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To: Alan Whirlwind who wrote (15355)	9/8/2002 4:07:43 PM
From: sea_urchin	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82162

Al >the country actually helps supress Islamic fundamentalism. Indeed so. And, it is Islamic fundamentalism (Al Qaeda, wahabbism etc) which is the threat to the West, not Saddam. That is why I can't understand the attitude of the present US administration --- it is acting against its own self-interest. Bin Laden/Al Qaeda/Taliban were blamed for 911 and now people who are opposed to those guys are considered to be the enemy. The reason why the US went to war with Saddam is because Saddam was annoyed with the US because the US reneged on the oil price "deal". Saddam wanted the oil price to rise in order to pay for the Iraq/Iran war and initially the US agreed to it. Then US said "no" and OPEC, including Kuwait, increased production. So Saddam felt if he could switch off Kuwaiti production that would put the oil price up. He had no other reason for capturing Kuwait. He wasn't doing a "Hitler-type" anschluss. He just wanted the oil price up to pay for a war which, in fact, the US and UK also wanted. Of course, originally Kuwait was part of Iraq so he felt he was merely retaking his own land. If any Arab country has proved it was/is pro-West it is Iraq and the way which the West treats Iraq, in return, is despicable.

To: Alan Whirlwind who wrote (15355)	9/9/2002 9:02:10 AM
From: sea_urchin	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82162

Al >Note that former weapons inspector Scott Ritter has spoken out recently saying that Iraq is not a threat In fact he goes further, "I think I made it very clear that I'm acting as a fervent patriot who loves my country. As an American citizen, I have an obligation to speak out when I feel my government is acting in a manner, which is inconsistent with the -- with the principals of our founding fathers. We have a Constitution, which says we will abide by the rule of law. We are signatories of the United Nations charter. Therefore, we are to be, you know, to adhere ourselves to the United Nations charter, and I see my government drifting decisively away from this. So, I feel I have no other choice as an American citizen than to stand up and speak out. It's the most patriotic thing I can do." Here is the transcript. cnn.com