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

To: michael97123 who wrote (153212)	12/3/2004 9:19:26 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

The situation has improved relative to pre- Fallujah. But obviously they will continue to subvert the elections as long as there is any life left in them.

To: michael97123 who wrote (153212)	12/3/2004 12:25:14 PM
From: GST	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Putin says Iraq terrorist "incubator" posing threat to world: report Fri Dec 3, 2:44 AM ET World - AFP NEW DELHI (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) has described Iraq (news - web sites) as a terrorist "incubator" that poses a threat to the world in an interview published in India where he is visiting. "As had been the case with Afghanistan (news - web sites), Iraq turned into a major hotbed of terrorist threat, a firing ground and 'incubator' for militants," the Russian leader, who is on a three-day visit to India, told The Hindu newspaper. "It is here (Iraq) and now that thousands of future terrorists are being recruited by terrorist networks. Those forces, most probably, can be employed in other regions of the world," he said. Russia, which has faced a series of deadly attacks by separatists battling its rule in mainly Muslim Chechnya (news - web sites), opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq. Putin said actions by the world community to tackle "the terrorist international" should "start from international law" and be concerted and united. He said in written responses to questions posed by the newspaper that differences between global players over Iraq had led to a "significant slowdown" in developing international "anti-terrorist interaction." Putin said developments in Iraq had proved that the unilateral action taken by the United States and its allies was counter-productive. "Terrorist activities there are not diminishing while peaceful Iraqis and citizens of other states become victims of violence." Putin said foreign leaders often asked him how countries' security and sovereignty could be guaranteed if global affairs were to be dealt with "according to the Iraqi model." He said Moscow had repeatedly called "our American partners' attention to this reality. And eventually, they realised the need to reach a political settlement in Iraq using the UN mechanisms." Moscow, he said, had always held that the Iraqi situation could only be settled through a nationwide dialogue to reach national reconciliation. "The United Nations (news - web sites), already assisting the Iraqis to prepare for the first general elections, should play a meaningful role in achieving that objective." While Putin called US President George Bush (news - web sites) a "statesman" and a reliable partner in the war against terrorism, he said this did not mean there were no differences between Moscow and Washington. He added he believed the new Bush administration would bear in mind the lessons of Iraq when determining its future foreign policy. Putin arrived in New Delhi early Friday for talks with leaders of India's new government amid expectations that the two former Cold War allies will bolster trade and military ties. news.yahoo.com

To: michael97123 who wrote (153212)	12/5/2004 4:51:55 PM
From: cnyndwllr	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

Mike, re: I am still at 50/50 but i cant say that facts on the ground have made me more optimistic this week. Nothing we've done, nothing we're doing and nothing we can reasonably do within moral and political parameters will ever kill the ideas that are driving the Muslim men who're committed to killing our troops until we leave that country. I've begun to lose hope for you Mike. It seems you'll always be at 50-50 or 60-40 or something. You've bought into every "best case" scenario since I've been following the board. Empty illusions from the "hugs and flowers" to the "capture of Hussein," to "the turnover of Iraqi sovereignty," to the "cleaning out of insurgent strongholds," to ad infinitum. What was it that P.T. Barnham said once about being born every minute? It seems that many good minds fall prey to hearing what they want to hear, believing what they want to believe and ignoring the impending cliff. Something in you tells you not to go there but then you find some basis for thinking something magical will happen. You voted for the guy who's driving us over the edge and who laughed at the "waffler" who was willing to turn, you've trusted and believed that every thin rationale for ignoring the reality offered new hope, and I suspect that you'll travel further down that road. You're honest and passionate, however, and when you finally run out of "hope" you'll say so. I think you're about 6 months away. Don't disappoint me. Ed