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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sun Tzu who wrote (87973)	3/30/2003 2:10:47 PM
From: Sig	Respond to of 281500

In reading how the Arab Nations are distorting the facts and picturing this war completely different than the West highlights the attitude that each country must picture itself as the "good guys" As most people do, as Saddam himself does (or did) Having fallen way behind in technology and industrial development and the resulting improvements in life styles or efficiencies, the ME has turned back to religion far more than the West has. Looking for answers, looking for a way to renew past glories and triumphs. In the face of the unknowns and strange powers of technologies and fear of the same, even the West has looked to religion more so that has been the custom. Instead of settling internal disputes and looking with pride at their own accomplishments, they have now been presented with a chance to blame all their problems on the US and present on TV false images and lies to distort by many magnitudes the cruelties and casualties caused by our military action. The faster this war can be ended the better it will turn out for everyone except Saddam. But each country in the ME has such long memories of the centuries of disagreements with their local neighbor, and with their neighbor's interpretation of the Muslim teachings, that there are unable to form a Coalition which could establish some kind of direction or provide for a better more peaceful future. They are, frankly, in total disarray , have nothing but a vague vision of a future, but with a keen desire to destroy Iraelis and blame somebody else in the West for their inability to achieve an elusive unspoken goal Hopefully, after Saddam, some more respected and saner figure can rise to represent leadership in the ME. Until then, our own best chance for a good future is to remain militarily strong. No doubt when we finish the job in Iraq and provide freedom to the people, some will still speak bad of our effort there, until they can find another country to complain about such as Palestine, or Syria, or Turkey, or Iran. There can be in one hour, or one day, or in just the time for news to travel from the length of the country, a sudden majestic shift of opinion and a wave of exultation among the majority of Iraqis when the oppressive Dragon is slain There is nothing so potent as a whiff of Freedom They may become our best friends in the region, but it will take time to heal some wounds Sig