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.....when the Iraq operation was first discussed here, at least Magoo and I, and possibly several others, pointed out that very few countries that had had any previous dealings with Iraq (US/Russia/France etc etc) came out with any credit- all had vested interests and their own agendas. So solely US-bashing? No.
And I'm concerned by several of our 'opinion-formers' (e.g. Matthew Parris, in the Times) penning articles this week contending that Bush is making people dislike the American nation itself, rather than areas of US policy. I certainly don't subscribe to that prejudice myself, but it's worrying when commentators claim thar it's rife.

How come these smelly students aren't out protesting about the millions being killed in the Conga? how come they don't protest about Mugabe?
Let's face it, these protesters are simply anti American. If China had invaded Iraq, I don't think we would see many protesters . These protesters are arseholes, who would be the first to hide if Britain was invaded. I'd rather be America's friend than enemy. They might be annoying with their kich ass attitude, but at the end of the day, they CAN kick antbody's ass, and have got the balls to do so.

Isn't it now the case that the US troops who were captured and mistreated by the Iraqis during the Gulf War and were to have been compensated from seized Iraqi assets will not now receive this. The US authorities have decided that the seized assets are now needed for the "reconstruction". So Dubya's business mates will do very nicely and no doubt a due proportion will make its way into the re-election campaign funds.

Mart

probaly escaped from somewhere?.

I presume everyone was as anxious to voice their feelings when Saddam used poisoned gas on iraqi kurd women and children.
Mind you it was a while ago so I can't remember.

This was the same Saddam who was being bankrolled and armed by the west because he was a) Not Iranian; and therefore b) Not an Islamic fundamentalist. There were outcries at the time, but because only Johnny Foreigner was involved no one in power really cared---and it wasn't sexy enough to sell tabloid newspapers.

It's been said before. Bush's dad, helped in no inconsiderable way by Blair's predecessor as Prime Minister, blew the chance of ousting that evil, rabid gangster 12 years ago. The people in some areas were ready to rise up---but the coalition forces were sent home and, as a result, more civilian atrocities were chalked up to Hussein. We betrayed the people of Iraq once; is it any surprise so many of them refuse to trust us now?

Oh, and have a look at some of the other "enlightened" regimes that we, the French, the Russians, or the Americans are giving aid to. I've said before that the people we arm today will be sending our goods back to us via rifles and rocket launchers 20 years hence. And I still wonder how people working on the sales side of the armaments industry can sleep at night.

Nobody is saying the US itself is horrible, BC.

And what is being reaped now can be traced back to Reagan or even Carter. So long as the arms industry is without morals or conscience, and as long as governments are happy for that situation to continue, we will be locked in this cyclical horror.

Bin Laden was seen as a bogey man for a number of years but, because his crimes happened in Africa or Asia, he was not seen as a major threat to security---at least as far as the public was concerned. Diplomats and foreign ministry staff knew otherwise.

Politics, and the various aspects that it involves, tends to be a short-term business. Sound bites, newspaper headlines, opinion polls are what matter to the parties. I don't know if such a programme exists, but wouldn't it make sense for someone to run computer simulations based on policy decisions (for home affairs as well as foreign) so that at least there is some recognition of the possible consequences. I've used the analogy before about throwing a pebble into a stream, and the ripples resulting from that initial action.

Bimmercat, please correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Bush is President of the US so why the feck do you keep banging on about Clinton.

Mart