White House criteria
The White House says that there are four main reasons for invading Iraq. They point out that Saddam has killed and tortured his own people, waged war with his neighbors, and defied the United Nations.
Why is terrorism not on this list? The White House does not use it as a credible reason for invasion. The CIA has dismissed the idea that Iraq supports al Qaeda.
Apply the criteria
What other countries in the Near East and North Africa should we invade?
| Country | Killings | Torture | Waged War | Defied UN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Bahrain | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Egypt | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Iran | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Iraq | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Israel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jordan | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Kuwait | No | Yes | No | No |
| Lebanon | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Libya | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Morocco | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Oman | No | No | No | No |
| Qatar | No | No | No | No |
| Saudi Arabia | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Syria | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tunisia | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| United Arab Emirates | No | No | No | No |
| Western Sahara | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yemen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
2 down, 20 more to go
These criteria justify invading Egypt, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Western Sahara, Yemen and sixteen more countries in Africa. Now that we have invaded Afghanastan and Iraq, using the official White House criteria, we should invade 20 more countries.
Oppose Imperialism
If you find it difficult to accept these reasons to invade 20 more countries, then you should wonder why these reasons are used to support an invasion of Iraq. They are not sufficient reason for invasion. These criteria are flawed. There are other ways to promote security than Imperialism.
Sources
I have linked to all sources. The primary source for this information is the United States Government. Colin Powell, the Secretary of Defense, just released a report entitled Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
