posted
I just wish we'd pull out. I don't give a damn about politics. Elected officials get voted into office to worry about policy. The military is the instrument of that policy. I say that because while in San Diego there were quite a few anti-war demostrations at my base. As if that would make a difference. All I know is I hate seeing the casuality reports growing longer everyday with the names of people my own age fighting a war based on questionable reasons.
-------------------- I'm slightly annoyed at Hobbes' rather rude decision to be much more attractive than me though. That's just rude. - PsyLiam, Oct 27, 2005.
Registered: May 1999
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-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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Cartman
just made by the Presbyterian Church
Member # 256
posted
Or had pulled in just a little deeper.
Registered: Nov 1999
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But if we'd invaded Iraq back then, life would be much easier now (for us and them).
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
But if we were to pull out now (nevermind Jason's clever historical fantasy), wouldn't that just leave a leadership vacuum in Iraq? Or at least leave a shadow government without sufficient manpower or strength to effectively enforce their rule? Wouldn't the country immediately fall prey to the startlingly resourceful and resilient insurgency? I mean we'd just be opening the door to a state-sponsored-terrorism wet dream, wouldn't we? Which erradication, if I'm not mistaken, was one of the primary goals of the exercise. I mean, not to mention we'd be abandoning the Iraqi people to whatever fate such a regime might impose. Goshen, if only someone might have considered these consequences before the invasion.
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
While reading today's newspaper I happened upon a short piece from journalist Thomas L Friedman, posting his rules when reporting from the Middle East.
quote:Never lead your story out of Lebanon, Gaza or Iraq with a cease-fire; it will always be over by the time the next morning's paper is out. The Israelis will always win, and the Palestinians will always make sure that they never enjoy it. Everything else is just commentary. In the Middle East, if you can't explain something with a conspiracy theory, then don't try to explain it at all. In the Middle East, the extremists go all the way, and the moderates tend to just go away - unless the coast is completely clear. When one side is weak, it will tell you, "How can I compromise?" And the minute it becomes strong, it will tell you, "Why should I compromise?" What people tell you in private is irrelevant. All that matters is what they will defend in public in Arabic, in Hebrew or in any other local language. Anything said in english doesn't count.
posted
Well, that explains why we only hear what really happened in ant situation about eight months later.
Nothing like a guidebook to sensationalism.
Baalam, you seriously think we did not buy ourselves the current anti-american attitude in Iraq by leaving Saddam in power at the end of the first gulf war? You should check out Frontline's report on the matter....scary how badly GW1's administration blew the chance to make the region safer. Saddam's own advisors (long since defected and on the record) stated that he was near-suicidal with depression from his belief that the US would take Bagdhad.
Aincent history, unfortunately. All that matters now is (somehow) reducing the US occupying presence and making certain (yes, with UN oversight) the elections results are upheld.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
By the way, what's the latest on Saddam? Has he been sent back to Iraq yet? Or is he still held in an "undisclosed location"?
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
I hear they serve a good corned beef sammich at Bagdad Airport. Maybe they could send one down to Saddam. After it's gone through security, of course.
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
I think Saddam's going for the whole "muslim Charles Manson" look just now.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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