re: #129 ObserverArt

There was a lot of “chatter” that was ignored after the first bombing, as there was a lot ignored about the Middle East itself and the tensions being built up not just in Gaza and the West Bank, but in countries with which we had constant contact with those govts and “smooth” diplomatic relations where Al Qaeda was gaining a foothold. I don’t want to second guess the entirety of foreign policy during the last few admins, because mistakes will always be made—even our elected officials are human, of course, as are the various bureaucrats and career employees. But plenty has been written and said about 9/11, the invasion in Afghanistan which was done ostensibly to capture OBL (another Bush failure), and the subsequent invasion of Iraq in 2003. I still don’t understand either of those wars, and don’t think I ever will, because I think they were entirely unnecessary, if the Bush govt had really paid attention. I’m just very cynical about all of it really being about the money that could be made fomenting war, not actually breaking up Al Qaeda, and I think we created more adherents over the short term.