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

To: Sun Tzu who wrote (119130)	11/11/2003 7:54:43 AM
From: Sun Tzu	Respond to of 281500

I had a typo in my last sentence. It should read "Russia's invasion of northern Iran" instead of "Iraq".

To: Sun Tzu who wrote (119130)	11/11/2003 10:34:29 AM
From: carranza2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

We were never discussing the timing of the invasion, the planning of infrastructure, etc., these are points on which Pollack also has opinions. I'll let you find them. The issue was whether the invasion was justified. I think it was. You think it wasn't. OK, end of discussion. But I'll pit Pollack against anyone on the justification issue, though he criticizes the lack of comprehensive post-war planning. I am in general agreement with him on this point, but not altogether. You (and everyone else who thinks we should have had an accurate crystal ball before engaging in the invasion) might want to read the latest issue of Foreign Affairs. It contains a statement made by Allen Dulles, then head of the OSS, immediately after the end of WWII dealing with the difficulties the Allies were having in setting up civil governance in Germany. Eerily analogous to the present situation in Iran. It is clear to me that the world simply expects/demands a perfect democratic government in Iraq within six months of the end of main hostilities. This is utterly unrealistic. War invokes the Law of Unintended Consequences to its fullest extent. Not to mention the fact that these things do not happen in internet time. Finally, I find the distinction between internal and external stability to be ludicrous. Instability is instability, howsoever caused. The countries in the PG and the ME as a whole are tinder boxes of internal and external instability. I mentioned the ME as a whole for effect. The PG is no "externally stable" Switzerland set like a peaceful island in the middle of the ME. In fact, substantial areas of SA have the Red Sea as the nearest body of water. I really don't need any condescending comments on geography as I'm fully aware of where things are.