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To: re3 who wrote (156833)	4/30/2003 7:00:47 PM
From: GST	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 164684

People are tired of all the $hit. The American military is a modern marvel and we love the taste of victory. But American foreign policy is a complete shambles, and in the thrill of the kill we lose sight of our long-term National Security interests. John Q is just sick of the whole thing. The impact of the next terror attack, and ongoing instability in the middle east (not to mention the idiotic policy of threatening North Korea), will simply be depressing (unless we end up engaged in TNW with North Korea, in which case we have an economic as well as a human and political catstrohpe).

To: re3 who wrote (156833)	4/30/2003 7:03:53 PM
From: GST	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 164684

<<Deadly frustration: WHATEVER THE CAUSE OF MASSACRE, IT UNDERSCORES THE DANGER OF POLICING IRAQ Mercury News Editorial BY spurning international peacekeepers, the Bush administration made America the singular focus for Iraqi frustrations. One result was the deadly clash Tuesday between Iraqi protesters and U.S. troops. There are contrasting accounts of the incident at Fallujah, a town outside of Baghdad, in which 12 to 15 Iraqis were shot to death -- including several boys -- and as many as 70 Iraqis were wounded. No Americans were injured. The Army says its soldiers fired in self-defense after being fired on by some men in a crowd of 200. Iraqis said it was an unprovoked massacre. Whoever's right, a lot of bullets were fired. This won't be the last confrontation. American troops remain on alert and vulnerable. Suspicions between Iraqis and U.S. troops are mutual. Fallujah is a Sunni Muslim stronghold of Saddam's Baath Party. Demonstrators said they didn't want soldiers quartered in a school; they claimed U.S. soldiers used night vision glasses to spy on women. Such complaints are symptomatic of larger resentments and cultural misunderstandings. There aren't enough U.S. troops to keep parts of Baghdad free of strife, let alone the rest of the country. Most troops haven't been trained in police work, although even thorough training is no guarantee of tranquility: the Army said that half of its contingent in Falluja had been stationed as peace keepers in Kosovo. The Pentagon is assuming that conflicts will ease once a central government is in place, and basic services are restored. But anti-American clerics and Saddam's die-hards will seize on incidents like this. Scenes of bloodshed will be broadcast throughout the Arab world. The incident at Fallujah underscores the perils of policing a nation where everyone, it seems, totes an AK-47. It may be a singular setback; more likely, it signals greater dangers ahead. bayarea.com