Was one of the unstated reasons for the US invasion of Iraq to enhance the security of Israel?

Yes.

Mearsheimer & Walt's paper on the Israel Lobby document how much AIPAC and the Israeli government threw their weight behind the Iraq invasion in 2003:

'Pressure from Israel and the Lobby was not the only factor behind the U.S. decision to attack Iraq in March 2003, but it was a critical element. Some Americans believe that this was a “war for oil,” but there is hardly any direct evidence to support this claim. Instead, the war was motivated in good part by a desire to make Israel more secure. According to Philip Zelikow, a member of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (2001‐2003), executive director of the 9/11 Commission, and now Counselor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the “real threat” from Iraq was not a threat to the United States. The “unstated threat” was the “threat against Israel,” Zelikow told a University of Virginia audience in September 2002, noting further that “the American

government doesn’t want to lean too hard on it rhetorically, because it is not a popular sell."

On August 16, 2002, eleven days before Vice President Cheney kicked off the campaign for war with a hard‐line speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Washington Post reported that “Israel is urging U.S. officials not to delay a military strike against Iraq’s Saddam Hussein.” By this point, according to Sharon, strategic coordination between Israel and the U.S. had reached “unprecedented dimensions,” and Israeli intelligence officials had given Washington a variety of alarming reports about Iraq’s WMD programs. As one retired Israeli general later put it, “Israeli intelligence was a full partner to the picture presented by American and British intelligence regarding Iraq’s non‐conventional capabilities.”

Israeli leaders were deeply distressed when President Bush decided to seek U.N. Security Council authorization for war in September, and even more worried when Saddam agreed to let U.N. inspectors back into Iraq, because these developments seemed to reduce the likelihood of war. Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told reporters in September 2002 that “the campaign against Saddam Hussein is a must. Inspections and inspectors are good for decent people, but dishonest people can overcome easily inspections and inspectors.”

At the same time, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak wrote a New York Times op‐ed warning that “the greatest risk now lies in inaction.” His predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, published a similar piece in the Wall Street Journal entitled “The Case for Toppling Saddam.” Netanyahu declared, “Today nothing less than dismantling his regime will do,” adding that “I believe I speak for the overwhelming majority of Israelis in supporting a pre‐emptive strike against Saddam’s regime.” Or as Ha’aretz reported in February 2003: “The [Israeli] military and political leadership yearns for war in Iraq.”

But as Netanyahu suggests, the desire for war was not confined to Israel’s leaders. Apart from Kuwait, which Saddam conquered in 1990, Israel was the only country in the world where both the politicians and the public enthusiastically favored war. As journalist Gideon Levy observed at the time, “Israel is the only country in the West whose leaders support the war unreservedly and where no alternative opinion is voiced.” In fact, Israelis were so gung‐ho for war that their allies in America told them to damp down their hawkish rhetoric, lest it look like the war was for Israel.'

NO!!! It cant be...SIMPLE:

If Saddam supported Palestinian Terrorists(which I know he did)

Then the whole concept of the Iraq War would make sense and linkable to the war of terrorism...Heck we can not have that. Can we?

With everyone screaming: No WMD's No Terrorists Ties.

As for as the truth it could be possible. Yet highly unlikely. Because even though Saddam was an evil man. The entire Middle east would need to be invaded to stand on this. They all hate Israel.

Thanks

Do you think that Israel is more secure now?

Also, is it a forgivable offense to incentive people who kill random citizens whose only crime was being at the wrong place at the wrong time?

I doubt that Iraq was about making Israel more secure. If it was there would be a pro Israeli government installed in Iraq, and I have heard no evidence of that.

Also don't mention Saddam supporting terrorists, remember it was Bush that "created" these terrorists. If Saddam was supporting terrorists, then is not that a legitimate reason to take the country he was oppressing from him and give it back to the Iraqi people.

That is a real possibility... The United States has backed Israel 100% since Israel's establishment. I believe the Jews deserve a homeland, but was it really necessary to take another's away for it (without compensation)? Anyway back on topic, it doesn't matter if a president is a liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, they've all been behind Israel for over half a century now without ever delivering a full explaination. (other than, of course, to protect democracy and freedom)

You have to know about history to know that Israel have defended herself with the help of the USA since the foundation of the country of Israel. The fight on terrorism, Israel have being fighting it for the last 40+ years and doing it good job, they still exist that's the proof..The good thing about Israel is that they are united against anything that will destroy their country, big different from our country the USA that we are always trying to divide our self in the name of a political party and that's bad. Israel is surrounded by Arabs countries that are their enemies and they are strong fighting them, all together,, what a magnificent country, we all should learn from them, don't you think so? About Irak this is a war for the civilized world as we know it and if we don't understand this, well, we are not reading about what's happening in the world and that's bad very bad. We forget too soon.

It became into in all likelihood to guard Iraq from Israel, Israel became into waiting to pounce for the duration of the Persian Gulf conflict yet Bush shop them at bay. Israel has 2 hundred nukes and the terrific air rigidity interior the international, u.s. isn't conserving Israel that is conserving all of us else interior the region against Israel.

I do believe that may be so!

If we stand for Israel God will stand for us!

If we don't and things are looking pretty much like we are turning against Israel by dividing her and by keeping her out of the peace talks...

Can you spell T R O U B L E for the USA!!!

Oh God help our leaders get a brain!

No I doubt that Saddam had not made any overt threats to Isreal and I believe he was only paying suicide bombers so that radical muslims would not take a closer look at him and his government.

No. The reasons were twofold. #1 - the oil. #2 - revenge by a son for disrespect from Iraq to his father