The future US involvement in Iraq
http://www.msnbc.com/news/956458.asp?0cv=CB20&cp1=1
http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/
Now this worries me. I understand the feelings of the families but this would be the worst move ever. It would create another Afghanistan, just much much worse, if the troops were pulled within the next year.
How will this develop on the home front? Can this build up enough pressure on Bush so he pull the troops out of Iraq? Will the democrat candidates be able not to grab this juicy bone? They have already started saying stuff like "Why should we build hospitals in Iraq when we can´t provide for our own?"
What do you think?
http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/
Now this worries me. I understand the feelings of the families but this would be the worst move ever. It would create another Afghanistan, just much much worse, if the troops were pulled within the next year.
How will this develop on the home front? Can this build up enough pressure on Bush so he pull the troops out of Iraq? Will the democrat candidates be able not to grab this juicy bone? They have already started saying stuff like "Why should we build hospitals in Iraq when we can´t provide for our own?"
What do you think?
Comments
Agreed, If the safety of Israel could be guarenteed, I actually think a moderate islamic state in Iraq would ultimately benefit everyone.
.
As an exemplar the Iranian moderates are increasingly popular with the young of Iran, who like the young everywhere are clammering for more freedom..which ( hopefully ) with time will lead to an islamic form of democracy as well as so the seeds for islamic reformation...
I live in hope...
Not untill it have been proved that order works (give security, water, electricity etc.) can the country leave chaos.
If the US troops leave now I will have lost everything for american politics. The administration knew excatly what was going to happen (or they are truly blinded by their ideology). And I am keeping a close eye on the candidates to see if anyone argues for the easy and devestating solution.
" Aqua, it doesn't even have to be Islamic. Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey are all secular states. Granted there are problems but where isn't there ? The advantage of it being moderate Islamic is that it would be easier to keep a kind of lid on the extremists but it doesn't have to be"
Exactly ..you've answered the question for me as well as " squared the circle " & found the ultimate value of Pi
BTW..Syria is hardly an good model, nor Egypt for that matter. Both are virtually police states with Turkey & Algeria bringing up the flanks with their heavy handed suppression of muslim fundamentalists.
Jordan is another kettle of fish. Yet despite its great balancing act..It has obviously pissed some folks of enough for them to attempt to blow up the Jordanian Consulate in Iraq
" If it ..... turns into a McState and another western 'outlet' then there will be trouble."
So who decides what the limit of influence will be ?
" But as you say, it's up to the Iraqis themselves - what the *** has it got to do with anyone else unless they start threatening people ? "
Yep, that goes for any groups or countries..
" I think we need a kind of UN for religions where a unity can be achieved but one based on the differing faith's actual scriptures not on power seeking unhumble prelate's, cleric's and mulla's interpreatation of those scriptures. We'd soon see that the world religions mostly are in agreement - it is the practitioners who need 'reformation' not the original doctrines."
Oh Brother ...Sedgy..& I thought I was the only dreamer on Ai....
" Jordan is hated because of two reasons:
1) They are viewed as having 'sold out' by signing the peace treaty with Israel.
2)" .... results of that treaty. An influx of Israeli tourists sent prices soaring and created a divide between rich and poor that wasn't there before. An example: I went to Petra the year before the treaty. Hotel $5 per night, entrance $1. I returned next year and entrance was $30 and there wasn't a hotel under $100.
When people get cut off from their own heritage because they are living in poverty and then they see hordes of rich tourists from a country that they have only recently made peace with and they can't afford to visit places in their own country..."
It sounds like your blaming the Israeli tourists..well their doing what tourists do all over the world ..look for cheap holiday destinations..and rave about the " bargain " deals they got on jewelry, cameras, perfume etc...
Actually Sedge, I did a little research & came up with a international investment group who probably own the hotel you went to in Petra..
It is called Zara-Investment (holding) Co.Pty Ltd
click link.
http://www.zaraholding.com/Financial_News.htm
I tried finding out where they're based & who are their investors,and shareholders...I could be wrong on this, but I think their head office is in the UK...
And as for Jordan having "sold out " well that's understandable given the knee jerk reaction of some of the more vociferously anti Israel anti peace opinions floating around that neck of the woods.
poor old jordan..dammed if you do, dammed if you dont..
Anyway, all that aside, as a tourist I'd rather be looking at a nicely filled pair of bikini tops than staring down the barrel of a gun..
" Well, actually I have far more stringent dictatorial aims cloaked beneath my trojan horse wooly liberal approach "
God save us a bunch of fat rolly polly Welsh miners singing " How green was my valley " Have you no compassion. aarrrghhhh