WE SHOULD HANG TOUGH: POLL (CNN/Time)

Whacko conspiracy time. Run for your lives.

In my analysis, I think Iraq was the epicenter of a massive conspiracy of embezzlement, fraud and money laundering all connected with the Oil for Food scam. I read estimates that in August 2002 Iraq was smuggling nearly 850,000 barrels of U.N. supervised oil stock to Syria and Iran. Nearly 35% of Syria's hard cash came from the sale of black market Iraqi oil. That is $billions of under the table cash in the hands of Syria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and probably France, Germany and Russia.

Syria and Iran kicked back billions of proceeds from the oil stolen from the Iraqi people to Saddam Hussein. Hussein bought unfathomable stocks of weaponry, RPGs and Mortars and AK-47s and IEDs. From China. From Russia. From North Korea. From Hizbollah. From Czechoslovakia.

Think of what Syria used its cut of the smuggling operation to fund? Hamas? The same type and quantities of RPGs, Mortars, AK-47s, IEDs and Communication devices from China, Russia, North Korea, Hizbollah, France, Russia and Germany? Nuke intelligence from Pakistan or Ukraine?

The Saudis could very well have been involved in brokering the smuggled oil to European principals in France, Germany and Russia. Why wouldn't a Saudi oil trader with ties to Bin Laden be chosen to conduct these illegal trades for a commission that is shared with Al Qaida?

The Oil for Food conspiracy, IMO, will prove to be a scheme meant to defraud the Iraqi people and UN mandate of their oil, intended to be sold only to buy food, clothing, housing and needed infrastructure for Iraqis. The oil was smuggled to terrorist sponsoring states, sold through black market accounts or directly to involved states.

Syria, Iraq and Iran took proceeds from the smuggled oil and bought weaponry, capability and expertise from states such as China, North Korea, Czechoslovakia, Pakistan, Ukraine and God knows who else. They sponsored their terrorist clients in Hizbollah, Hamas, Al Qaida. They supported the economies of North Korea and China with massive arms purchases. They supported the economies of France, Germany, Russia and Switzerland with agricultural purchases, infrastructure engineering and construction, automobiles, textiles and building materials. Only ... none of the proceeds that WERE generated from above board oil sales ever reached the Iraqi people.

I think Iraq cut a deal with the Europeans. "You protect my regime in the UN, I'll support your flagging socialist economies and union deadpeats with regular purchases of your spoling crops, automobiles, power generators and building materials at grossly inflated prices and leisurely delivery schedules. You might get some oil from new vendors at a price you'll like and no fuss delivery. YOU France, you Germany, you Russia protect my regime at all costs from American and British scrutiny and sanction in the United Nations and accept the Arab way of doing business to the ultimate benefit of all parties.

That's what I think happened. That's why the Euros fought like hell to keep us out of Iraq. They were complicent in the outright corruption of a massive UN economic program, to the direct harm of Iraqi citizens, providing steady streams of cash to Terror sponsoring states and facilitating a black market arms trade that benefitted despotic regimes in North Korea, Iran and China ... maintained the grip of Baathist thugs in Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Libya ... which fortified enemy states that fund, provide sanctuary and state priveleged avenues of documents, travel and money transfer to participants engaged in the international network of Islamist Terror hellbent on killing us all.

That's what I think the disproportional opposition to our military campaign was all about. Iraq was the shell company of the Food for Oil criminal conspiracy. And it goes to Kofi, Blix, Swiss bankers, Chirac, Putin, Schroeder, Saud Royalty, King Abdullah, Khadaffi and the rest of the mobsters in the EU who received purchase orders from Saddam for crap they couldn't deliver at prices they named .... as long as they overlooked the smuggled oil cash cow and the nasty stuff and nasty people it bought.

That's why Iraq matters. That's why old Europe, Iran, Syria, the UN, the international media, union and Multinational institutions of the Socialist left are in full assault to see our Operation in Iraq fail. When we stabilize Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia and Syria and China and North Korea and Germany and Russia and France and Switzerland and Belgium and Hizbollah, Hamas, Al Qaida, Extremist Shi'a and Wahabbism and Palestinian terrorists all lose. Political Control, Economic Corruption and Corrupt Cronyism, Cancerous MultiNational Money Launderers and patronage factories like the U.N., World Bank, IMF, WHO, SEATO and NATO, media disinformation tools like BBC, New York Times, ABC, AFP, NPR and the thoroughly craven and power driven zombies of America's once great, once honorable, Democrat Party. There's not ONE Democrat in D.C. who would not celebrate a massive loss of life that would serve to indelibly doom our mission in Iraq. If we lost 300 guys in a chemical attack, the first reaction of most every Democrat would be one of political opportunity, devestating blow to Bush's re'election, and oh yeah, we grieve for those kids and their families who ask ... "For what?" and we cannot answer. We grieve, we thank the heros for their service, and we told you it was Vietnam and Bush is Nixon and Cheney is McNamara and its time to go to the UN and get a leader who can build bridges and not lie."

This is a concerted War by the International Left, Economic Unions and enemies of freedom to topple the Unilateral military, economic, moral and religious excellence, power, influence and enabling institutions we possess as Americans. Not gonna happen, here there or anywhere.

In 1998, when man of action Bill Clinton ordered a targeted retaliation after Al Qaida bombed our two African embassies, he chose a chemical manufacturing plant in Safia (?) Sudan. There was intelligence that Bin Laden had invested in the plant, he was interested in the chemical possibilities of the plant, and Clinton sent a precise response (Hah, I dunno Henry ... send a couple dozen of them suckers ... see if we can hit anything worthwhile ... give Bruce a call a little later and let me know how to spin this ... on your way out, send Denise Rich in and walk Betty to her car please) to that plant.

