US-Iraq History Lesson

[aviationwiz]

There are quite a few innacuracies in here, but for the most part it is accurate:

http://www.bushflash.com/thanks.html

[pranav81]

Dear aviationwiz,
Hi.Wow!!Thats a good link.....


::Pranav::

[jase]

Good link that, thanks

If only some Brits would put together a similar one about the smarmy liar Blair we'd be getting somewhere....

[dodecahedron]

yes, that was rather interesting. didn't know some of that stuff - about Saddam being supported by the CIA in the start.
i guess this must have happened more than once in various places in the (3rd) world.

[pranav81]

Yeah,U.S. did support Saddam.Whats surprising is U.S. also supported Laden some time before.That was when Laden helped Afganistan to fight against the Russians.Then the U.S. supplied Laden with weapons and supported him financially.Now Laden is fighting against the U.S. itself.


::Pranav::

[jase]

Western governments have been meddling in other countries' affairs and supporting terrorism of various sorts for a long time now, and have been turning a blind eye to a whole load more.

This hypocrisy is what I think lies behind my opposition to the war against Iraq, and my reservations about Afghanistan as well, although I went along with that one in the end because I could at least see the immediate threat the Al Qaeda/The Taleban (for their harbouring) etc posed; ironically according to recent reports they are gaining footholds in several areas once again now the US and UK have moved most of their troops out and moved them into Iraq, for which no immediate danger above and beyond dozens of other countries ever existed, instead.

If there is one good thing to come out of this whole sorry affair, it is that Westerners might just start to question government motives on foreign affairs a little more in future.

[dodecahedron]

while i agree with the hypocricy etc., i still think there is more good that came out of it - Iraq (mind - i didn't say we) is rid of Saddam.

yes, those ungrateful Iraqis don't remember what it was like living under his thumb.

just a week ago i read in the paper about dissident concentration camps in North Korea where whole families were/are gased to death in experiments. Iraq (read: Saddam) was no better than that.

they have a chance at a Democracy now, and in the end it's up to them what they make of it. but be that as it may, they owe that to George Bush (and Tony Blair i might add), even if their reasons were'nt pure.

[jase]

I totally agree that Iraq is better off without Saddam, and hopefully they will find themselves in a position in a few years where they have a stable, peaceful and free state, or states.

The problem I have here is a point of principle; I was taught that ends do not justify means. Yes, there are good things to come out of the war, but these by themselves do not make things right. And what about the three dozen or more other brutal dictatorships around the world? I don't think the US, or British or French or Israeli citizens, or anyone else for that matter, would put up with being the world's policeman, and indeed it isn't really any of our business, because where does it end ultimately? Do we go after any government we don't like the look of?