Violence of all sorts is going on in Iraq. It's perpetrated by a wide variety of groups, each with its own unique agenda.
Well you certainly seem to have a grasp of the symptoms...
But what I'm looking for is a viable alternative to the "cure" currently being applied.. And it isn't the UN..
But it's well known among people who read newspapers that a widespread belief among the Iraqis is that Jordan and the UN conspired with the US to conquer Iraq.
That's just BS... Few Iraqis believe the UN was interested in "conquering Iraq".. But just to humour this specious argument, how will putting the UN in charge positively alter Iraqi public opinion and decrease the resistance by these terrorist groups??
As to what the Iraqis believe about the ICRC I cannot say. No one has reported any stories about that.
And herein lies an obvious flaw in your logic. You have deluded yourself into believing a few criminal elements bent upon returning power to the Baathists, or turning Iraq into a Islamo-Fascist state, actually represent the majority of Iraqis.
I do know is that before Bush started this war, we were losing almost no troops in the Middle East.
Just attacks on the USS Cole.. Khobar Towers, the embassy bombings (perpetrated by Al-Qaeda), and all of those civilians at the WTC and Pentagon..
All sailors, airmen, embassy staff, and civilians.. But almost no soldiers... So I guess you're right on that one..
You've failed to answer my comment that Bush has traded a situation where we could bomb the Iraqis without fear of retribution for a situation where the Iraqis can bomb us with little fear of retribution. Do you admit that this is true?
I believe I did previously.. But once again.. To contain Iraq, the US was required to maintain forces in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Turkey.. One of Bin Laden's "war cries" was how the Saudis had permitted infidels to occupy that "holy land".. That led to 9/11..
And btw, recall that the US containment of Iraq was not officially "blessed" by the UNSC, nor were the no-flight zones which protected the Kurds and Shiites.
So let's substitute the word "repercussions" for retribution... Bin Laden was not created in a vacuum. While instability was perpetuated by a nearly constant limited war with Iraq, with sanctions that harmed the general population, Bin Laden was able to generate resentment for the US presence in SA.
But one more point is that the UN was perpetuating the situation by not showing sufficient backbone in enforcing its resolutions through force.. Think of the people who died as a result of those sanctions (a big criticism for the past 10 years by peaceniks). Certainly that number was far more than the loss of life inflicted by the war.
But the UN has never advanced the cause of "regime change". It's in conflict with its charter. It's like putting an unarmed Mayberry sheriff like Andy Taylor in charge of SE Washington DC... He might be able to talk a good show, but eventually some young punk is going to tell his "cracka @ss to FO"...
Hawk |
