US Senator says he supported holy war against Iraq in 2003 "to spread Christianity"

[Enros]

Here's the most unbiased account I could find, from the Associated Press. It has emerged that in 2003, Senator Gordon Smith told Mormon church leaders that the invasion of Iraq was justified because it would allow them to spread their religion to the country. Mormons are a branch of American Protestant Christians. This meeting was secret until a video of it was posted online 3 days ago. Gordon Smith was a Republican Senator from Oregon.

In the USA it's the Republicans who scream loudest about the thread of Muslim terrorists. Yet it seems they are Christian terrorists themselves. Pot, meet kettle.

Osama Bin Laden killed around 4,500 people. ISIS has so far killed 55,000. That's nothing compared to the Christian terrorists who killed 90,000 in Afghanistan and 150,000 Iraq. I believe murderers can only be judged by the number of people they have killed. It's obvious that Christian terrorists are a greater threat to humanity than Muslim terrorists.

[Heathen Hammer]

Iraq got "liberated" because Saddam planned to abandon petrodollar (same reason why NATO helped AQ and other rebel Islamist groups take over Libya in 2011 as well).
The real motivation was due to economic and geopolitical interests of American elites, not because some dumb senator somewhere wanted to "spread Christianity" or "spread democracy".
Also as much as I despise Judaeo-Chrisianity and Abrahamic teachings altogether, it is rather obvious that while Islamists tend to actually murder and enslave people en masse, most "christian extremists" spend their time with posters saying "god hates fags" and other silly, but non-violent activities. Of course, there are some violent acts committed by them too, but they are not even closer in scale to what groups like ISIS or AQ are doing.

[Enros]

The real motivation was due to economic and geopolitical interests of American elites, not because some dumb senator somewhere wanted to "spread Christianity" or "spread democracy".

It's true that the USA has 100 Senators and this is the only one who openly admits to supporting Holy War. While others may have believ

Also as much as I despise Judaeo-Chrisianity and Abrahamic teachings altogether, it is rather obvious that while Islamists tend to actually murder and enslave people en masse, most "christian extremists" spend their time with posters saying "god hates fags" and other silly, but non-violent activities. Of course, there are some violent acts committed by them too, but they are not even closer in scale to what groups like ISIS or AQ are doing.

The actions of Al Qaeda and ISIS, just like those of the US government, can be explained without resorting to religion. They are not cults like the People's Temple of the 1970s. They are political groups.

[snuggans]

good video on the matter, although it's not about this senator but about the commander in chief and the State department

Bush literally called the war a crusade, then had to correct himself later, and he said "God told him to kill those terrorists, and so he did", government documents relating to the invasion had ominous Bible verses in them. see this is why we need separation of church and state and we need to stop electing fundamentalists to the highest levels of power in the government. it is no surprise that Bush rose to political stardom thanks to one of the regions in the US that has the densest concentration of evangelicals and baptists which tend to favor Mosaic Law over modern law

i've spoken with several Iraq War vets who genuinely believe they went to Iraq to avenge 9/11, it's quite sad

when somebody hears the word 'terrorism' they immediately think of a lone wolf attack or something like that, they never stop to think terrorism can come in the form of official military action by a state

to think that we "shock and awed" so many civilians just because Cheney's guys at the CIA cooked up some bad intel reports, so that he could profit through Halliburton, jeez

[bigdaddy1204]

The attack against Iraq was a war crime. Those responsible were a bunch of criminal terrorist dogs. They should be hunted down and hanged. I'd like to see the entire US administration of that period executed for their crimes. The Republican party should be outlawed as a dangerous terrorist organisation. It's leaders should be arrested, and all symbols associated with it should be banned. I'd like to see a Nuremburg style set of trials, followed by harsh sentences on those found guilty of starting a war of aggression. Those responsible for smaller acts of aggression and terrorisation of Iraqi civilians should also be hunted down and ruthlessly punished.

That said, ultimately the one to blame was Saddam. He misruled his country so disastrously, he brought about an apocalypse for the people under his care, many of whom are now six feet under ground.

[fkizz]

I doubt George W Bush is religious enough to have gone to Iraq for Religious reasons when there are so many Financial interests at stake. Same for that Congressman. 0 Evangelization effort done in Iraq, and could've been done without a Military Invasion anyway.

Mind you, it was not only in the name of Christianity, but of Democracy aswell. There was the idea that after bombing the Iraq to hell it would turn into prosperous Democracy and a lot of believed that. They made both Ideological and Religious appeal to their voting base.

Reason was likely materialistic (resources, oil, etc.) even if in endgame it was a mistake or not.

[Kraut]

That's nothing compared to the Christian terrorists who killed 90,000 in Afghanistan and 150,000 Iraq. I believe murderers can only be judged by the number of people they have killed. It's obvious that Christian terrorists are a greater threat to humanity than Muslim terrorists.

It would be strange to count the Taliban as "Christian Terrorists"...

According to the United Nations, the Taliban were responsible for 76% of civilian casualties in Afghanistan in 2009, 75% in 2010 and 80% in 2011

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civili...1%E2%80%932014)

[PointOfViewGun]

Is this part of that amazingly liberal and secular Western society?

[Tango12345]

This isn't about a current event. Closed.