Reagan cabinet member says don’t invade Iraq
A former Cabinet member under former President Ronald Reagan told military officers Thursday in Monterey that the United States should not invade Iraq.
Former Secretary of the Navy James Webb said the country should focus instead on eliminating international terrorism. Speaking at the Naval Postgraduate School, Webb said that without a clear understanding of consequences – or a clear exit strategy – U.S. forces face a decades-long occupation that could sap American resolve and resources.
The United States also risks inflaming Arab anger even more if it invades without first finding a solution to the Palestinian problem – which would include establishment of a Palestinian state, Webb said.
“I am very concerned with the direction this country may be going with regard to Iraq,” Webb told several hundred students and faculty members. “Are we going to reshape American foreign policy to put (soldiers) on the ground in the Middle East? I think it’s a mistake.”