Hi Arthur, Regardless of Mr. Zaberi's motivation for writing the letter, he is correct in asking the international community to stay in Iraq at this time. Today, at an international summit on the future of Iraq in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, my government will ask the international community to maintain its engagement in our country to help us achieve our goals of security and stability. We recognize our request conflicts with a plethora of voices decrying the situation in Iraq and those in the British and American publics who seek an expeditious withdrawal from a war they claim is all but lost. We tend to forget that the people of Iraq were ecstatic when Saddam Hussein was overthrown. In general, they were NOT opposed to the Baath government being taken out. The problem has occurred in the aftermath, due mainly to a complete misunderstanding of just about everything about Iraqi culture and the way the people in that area of the world think. The handling of the occupation, from a few moments after the coalition troops entered Baghdad and stood by while looters stole priceless antiquities from the Baghdad museum to the way searches have been done, interrogations have been done, and on and on and on... However, the fact remains that bad as the present situation is, and regardless of any of the motivations for the invasion in the first place, the invasion DID take place, the strong dictator WAS deposed, and now there is a vacuum in the region that needs strong and continued control or the whole region will blow up in outright civil war. It is highly necessary for coalition forces to stay in Iraq until the area stabilizes. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen overnight. It COULD be made better if the coalition occupation was handed over to the UN, but that will never happen. No other countries want anything to do with the situation, because terrorist bombs in their own countries have convinced them it's a bad idea. What this tells me is that the terrorists are winning. What a shame. God bless, Dave

Hi, Dave,

There is a simple eloquent logic here somewhere.

"the invasion DID take place, the strong dictator WAS deposed"

This almost sounds like that old advice, if you are going to be raped, you might as well assist the rapist and enjoy it.

While the Iraqis did, indeed, want to get rid of Sadam Husein, never once did they ask for any putside assistance, but they got invaded any way.

Those who have suffered all sorts of attrocities under President Mugabe (just for one example) have been crying out for international help for years, now. They have suffered severe injury, loss of property, destruction of livelihoods, rape murder and mayhem for years -I don't see GWB and TB rushing to their aid even though they are suffering as much, if not more. than the Iraqis did. Maybe the fact that these are generally white caucasian sufferers in a land with no oil and no possibility of financial gain has something to do with the 'thumb up jacksie' response they have been receiving.

The cries are not so loud now. The survivors and those determined enough to try to fight for themselves are very few in number and getting fewer by the day.

The stench of hypocrisy takes your breath away!

The Old Coot

DISCLAIMER

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS POST ARE THE HONESTLY HELD OPINIONS OF ARTHUR WEBSTER. (aka THE OLD COOT) THEY ARE ADDRESSED TO ALL OF THIS COMMUNITY AND, IN NO WAY, CONSTITUTE A PERSONAL ATTACK UPON PERSONS LIVING, DEAD OR FICTIONAL. IF YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ATTACKED AND YOU CAN LOOK INTO YOURSELF AND SEE THAT IT IS NOT PARANOIA THAT DRIVES THIS THOUGHT - CONTACT HIM AND TELL HIM WHY. 

Hi Dave

I believe it is unfornate that the US cannot play God and help everybody and every nation in trouble.

Is it hypocracy that God does not do it? It is purported that he certainly could by most believers. Of couse he could certainly just wait on man and settle up later, since he has the power to give life.

But what about the US?

It obviously cannot do everything, so a wise person in power would try to do those things that will caue the greatest benefit for all.

While it leads to get the nations together to help in all areas this Administration believes that the radical islamic threat is what is threatening the whole of civilization.

Like it or not the radical slamic world could, over the next few years, bring the worlds economies to such a state that the 1929 crash would look like a blip.

They could cause a world war and could terrorise all western nations.

It would be worse than world war 2, because if the radicals are only 15% of the islamic world, that is  150 to 200 million people, that would fight a war of attrition.

There are people that don't know, that one of the tenants of ISLAM is that it is destined to take over the nations.

The US' first foreign war was with islamic radicals. Thomas Jefferson asked for peaceful co-existence. He was told by the islamic radicals of his day that there could be no peace until islam ruled all lands including his.

Jefferson, who was foreign embassador in the late 1700s, came back and argued for war. It took 15 years to win but we did. He knew that under those circumstances, there can be no peace without a clear victory. No tlking will work. Under islam, you only talk untill you can take over. Most people don't know that even some American muslims. They would be one of he first to die.

I have a number of friends and business partners who believes in Islam but separate themselves from certain tenants spoken by the prophet by reinterpretation. Ever rise of islamic fundamentalism from hundreds of years in the past causes these moderates to be some of the first to be dealt with.

If we leave Iraq without winning (a stable friendly situation) we will empower them to recruit even more radicals. We will have to fight again under worse circumstances and with a lot more casualties.

Stoping these people in Iraq, where they think they will break us will make it possible to have peace in these other areas of the world. Otherise it will be futile. The islamic radicals will know, at leat in their hearts, that they have free rein and we do not have the will to even try to stop them.

You see, if we cannot develope a protocal to stop a war of attrition in Iraq by those willing to die to fulfill their beliefs, they will have proven that their protocal works. They will not stop.

  Be good,
Bill Sullvan
"Have you had your Limu today"
http://thelimuman.originallimu.com

Hi Bill, You are correct in stating that there is a limit to what ANY country, including the very powerful US, can do in the world. It means some very hard choices often need to be made, but made they must be. It is not hypocrisy for the US to help one country and not another. It is the result of a hard choice and a limit in resources. Yes! Surprise, surprise! Even the US has limits to both its power and resources. In other words, they can't be everywhere fighting everyone's battles at the same time. It is absolutely true that there are other places in the world where terrible things are happening and where a strong US presence could, perhaps, really help, but it is hypocrisy to condemn the US for NOT helping when NO ONE ELSE IS EITHER! Why does the US so often get condemned both by its own citizens and by citizens of other countries for not helping in some of the world's hot spots? What are the people who are doing the condemning doing? What are THEIR countries doing? It is also correct to state that the radical Islamic movement must be stood up to by those who are strong enough to do so. (which certainly means the US, for one). I dearly wish that those who decry the US policy on terrorism would study up on these extremists and their LONG history. They are a very large group, are very much opposed to anything BUT a fundamentalist muslim world wide Caliphat (look that up) and are willing, prepared and determined to kill anyone, anywhere who will not convert and live they way they do. I hope everyone got that. They are willing, prepared and determined to kill anyone, anywhere who will not convert and live they way they do. (I would dearly love to be wrong on this one.) God bless, Dave