Quotes about Iraq

Richard Dawkins

Producer, Scientist, Ethologist

[Invading Iraq] will unite the entire Arab world against the West.

Invasion - Iraq - World

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Al Franken

Comedian, Former US Senator

The Minnesotans I talk to are really concerned about what the future holds for their families. They're trying to pay for health care and send their kids to college, they're worried about declining home values, they're scared for a loved one they have serving in Iraq.

Care - Family - Future - Health - Home - Iraq - Love - Payment - Scary - Talk - Trial - Value - Worrying

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Jesse Jackson

Civil Rights Activist, Clergyman, Politician

The question becomes what kind of coalition can we build that will make a transition and empower the people of Iraq? The American soldiers' presence there is an act of provocation. There's a big red ball on the back of every American soldier in that country, so our being there contributes to the crisis, it does not resolve the crisis.

Countries - Empowerment - Iraq - Kindness - People - Provocation - Transitioning

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Mikhail Gorbachev

Writer, Statesman, Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

There is only one superpower now and it doesn't know what to do with its status. As a result, we got Yugoslavia and Iraq, and the situation has only got worse.

America - Iraq

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Richard Dawkins

Producer, Scientist, Ethologist

Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, distinctly heard the voice of Jesus telling him to kill women, and he was locked up for life. George W. Bush says that God told him to invade Iraq (a pity God didn't vouchsafe him a revelation that there were no weapons of mass destruction).

Destructiveness - Hearing - Iraq - Revelation - Voice - Weapons

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Salman Rushdie

Politician, Novelist, Novelist

The USA approach looks like bullying because it is.

Iraq

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Mikhail Gorbachev

Writer, Statesman, Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

One of the reasons why this country undertook military action in Iraq was that there are quite a few problems here, and perhaps attention needed to be deflected from those problems. It sometimes seems that the U.S. economy works successfully only if it gets a stimulus from the defense industry. So perhaps in addition to showing the power and the might of the United States internationally, another reason was to help the defense industry and to help the U.S. economy recover.

Actions - Countries - Defense - Economy - Help - Industry - Iraq - Military - Problem - Reason - Sometimes - State - Unions

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Amartya Sen

Economist, Philosopher

I think one big thing about the United States is that the American population, they may be excited about Iraq or one thing or another, but basically has had a great deal of interest in humanitarian causes both within the country and abroad. Even when they criticize the mechanism to which it flows.

Countries - Deal - Excitement - Flow - Humane - Interest - Iraq - Population - State - Thinking - Unions

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Alan Greenspan

Economist, Former Chair of the US Federal Reserve

I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil.

Iraq - Oil - War

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Noam Chomsky

Linguist, Philosopher, Cognitive Scientist, Social Critic, Political Activist

The U.S. is not constructing a palatial embassy, by far the largest in the world and virtually a separate city within Baghdad, and pouring money into military bases, with the intention of leaving Iraq to Iraqis.

Iraq - Virtual

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Alain de Botton

Philosopher, Author

Status anxiety definitely exists at a political level. Many Iraqis were annoyed with the US essentially for reasons of status: for not showing them respect, for humiliating them.

Anxiety - Essence - Existence - Iraq - Politics - Reason - Respect - Show - Status

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Noam Chomsky

Linguist, Philosopher, Cognitive Scientist, Social Critic, Political Activist

The United States was seriously defeated in Iraq by Iraqi nationalism - mostly by nonviolent resistance. The United States could kill the insurgents, but they couldn't deal with half a million people demonstrating in the streets.

Defeat - Iraq - Serious - State - Unions

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Saddam Hussein

Former President of Iraq

We will pursue them until they lose their nerves... Now that they have indulged in their evil and crimes, they will suffer a defeat.

Crime - Defeat - Iraq - Loss - Nervousness - Pursuit - Suffering

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Mikhail Gorbachev

Writer, Statesman, Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

The United States found dozens of billions of dollars for military action in Iraq, so it should certainly be able to find a few billions of dollars to get rid of weapons of mass destruction. I'll assume that since the most powerful nation - the United States - has promised to pay for much of this, then its word will be kept. If it isn't, I don't think we can have a true partnership.

Ability - Actions - Destructiveness - Finding - Iraq - Military - Nations - Partners - Payment - State - Thinking - Unions - Weapons

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Jesse Jackson

Civil Rights Activist, Clergyman, Politician

We need a regime change in this country.... If we launch a pre-emptive strike on Iraq we lose all moral authority.

Authority - Countries - Iraq - Loss - Morals

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Alan Greenspan

Economist, Former Chair of the US Federal Reserve

And whatever their publicized angst over Saddam Hussein's 'weapons of mass destruction,' American and British authorities were also concerned about violence in an area that harbors a resource indispensable for the functioning of the word economy. I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil.

Authority - Destructiveness - Economy - Iraq - Oil - Violence - Vital - War - Weapons

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Jesse Jackson

Civil Rights Activist, Clergyman, Politician

I was blessed to go abroad and bring Americans home from jail in Syria, and Iraq, and Cuba, and Yugoslavia, and Liberia, those are high moments of my life.

Blessing - Home - Iraq - Jail - Syria

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Jesse Jackson

Civil Rights Activist, Clergyman, Politician

We made this inexplicable turn into Iraq, where we've lost lives, money, honour and the coalition on [George] Bush's watch. Surely he's not suggesting that if the Democrats win, things can get worse. I mean, all we can do now is to look at our field policy and change the course. We need more diplomatic outreach toward Iran, Syria and Middle Eastern allies, and less bluster and less threats, and fewer troops.

Democracy - Iran - Iraq - Loss - Making - Meaning - Policy - Syria - Threat - Watching - Winning

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Robert Kiyosaki

Writer, Author, Investor

When President George W. Bush attempted to reform Social Security, that proposal was more unpopular with Americans than the Iraq war. People love their entitlements.

America - Entitlement - Iraq - Love - People - President - Proposal - Security - War

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Saddam Hussein

Former President of Iraq

You will triumph, O Iraqis, and with you the sons of your Arab nation

Iraq - Nations - Triumph

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