Conservative Talking Points views war as a sometimes necessary hell. Give us liberty or give us death. We prefer to give death to those who endanger our lives and liberties. Below are the reasons why conservatives fought the wars while most of the liberals whined or ran.
American Revolution
· After we dumped 340 tea chests into the Boston harbor in 1773 due to high taxation without representation, the British set up a blockage the next year. In 1775 the first Continental Congress met to affirm the right of the colonies to life, liberty and property and later that year commander in chief of the British forces, General Sir Thomas Gage, ordered his troops to arrest two of the militia's leaders, Sam Adams and John Hancock. Our successful battle for independence with only 33% support of the colonists was waged and later won. (Source: Numerous History Books)
World War I
· Arthur Zimmermann, Germany's foreign secretary, in 1917 sent a coded telegram to their ambassador in Mexico proposing that if Mexico declared war on the United States, Mexico would regain the territories it lost (Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, also known as the Mexico Cession) in the Treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo. (Source: FirstWorldWar.com)
World War II
· Hitler, while killing millions of Jews, was taking over Europe with Mussolini's help and the Japanese directly attacked our homeland. What else could we have done? (Source: My Father who fought in WWII)
Korean War (Source: History.Navy.Mil)
· After China became communist in 1949 USSR's Stalin gave the go ahead to North Korea's Kim Il Sung to invade South Korea as a test to the USA on the spread of communism.
· After the North's invasion of 1950 MacArthur was attacked by half a million Chinese until our forces fought them back killing 1.5 million Chinese and North Koreans by 1951.
Vietnam War (Source: Vietnam Helicopter Crewmen's Association)
· Vietnam was the 2nd proxy war in Asia where we fought communism against the USSR and China through the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC).
· There were nearly double the casualties in Southeast Asia after the US left Vietnam in 1975 then there were during the ten years the U.S. was fighting in Vietnam. In other words the Peace Movement "killed" more people than the U.S. did in the Vietnam War.
· 91% of Vietnam Veterans say they are glad they served.
· 74% of Vietnam Veterans said they would serve again, even knowing the results.
· 87% of Americans hold Vietnam Veterans in high esteem.
· Our military did not lose a single major battle during our entire involvement, including the Tet Offensive of 1968, which we won against the VC and NVA.
Gulf War (Source: Timeline from PBS.org)
· After Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990 and prepared to do the same to Saudi Arabia, the US and a multi-national coalition quickly and successfully fought him back in 1991 during Desert Storm.
· Just after the air war phase of Desert Storm started Saddam released 1,500,000 barrels of oil into the Gulf and began launching Scud missiles at Israel.
· By February of 1991, Saddam's forces were running from a pillaged Kuwait and setting hundreds of oil well fires.
· The US and it's coalition liberated Kuwait and prevented the invasion of Saudi Arabia, both Muslim counties.
Afghanistan (Source: Timeline from WarChronicle.com)
· The assassination of Ahmed Shah Massoud, leader of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, just two days before the September 11th 2001 attacks on America were deliberately planned by Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan.
· After the October warning to the Taliban to give up bin Laden expired, the US began their air war against the terrorist elements in Afghanistan.
· By the end of 2001 the last fires were finally extinguished at the World Trade Center and Hamad Karzai began forming a new government in Afghanistan.
· We are still fighting these Islamic extremists that only wish to destroy the West - odds are we will be battling these barbarians in Afghanistan for decades to come.
Iraq - WMDs
· Though we never found the large caches of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) due to them being moved to Syria during the buildup of Operation Iraqi Freedom, here are some significant findings you probably did not know about:
· On June 23, 2004 U.S. forces seized 1.77 metric tons of enriched uranium - the kind used to make fuel for atomic bombs - in a nuclear facility in Iraq. - BBC News 7/7/2004.
· U.S. Department of Energy experts in Iraq removed 1,000 radioactive materials in “powder form, which is easily dispersed”. Bryan Wikes, Energy Department Spokesman
· Polish troops which were part of the U.S. led coalition, purchased seventeen chemical-weapon warheads from Iraqs for $5,000 each to keep them away from the Iraq insurgents. BBC News 7/2/2004
· On August 8, 2005 U.S. Soldiers in Mosul Iraq found 1,500 gallons of chemical agents in a warehouse which turned out to be the largest chemical weapons lab found in Iraq. - Washington Post, August 8, 2005
· On May 17, 2004 a roadside bomb exploded in Iraq near a U.S. convoy and it was found to contain the nerve agent sarin. Due to it being a projectile and using a spinning propeller to mix the two sarin components, it failed to reach its deadly peak and only slightly injured the soldiers. - Army Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt
· The Iraq Survey Group, led by David Kay discovered a projectile loaded with mustard gas attached to a roadside bomb in May 2004. - Fox News, May 17, 2004
Iraq - The Theat
· Most Every Country, Expert and Politician said Iraq had WMDs. Below are quotes from the very politicians who, after the war started, said "Where are the WMDs President Bush?":
· “Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies” - Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999
· “If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program.” - President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998
· “One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line.” - President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998
· “[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.” - Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others Oct. 9, 1998
· “He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do.” - Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002
· “He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.” - Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998
· “I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force - if necessary - to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security.” - Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002
· “In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members.. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.” - Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002
· “Iraq is a long way from [the USA], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face.” - Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998
· “Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power.” - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
· “Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.” - Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998
· “The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons...” - Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002
· “There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has invigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of an illicit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies.” - Letter to President Bush, Signed by Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL,) and others, December 5, 2001
· “There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction.” - Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002
· “We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction.” - Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002
· “We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandates of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them.” - Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002
· “We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.” - Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002
· “We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.” - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
· “Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation ... And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real...” - Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003