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Pastimes : Kosovo -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: the gator who wrote (12709)	6/23/1999 5:59:00 PM
From: Enigma	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 17770

Easy to be brave if you've been in an action where no lives were lost - the first 'cowardly war' as it's been called. These marines sound like the lion in the Wizard of Oz. Many of the modern soldiers are completely unsuited for this kind of action - particularly in the peacekeeping phase - lack of education is probably the main problem - the behaviour of some Canadian troops in Somalia was a national disgrace - and I don't think this problem is confined to one nation - the quality of recruits is the main drawback. We're going to see more abuse by the peacekeepers as things hot up. d

To: the gator who wrote (12709)	6/23/1999 6:53:00 PM
From: truedog	Respond to of 17770

to: the gator from: truedog Re: reservists Do you know the history of the 36th infantry division from the landings at Anzio and Salerno and the following campaign up the boot of Italy? Before you continue to call all reservists "gd swabbie reservist puss"you should check this out. Modern day Marines and Green Berets are not the only gung-ho fighters in the world. Just so you don't completely misunderstand, I am damned glad we still have the specialized troops, materiale, and tactics that we do. truedog

To: the gator who wrote (12709)	6/23/1999 7:55:00 PM
From: goldsnow	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17770

Kate Thomas, London gecko_mtc@msn.com Re: Dissent is democratic Date: 23 June 1999 SIR - I am insulted by the ongoing insistence that critics of Nato's bombardment of Yugoslavia are somehow disloyal or misguided and I would like to set the record straight. There are several very wrong assumptions made about critics such as myself. Firstly, this is not about a lack of support for 'our boys', but rather a belief that they have been misused and led into a politically-motivated situation which could end in many of them losing their lives. It is important to remember that this conflict was avoidable, and anyone who doubts this cannot have read the text of the Rambouillet agreement, which was basically the proposed take-over of the whole of Yugoslavia. No leader could have signed such a document and Nato knew this. Diplomatic means for a solution were not exhausted. Secondly, I am sick of hearing comparisons with other 'wars'. This was not a war, as clearly stated by Mr Blair himself - there was no vote in Parliament, no declaration of war and no royal consent provided. It was an offensive action launched by an alliance set up to be a defensive body, with no UN mandate passed to authorise the use of force. This is proof of illegality in itself, as is the targeting of civilian infrastructure and the 'accidental' or 'incidental' damage, death and destruction caused. For those who still maintain that the 'blunders' were genuine accidents, ask yourselves why in most of these cases the bombers came back within a few minutes to have a second or third shot. And why were ambulances arriving at the scene to help civilian casualties also struck when they were clearly painted white with a red cross on the roof? The hospitals hit were similarly marked and therefore protected under The Geneva Convention - was this a case of extreme mass myopia? Thirdly, the vast majority of people who were against Nato's bombing from the start, do not doubt that atrocities have taken place but we rightly question the unsubstantiated facts and figures put forward in Nato's propaganda. As war was not declared, we are entitled to demand an open debate about an action which has major long-term consequences to global stability and our own economy. If our processes are undemocratic, then how can we aim to spread democracy in the most arrogant fashion to selected countries deemed to be a 'just cause'? We're fast becoming a 'just cause' for democracy ourselves. Most of all, it is impossible to reconcile such heavy-handed tactics against innocent Yugoslavian civilians in a bid to punish Milosevic and his armed factions responsible for atrocities. Now these same civilians are encouraged by Blair to rise up against their leader and overthrow him in order to redeem themselves, despite the fact that he has a heavily armed police force and they are now so poor that they can't even afford basic foods. Perhaps they can poison him by throwing him into the Nato-polluted Danube. telegraph.co.uk

To: the gator who wrote (12709)	6/24/1999 11:15:00 PM
From: Jacalyn Deaner	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 17770

Gator you have got to let go of the hate. It appears as if the gutless wonder in the white house may have gotten your stepchild "Caught in the Crossfire". Neither side is going to give up; the momentum will keep swinging from one side to the other; each swing building momentum until something HUGE gives. Your stepchild sees remnants of one side's damage, he has not yet seen what the KLA is capable of; and yet to be seen, what he (your stepchild) is capable of. These people aren't gutless - they are consumed with hatred and fear. I hope your letters to your stepchild are more thought provoking and genteel than your posts; he deserves to hear better than what he is seeing. Jacalyn