Quote Originally Posted by selil View Post
I read a pundit quip a couple months back that the reason we attacked Afghanistan was to have a staging point to attack Pakistan. In the same article (wish I remembe where I read it but was likely on here), the pundit said the reason we attacked Iraq was to attack Iran... Ok I laughed the first time, but now y'all are scaring me... Next thing y'all will be telling me there is not Santa.
Get the important point out of the way real quick.

Pakistan and Iran have never really been in the picture barring a major malfunction. METT-T and all that. Too hard box and guauranteed to disrupt world oil supply which we do not want to do.

Afghanistan was the Arm for an Arm of the WTC Fly-in. Iraq was for bases and also an Eye for Eye for attacks on US interests around the globe. Think about the corollary. Remember the ME is strong on retribution and he who does not respond in kind is looked on as a coward and a target. They're specific in their retribution. From OBL / Afghanistan to NYC and DC -- and right back atcha from DC to Afghanistan. They understood that.

They also understood they've been attacking us around the world for 20 years and we did little or nothing about it. Then came Iraq. Most westerners couldn't understand that, too many still don't because of the loopy way the admin pitched it. However, the ME understood it -- they said they didn't and tried to forestall it because of the consequences -- but they understood...