listening. God Bless you,
Edward & Donna Creed
Mt. Pleasant, NC

[sayfud-deen]

obviously ,some of the people defending this illegal war don't have family serving in the military at this time. i do and iam sick and tired of folks like tprogress an hamiltongrad talking about the same old tired rhetoric about how unsafe we are from terrorist everytime someone has the guts to speak the truth! Andy Rooney is right!case you didnt notice,the only attack on u.s. soil after 1993 and before 2001 was done by some u.s. citizens. and until you can show me why those buildings fell in controlled demolition with a better explanation other than the obvious,inside job! you two don't seem to know when smoke is being blown up your rear ends! you still believe Saddam had wmd's,and planned 9/11! it is gullible people like you that have allowed all of are freedoms to be taken away from us with the military commissions act! read it! let's see we should blowup the people we want to liberate, and we should lose all of our rights as citizens that protect our freedom so that we can be protected? checkout these two sites;www.libertyforum.org and rense.com/general73/falcphotos.htm . after that maybe you two will be able to connect the dots like Andy Rooney and the rest of us already have.

[hamiltongrad]

One reason for taking my position, is that I look into the facts. There was all sorts of connection between Saddam and the terrorists. And if we had not gone into Iraq, we may have been a very sorry nation, no doubt now "connecting the dots" against poor Pres. Bush.
Check out Sept 1 and 8th 2003, Weekly Standard (I am ready for your name calling in response ! Just the slam, no info Joe ? ). There was over 300,000 $ grand given to Zawahir for examples. Bases were set up. Plans were made. Abu Sayyaf had been in contact with IRaq and said so on television, to make "joint operations !" There is even discovered Saddam on audio tape laughing and planning to gas NYC with biologic weapons found. Perhaps no smoking gun for 9 11, but plenty of plans for more and worse to come. IF we had not defended ourselves. Please check this article out, because no matter -what u have been "taught" in graduate school you can still learn. And please I am offended by name calling, it reflects poorly. And please don't givce examples of minor US hypocracy

[rave304]

we have two daughters one is in the united states coast guard and currenty deployed and a daughter in the national guard.
my husband and i applaude you and were glad you decided to speak short and serious even though we enjoy your funny stories. i am glad you and our local representative john murtha is on our side.

[wynbrgr]

Andy is right on the mark and I'm pleased to see that CBS management did not censor his take on the situation. Andy expressed what many U.S. citizens have been saying, yet no one in the government has been listening. Keep it up Andy!!

[staffofherme]

For that, I get in response: TrueProgress - "sophomoric attitude". Where is the sophomoric attitude in reading the paper by our very own 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, which concluded that our presence in Iraq was
actually creating more terrorists. grh47: I'm a tax-paying law-abiding U.S. citizen who did not evade the draft during wartime, as the V.P. did - quite legally I might add, nor desert, as the President did - not very legal, I might add. I don't have the power to lie to the world and to our troops to send our troops to their deaths (almost as many now in Iraq as people from all over the world who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11) as they do and did. I have no problem with going after Al-Qaida, but since you insist on equating Al-Qaida with Iraq, there is simply no reasoning with you. As for HamiltonGrad, you want name-calling? Take your psychotic mass-murdering wannabe marbles and go home!

[staffofherme]

I pointed out that Iraq had NO CONNECTION TO Al-Qaida and 9/11, as finally noted by OUR PRESIDENT. I pointed out that up to (it's only a high scientifically polled estimate) 650,000 innocent, as in didn't attack us and weren't planning to attack us, have died violently as the result of Bush's War. I will add that Saddam Hussein, evil as he was, hated bin Laden and helped keep Al-Qaida out of the Middle East, acting more like an ally than our "allies" Saudi Arabia (furnished 15 of the 19 hijackers, plus bin Laden, but has a long history of business dealings with the Bush family) and Pakistan (where Osama, if alive, is still believed to be) who George Bush is protecting... Furthermore, Iraq under Saddam Hussein was a secular nation (meaning religion wasn't in control) where Christianity was openly practiced, along with Sunni and Shiite Islam.

[trueprogress]

Re staffof: You sound like an ernest fellow. But...
You seem to have a sophomoric attitude and believe, clearly, that all "dissent" and "social activism" is virtuous only with direction at Anglo - Saxon establishment, even if they are the ones to protect your hide. Where is your outrage about Honor Killings for example.

[hamiltongrad]

Did you know who Omar al-Faruq was ? According to Aljazeera.net he was a top "lieutenant" of Al'Qaeda, killed by coalition forces, Sept. 26, 06. He was an international terrorist, also seen in the Philippines, and had been plotting there to blow up a commercial airline. How many innocent lives have we saved ?
Concerning "Progressives: : this is what you have brain washed yourself to believe - Read this :
Do you believe that the Western Powers are utterly malevolent while the powerless people of the world can be counted on to imbrace reason and tolerance, if only given the economic opportunity ? How many more engineers, and architects need to blow up innocent women and children, fly planes into buildings or saw heads of journalists, before this fantasy of the far left wing goes away. Liberals are soft on fighting a pestiloential theology, radical Islam by name.

[Paul Roden]

Dear Mr. Rooney:

What took you so long to speak truth to power? I can't believe that CBS let you put that on the air. I agree with you. You are the second journalist to stand up and question the President.
Only you and Keith Olbermann on MSNBC are asking the questions that need to be asked on behalf of the American people.

Thank you,

Paul Roden
Yardley, PA
215-428-0234

[gregg47]

staffofherme

What branch of the service were you in??

[staffofherme]

I guess they didn't teach you how to read maps in your university, either. Iraq is not where Osama bin Laden nor the hijackers of 9/11 were, or were from. Iraq and Saddam Hussein had NOTHING TO DO WITH Al-Qaida or 9/11! Or are YOU calling the President a liar???? Remember, he was forced to admit it, but only after being confronted by a mountain of evidence. So the 650,000 innocent Iraqis who were not connected with Al-Qaida or 9/11 and are now violently dead thanks to Bush's War were all EVIL? And all other Arabs and Kurds are EVIL, too, and must be killed? Or just the 1 billion plus Muslims in a 100 countries in the world are all EVIL? Boy, you sure want to kill a lot of people. Sounds a lot Hitler and Naziism to me Better 1) Relax 2) Take a deep breath 3) Put your head between your legs and 4) Kiss it goodbye. You start shooting at a billion innocent people, somebody's going to shoot back at you. Better you than me. I don't advocate killing innocent people as a "lifestyle choice", nor do I see how it proves cultural supremacy.