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Car bombs kill at least 48 in Baghdad

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I appreciate we can't easily debate what might have been but I note you decline the question ;)

"That's usually how it happens. And what usually happens next is the Shiite/Sunni war with some terrorists thrown in for good measure. Any way you slice it, it's gonna suck."

We've only seen such severe Muslim on Muslim carnage since the 2003 invasion if you're fair. I still find myself asking once again if the invasion was not the sole catalyst for the Arab Spring we're still seeing played out in slow motion right now, and I realize that this is going to take most of our lives to see what positive gains (I don't deny there will certainly be some) were made by removing Hussein and the greater effects this had on the region.

And to take it back to what you were saying above about Bush snr, I maintain that his inaction with a true coalition behind him back in 1991, cannot be ignored at the roots of this continuing crisis.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

One is a blaze touched off internally by an unstoppable chain reaction of events

That's usually how it happens. And what usually happens next is the Shiite/Sunni war with some terrorists thrown in for good measure. Any way you slice it, it's gonna suck.

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I still don't accept the Syria comparison. One is a blaze touched off internally by an unstoppable chain reaction of events, the other a perfectly unnecessary and avoidable conflict touched off externally by the Americans.

So to celebrate the opening of round 3,462, and since we're dealing in suppositions, what might have been and hindsight, may I ask what you consider the cost of "inaction" of leaving Hussein after weapons inspections might have been?

As far as I can see inaction would be the choice any sane person would, with hindsight applied, of course :)

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I already knew the number was around 120,000. I've been asking when Syria will top that number for the past couple of weeks since they're over 100,000 already. If you're talking about infrastructure in the 1991 conflict, you should make it clear you're talking about Bush Sr. and not Jr.

The point is that there are consequences for both action and inaction. Assad will probably stay in power and the death toll there will be higher with zero democratic reforms. That's the cost of inaction. The cost of Iraq was the cost of action. With both choices a lot of people die and ultimately that is the choice people are making.

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SuperLib, check out Iraqbodycount website to learn exact number of casualty since 2003. Please note that this figure only includes the deaths caused directly because of the war, not of the secondary reasons such as hunger or collapsed health services, so the real figure is much more higher than 113 thousand people, as stated on website. Desert storm is the first war against Iraq, so it is true that infrastructure has been destroyed due to war, you confirmed me, thank you.

As for northern Iraq issue, they became mainly autonomous following no-fly zone decision made after Desert storm war. Today they are independent in practice, they can even ratify energy agreement without approval of central Bagdat government.

Toshi, yes Iraqi id cards include information about the religion and the sect of the owner. Hence unfortunately it is very easy to identify.

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set up a checkpoint on the highway, and executed 14 Shiite truck drivers.

Just curious, but how does a Sunni identify a Shiite or another Sunni? I know they have different religious beliefs, but do Iraqis carry religious ID cards? Are there secret code words or signs or something else that can be used by Iraqis to determine who's Sunni and who's Shiite?

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no matter who is shovelling the BS the fact is that the Iraqi citizens continue to die in much the same way they did under Saddam. All those lives lost and money gone and for what? If history is any lesson the US should have never bothered.

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revealmap: Kill hundreds of thousands of people

Not even close. I'm surprised people are still throwing these numbers around.

destroy entire infrastructure

Most of the infrastructure destruction was done during Desert Storm.

separate northern part of the country as a de-facto independent state

Not much of a change from Saddam.

so what do you expect?

I expect you to offer more than BS that was accepted at the time, but has since been proven wrong.

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TokyoGasJul. 29, 2013 - 04:51PM JST

"Break a country which needs to be ruled with an iron hand and this is the aftermath."

Most Iraqis don't want to be ruled with an iron hand.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

It's sad how Obama has squandered Bush's hard-won victory in Iraq.

No, on the contrary, this is exactly, the result of Mr. Bush's so-called victory. Kill hundreds of thousands of people, destroy entire infrastructure, separate northern part of the country as a de-facto independent state, so what do you expect? Iraq is trying to survive after a deadly occupation.

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It's sad how Obama has squandered Bush's hard-won victory in Iraq.

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...and U.N and international community remain silent, yeah, whom to blame when Saddam is not there?

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It seems they need education and NOT from their cleric's. Or another dictator.

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Absolute tragedy what is going on in the Middle East. Really does seem like an autocratic political system is the only one that work in countries where religion is so politicised (or not? I am never really sure what jihadism and salafism and wahhabism and Shia extremism is).

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Break a country which needs to be ruled with an iron hand and this is the aftermath.

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"Shiite-majority... Sunni Arab minority"

Saddam and the Sunnis had all this under tight control until that cowboy Bush came in and messed everything up.

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