Assuming that it prevented another 9/11, was the Iraq war worth it in terms of lives?

In a way I do think the war was right. The could have prevented another 9-11. Also, the soldiers knew the risk. They knew some would die. All that is on their mind is to protect the country. I feel bad that all the soldiers died.. but that's life... people sacrifice lives for other people. Their sacrifice was not in vain. We could of had another 9-11 and more people could have died. The soldiers are happy that the country is safe.

Wow.

Your scenario is fascinating. I will try to stay within its parameters.

Okay, we have a certain ratio of bad guys versus good guys killed on 9/11, and a certain amount of economic damage (to the WTC, Wall Street, the airlines, and so forth).

In Iraq, we have a still greater number of highly trained, very skilled, extremely expensive US servicemen killed (and thousands more maimed and/or traumatized for life) versus a couple thousand Iraqi and foreign jihadi bad guys and many more thousands of innocent Iraqi good guys killed, maimed, and generally traumatized, along with financial damage in the hundreds of billions, if not trillions.

HAD Saddam had a single prohibited WMD that would have caused another single 9/11 (and in my interpretation of your scenario, it is not nuclear), it would presumably have cost another few thousand American lives and whatever financial losses, but it would still be one or two orders of magnitude smaller than the financial cost of our adventure in the sands of Araby.

The important thing here is that the ratio is really meaningless. It's too many Americans dead in either scenario, too many Iraqis, and too much energy and industry squandered. I can't and won't state an exchange rate. If we knew then what we know now and couldn't change the course of events anyway, then go ahead and risk the 2nd 9/11. If it happens, we invade Iraq and depose and hang Saddamn with the same results we have now, only legitimately under international law. That would be an improvement over our current situation.

I'd say the odds are that we wouldn't have had to take him out. Saddamn would have rather held onto power than strike a suicidal blow against the US.

Had we not invaded, Iran wouldn't have gained so much influence, Iraq would be a secular nation, oil wouldn't cost $115/bbl, the dollar wouldn't be in the tank, our military wouldn't be overextended, our international standing would be improved, and the list goes on.

To answer your question: in terms of lives--no. In net terms of lives and human effort--resoundingly no.

That's all I've got.

As a global citizen, we have been your deputy sheriff too long? We care compassionately as a peace loving nation too, but should danger ever threaten us, we wont be dancing with some blond singing dixy chick whislting dixy?

We answer the call as a fierce fighting nation. It is just plain wrong to criticize the soldiers doing the job of the government, I think Australia has had better stats than that, but its more about giving to the common good. It s not about what we can take back, criticise the war anyway you can but remember there are men and women working in very dangerous conditions doing a coalition of the willing the important job of nation building.

If you seriously want tyrany to take hold go ahead, make my day, do nothing?

And I can tell you, you wont last two seconds!

Its not about war, its not about soldiers some folks are lazy enough to not do anything.

As a global credit crunch slices the world economy by a sub prime melt down akin to the Soviet Union Banking system collapse it beggers belief criticism of folks doing governments will is the order of the day, how can you sit their idley watching Barrack Obama get crucified and use cheap shoddy opportunism to the misery of hundreds of thousand of families in extreme mortgage stress and say he is the bad guy for expressing it badly.

The world as citizens need to see easy to understand bailing out of families where the forgiveness the government gives is plain, welcome and wanted in abundance for the sake of family values, decency, dignity, justice and fairness, have we lost all our marbles to critize those earning an honest living and crucify them just because his dad is a muslim and red necks in 2004 Hum Vees chew through 4 miles to the gallon paid to Muslim extremists controlling all the really great designs like the Aussie orbital engine which is lighter more fuel efficient and a complete and utter waste of time just sitting on Texan crude under the land? So Muslims can own it? Come on!

Where are your global warming issues? Al Gore its been and gone! Do something put Condi in Madam Secretary of State is stylish grace ful and more intelligent well informed and more worthy than any other deputy, who is it gonna be?

Well we went to war with Germany, Germany never invaded us but its stopped the Communist Invasion. OUr going into Iraq and Afghanistan doesnt appear the right move "RIGHT NOW" but you liberals have to look beyond yourselves and the right now and into the future. Coming to Iraq and Afghanistan were the right moves.

Also, unless your actually here in Iraq (like me) you really dont know what your talking about or have the correct unbiased (liberal media) information.

the guy above me is forgetting how the US, really messed Germany up as well during WW2. Look at Germany now and that was from a Democratic President and our nations economy in 1940 was worse than it is today after our entering the war in Europe.

Sometimes it is necessary to go to war. We went there under the pretense of wmd's and didn't find any, but we did find that he had a network set up so that he could make them in short time. We got rid of a muderous dictator that would have killed thousands of more people in his lifetime. Could we have not gone to war and probably been ok? Sure, but we are the greatest nation in the world. If we just sit back and let dictators and other countries do whatever they want then what good are we. The media reports every bad thing that happens in this war and hardly any of the good things that we are doing over there. I believe 30 years from now when history remembers this war it will be looked at as the right decision.

It's impossible to estimate the cost in lives or money of another terrorist attack.

Imagine 5 guys in an SUV shooting up Wall Street at lunch hour or 20 smuggling in a small nuke and setting it off in Chicago.

There are too many variables.

The military doesn't count costs that way,the safty of 1 American child is worth the cost.

human value... has two origins... the value to the individual and the value to the group...

on the individual level ... losing ur own life in war is not exceptable... unless you give it of ur own free will.

the value of the group is measured as a hole... and the individual as only a part... some parts are more vital then others... when fighting a desease in the body... and in order for the body to live you need to cut off the foot... you cut off the foot... the needs of the many are weighed against the needs of the few or one...

when governments are formed... they first have in mind the needs of the many... The Bill of Rights and the Magna Carter were the first efforts to remove the power of government over the individual...

and in no government that survives... does the individual rule in the military... so that it is leadership that matters...

leadership is not weather you can die for a cause or for your friends... leadership is having the right and will to send your friends to their death to save others...

with military leaders... it is survival... fight or flight...

as an individual... you give up your right to decide weather you live or die... when you join the military... right or wrong...

Sorry but to imagine that invading Iraq has made us safer, I would have to imagine that the almost 2 years between September 11,2001 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003 didn't happen, without an attack. That is just a bit hard to do.

Your math is flawed because annual gross income of the 3000 who worked in the WTC is no doubt higher than than the 4000 soldiers and it is highly likely that the lifetime earnings of the 300 that worked in the WTC would be significantly higher also therefor on a strictly financial basis it wasn't worth it

The premise is ludicrous. Not only has the war in Iraq demonstrably not reduced terrorism in the West (Madrid and London became the victims of Al Qaeda terrorism after we invaded) but by our own intelligence the war has strengthened Al Qaeda.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6294526.stm

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/07/12/new-intel...

So you question should be - given that the Iraq war has made another 9/11 more likely - was it worth it?