kabud wrote
dla:
putin is just a facade front man. country is ruled by a group of clans. it was designed like that by lenin, then after stalin’s death they returned this arrangement called collective lidrship
this is how they benefited:
-russia is exporting up to 8 or 9 million barrels of oil a day
-usa pulled out our troops from Saudi Arabia
-usa rating declined in the world drastically: in case of war against us i have doubts that even our european allies will be supporting us effectively
-inside usa we have this IRAQ debate shaking our political and social grounds almost like in time of Vietnam
-IRAN is not threatened by IRAQ anymore
I won’t comment on the Russian history, but
- Iraq had nothing to do with Russion oil exports – nothing.
- What “troops” do you think we pulled from SA?
- The US standing has risen dramatically. USA reigns as the lone Super Power. Europe cannot join us militarily and actually contribute in meaningful way. But the EU did join us in freezing Iranian assets and they also helped dry up Al-Qaeda funding. The US makes despots shake in their boots. The US stands tall amongst the nations of the world.
- I laugh till I puke every time I hear someone use “Vietnam” in the same sentence as Iraq. Iraq is less than 1% of the US GDP annually, 4000 dead after 5 years, and a clear success. Only the American left “hates” the Iraq effort as evidenced by a large Democrat majority Congree totally unable to alter one iota of GWB’s Iraq efforts.
– A war of 8 years and at least 500,000 dead left Persians and Arabs alike realizing that they need to leave their 10th century thinking behind and embrace the present. Bush the Elder effectively reigned in Iraq in 1991. Iran enjoyed 12 years with worrying about Iraq. The 2003 1 week conquering of Iraq, and later pulling Saadam out of a hole in the ground, crushed ME pride. My point is that Iran hasn’t worried about Iraq since 1991. Today they worry about the US – and for good reason. Although I think their main worry is economic.
