Protecting oil investments was probably a large part of why Bush took the USA into Iraq. I am mystified why we stayed so long, and why we are still in Afghanistan.

Why should I care that a bunch of medieval religious fanatics want to take over their own country: and it is their country. There are plenty of worse things happening in the world where we do not interfere.

An Afghanistan run by the Taliban would be a disaster for most Afghans but it would be no threat to the USA or world peace if we just ignored it.

If we were in the Middle East for oil … we’d have either:

• subverted or strong armed OPEC to give us a favored price
• flat out taken control of the supply

And we certainly would not be paying $4 for gas now!

That said, however, it seems somewhat obvious that we ARE there for oil since we have absolutely no reason to be involved in Libya at all. I would certainly like all the Europeans that decried the US involvement in the Middle East over oil to wipe the egg off their faces for pulling the UN into Libya. After all, for the same riots and violence that occurred in other non-oil producing nations, you don’t see UN involvement. But Libya provides Europe oil so it’s pretty hard to say that’s not why we’re there.

I’m not sure why we went. Probably a combination of oil, not liking Saddam, anger over 9/11.

But why are we still there?
While the President has emergency powers as CIC of the armed forces to deploy for short terms, I have yet to see congress declare war on anyone or use their Article I, Section 8 powers to issue a Letter of Marque against any groups or individuals.

So why are our soldiers stomping around in the desert. Osama’s dead.
Thanks for doing the job we asked of you. Now come on home swiftly and safely.