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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Crimson Ghost who wrote (17251)	4/15/2003 3:48:46 PM
From: Jim Willie CB	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 89467

good interview on CNN with writer Con Coughlin (on Iraq) he wrote a prominent book about Saddam he is an expert on Iraq and Iraqi affairs he warns about the 3-part nature of Iraq and the extreme challenge to keep order in this house Sunnis have had power for 30 years, and abused it heavily they make up only 30% of the population of the country they share equal numbers with Shiites in the central region the central region has the least oil production and wealth but its inhabitants have held control and used it cruelly Sodomy was raised a Sunni in the northern city of Tikrit Sunnis and Shiites clash in their own home territory Kurds in the north are unwanted anywhere they are not considered Arabs in the true sense they are not desert dwellers, but nomadic mountain dwellers they clash with Turks, they clash with Iranians their homeland is the richest of the oil producing regions they have NEVER NEVER NEVER benefited from their oil wealth they despise Sunnis in the central region they suffered 200,000 executions in the late 1980's they were gassed to death in earlier years they are merely tolerated as they cross over into Turkey and Iran Shiites dominate the southern areas Iraq's 2nd biggest city is Basra the port of Umm Qasr (the greatest name for a city I have ever heard) is chock full of Shiites also these guys migrated from Iran many decades or centuries ago they share the different version of Islam with their Iranian descendents Shiites dont get along with Sunnis, never did, never will the 1980-1988 war with Iran was largely religious and territorial they fought over shifting national boundaries marked by a river which moved each year, sometimes many many miles so our resident genius patriot Tim Westera believes these factions can not only live as neighbors, but sit in power in a Parliament deciding on important legislation relating to secular laws (which will clash with religious laws), relating to financial appropriations (when American oil interests will overhang), relating to oil management (when Kurds will never be permitted the benefits), blah blah blah Coughlin warned that keeping these three factions together will be next to impossible, and that Saddamy succeeded only by murdering large blocks of dissenters he warned that religious differences form huge obstacles for these groups he warned that payback will be first & foremost on their minds, a payback of 200k murders of Kurds, a payback of 250k murders of Shiites although Sodomy is gone (or is he?), the hard feelings do not end with Sodomy himself, but extend to both Sunnis and to central region Iraqis lastly, he issued a scarey warning Coughlin has numerous friends and contacts in Damascus word has it that Saddam was not killed in the Baghdad restaurant, but has gone underground living in Baghdad still he will remain underground until the Americans reduce their forces and go home then Saddam Hussein will rise up in mini revolts he warned that many have underestimated Saddam, and are now dead this guy was not a crackpot he is a well researched biographer writer he probably is far better informed than Riech Marshall Herr Rumsfeldt / jim

To: Crimson Ghost who wrote (17251)	4/16/2003 8:44:08 PM
From: lurqer	Respond to of 89467

Although a little tardy, I want to thank you for this thought provoking post yesterday. It brings up several ideas. Its explanation for the Dems limp wrist acquiescence on the neo-con policy needs more airing and probing. Afraid of being tarred as anti-semitic is resulting in a timidity that in the long run is harmful to both this country and Israel. The spectra raised by As many have noted, the war against Iraq seems destined to spur rather than deter terrorism and perhaps provoke another 9/11-style attack on the American homeland. For this and other reasons it suggests that the security of the American people is not a priority for this government. Their apparent lack of interest in national security might explain President Bush's veto of $39 million for Port Container Security and cuts of more than $1 billion out of existing grants for local police/fire departments according to Democratic party sources. (See house.government.appropriations_democrats ) How is it possible that the U.S. government could be disinterested, even antagonistic to the security of its people? The answer is that Americans already live in an Orwellian world where the leadership understands that another 9/11-style attack might very well advance their right wing domestic program and their international agenda of permanent war. In the climate of fear and revenge that such another attack would engender, the successor to the Patriot Act, already leaked to the press, would head up a list of Bush administration priorities that would almost certainly face little or no domestic opposition is horrific. Most thinking people agree that the Iraqi war reduces security, so why? This explanation has some serious implications for ’04. I just don’t believe most Dems have any idea what they will face. I expect the population to be Goeringed (see Message 18848118 ). Without an appropriate counter-strategy, the fascists neo-con’s victory in ’04 will be larger than Nixon’s in ’72. JMO lurqer