That plant was closely tied, practically funded and resourced, by its one and only best customer ... the regime of Saddam Hussein and Iraq. The plant manufactured "hospital" chemicals, everyone knows Saddams commitment to health care,

Bin Laden invests in a plant that was effectively built, operated and funded by Saddam Hussein. What a coincidence. I wonder if Bin Laden called Saddam for a customer reference. I'm sure Bin Laden saw the opportunities in the fast growing Hospital chemical market.

No, no connection. Sudan's lure speaks for itself. The location, workforce, utilities and climate. The friendly people. An investment opportunity that would jump out at any Baathist butcher or Islamist mass murderer looking to ensure control over their future aspirin needs.

My question to you, is ... why did Clinton choose a chemical plant wholly serving Iraq to punish Al Qaida's embassy bombing operation?

It's like Harpo getting slapped when Chico gets fresh.

And the next time we claim the world needs to stand up and address [insert any world problem], the rest of the world (also known as the UN) will have no reason to believe what we say.

The dirty little secret is that most of the world is a steaming pile.

I will never accept that America must earn the approval of some General Assemby blowhard who represents a country with more "Presidents in Exile" than flushing toilets.

We have no common security, cultural or economic interests with the governing elites and many citizens of France, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece. Canada, Saudi Arabia. They are adversaries in desperate pursuit of American military failure, economic collapse and national peril. They're rooting for the Islamists. The French and their soulmates of the international and American left wing elite, prefer Saddam to Bush, Fedayeen to Marines, the U.N. Charter to the American Constitution, Parliamentary oratory to Insightful Gospel, Jerry Lewis to Dean Martin, Betrayal and Comfortable Surrender to Loyal duty and Hard Won victory. The lament of "allies" alienated is a fraud. Our allies are on the ground in Iraq, fighting for freedom and civilization.

It's hard to keep things in perspective, but if you'll recall the first night of our ground assault a recently Islamofied Ranger threw a grenade into the officer tent, kiling two good men. We shot down a British jet because he forgot to turn on his ID signal. A Marine drowned when ordered to swim across a levy fully loaded.

We were stuck in the sand. We had a pause in operations that PROVED that we didn't properly plan the supply line. Clinton's perfumed princes Wesley and Barry were appalled by the force level and support staffing. Copters crashed. Suicide bombers blew up check points. Our mechanics and cooks were separated from the convoy and killed or captured. We had female POWs. We (I still say it was a Turkish F-15) dropped a bomb on a Kurdish unit, killing several including a top leader and sending a Sky News reporter into a "Oh the humanity" hysteria. This operation has never succeeded, the troops have always been losing faith and low on morale, the resistance has always been "widespread, unexpected and fierce", and the whole thing was a quagmire. The guys don't have enough MRE's! They're sharing ammo, where's the supply line and why did we go with insufficient force levels? The press and operatives were wondering where the WMDs were on day three or so.

"It's Rumsfeld's fault for not listening to his experienced Generals like Eric Shinseki. It's Franks' fault for not War planning the fierce resistance throughout Iraq. It's Powell's fault for not blocking the Turk's 11th hour denial ... why didn't he fly there like Jim Baker would have? Why aren't the Brits going into Basra, now? Why are they waging a PC war? The Marines are moving too fast for their supply lines! The Marines are advancing too slowly in Kut. We were killing civilians at checkpoints too quickly, and we don't kill successful suicide bombers quickly enough. We shot up a car full of women and kids. A car of women and kids killed three Marines with a suicide car bombing at a checkpoint."

Baghdad was in a chaos of looting and arson, nope it was civilians looting the Presidental Palaces and Baathist offices. Baghdad museum was robbed of its collection of priceless, irreplacable ancient artifacts. Bush didn't secure the Museum, but he sure grabbed hold of those oil wells! Oops, the artifacts were removed for safe keeping and are all accounted for. We fired a tank round and killed an Al Jazeera cameraman on purpose. We encountered "fierce resistance" by Shi'ia civilians in Baghdad.

And ... "if they don't get Saddam pretty soon, Bush will blow hist re-election."

This entire endeavor has been reported to be teetering on total disaster from the conclusion of the President's UN speech September, 2002. We've abandoned our allies, we've gone in alone, we need credibility and World support. And, every soldiers death is added to the KIA number suffered since "The President announced the end of Military Operations on May 1" That mantra is being pounded shamelessly to imply another Bush lie or incompotence. We're on track. We've got the best Officers directing the best warriors on Earth in well planned, well timed excellence. I trust our professionals.

You are onto something larger, though. A conservative view of the world. This is why I am a liberal. I don't believe there is anything special about Americans that makes us smarter than everyone else, or better leaders than anyone else.

99% of every innovation in medicine, agriculture, transportation, communication, education and shelter over the last 120 years have been imagined, designed, financed, engineered, manufactured, marketed and adopted in the United States. No other nation has ever produced such prosperity, innovation, enlightenment, health and well being, religious tolerance, ethnic assimilation, military strength, generosity and benefit to the cause of freedom and opportunity as has the United States of America. No other society would vanquish two fascist regimes in War, suffer the loss of 405,000 of our soldiers lives, then willingly rebuild our Enemies homes and give them new life.

Nah, we're the best. We're better than everyone else. We have superior institutions and organizational design. We're living in the best place, in the best time in human history. We are young, and we're still improvin'.

As Dizzy Dean said .... "It ain't braggin' if its true."

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.