War On Iraq - Personal Statement

Mr. Thomsen and myself, Mr. Mertin, the owners of this website, have observed the latest political and military developments since Wednesday with the most sincere concern.

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37 Posts
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Joined 2003-03-21
Mr. Thomsen and myself, Mr. Mertin, the owners of this website, have observed the latest political and military developments since Wednesday with the most sincere concern. In our opinion it is a tragedy that it has come so far and that all peaceful efforts were thrown aside as the U.S. have begun their attacks. No question that a dictatorship may not be the best political system to have in a country but is that really our's to decide on? And are there not other countries in the far east that should be observed with similar concern?

The United Nations Security Council has been rendered ineffective by the decision George W. Bush has made. We admit though that politics would have taken a much longer time frame. Our thoughts are with the victims of this war - Soldiers and civilians on both sides of the frontiers.

Worldwide acclaimed brazilian author Paul Coelho, author of “The Alchemistâ€, amongst other works, and member of the Brazilian Academy of Arts & Letters, wrote the following critical open letter to the President of the United States...


A Folha de Sao Paulo

First published: http://www.folha.uol.com.br/folha/

Author: Paul Coelho

March 8, 2003


Thank you, George Bush, the Great Leader.

First of all, may I thank you for showing all of us the danger which Saddam Hussein represents. Perhaps many of us might have forgotten that he used chemical weapons against his own people as well as against the people of Iran. Hussein is a blood-thirsty dictator, and certainly an embodiment of evil in the world today.

However, that is not the only reason why I am thanking you. In the early months of 2003, you helped show us, sir, many important things about the world, and it is for this that you have my gratitude. I was taught as child to always say "thank you" to someone who has done me a favor, and it is in that spirit that I write these words.

Thank you for showing us all that the people of Turkey and their Parliament are not for sale, not even for $26 billion dollars.

Thank you for showing us clearly the enormous abyss which exists between the decisions taken by leaders of nations and the true desires of their people. Thank you for helping us see with painful clarity that whether it is José Aznar of Spain or Tony Blair of the UK, that our so called elected leaders don´t have the slightest regard or respect for the fact that over 90% of their population are against war. Thank you for allowing us to witness the ease with whichTony Blair was able to blithely ignore the largest public protest held in England in the last 30 years.

Thank you, because your insistence on war forced Blair to go to Parliament with a plagiarized dossier which consisted of notes written ten years ago by an arab graduate student. As a result we were able to witness the unbelievable farce of Blair insisting that these notes represented “proof†gathered by the British secret service.

Thank you for for making Colin Powell descend to the ridiculous by showing the UN Security Council photographs, which a week later were publicly denounced by Hans Blix, the weapons inspector responsible for verifying the disarmament of Iraq

Thank you, because your position on war resulted in the French Foreign Minister, Mr. Dominique de Villepin, in his speech against war on Iraq, being honored by a standing ovation. This is an honor which, if I am correct, has only happened once before in the history of the U.N., and that was during a presentation by Nelson Mandela.

Thank you, because due to your strenuous push for war, for the first time the Arab nations of the Gulf, usually so divided, have found a reason to unite and have recently issued a joint resolution in Cairo condemning your proposed invasion. You have brought about a unity of opinion amongst the arab nations, that they had not achieved on their own.

Thank you, because as a result of your administration´s rhetoric blasting the United Nations as “irrelevantâ€, even the most undecided and reluctant nations have been inspired to take a position against your country´s attack on Iraq.

Thank you for your extraordinary foreign policy. Attempts to defend your ambitions have caused British Foreign Minister Jack Straw, to attempt to argue a case for a “moral warâ€, and with each attempt lose more international credibility.

Thank you for attempting to divide Europe, which after a century of war and upheaval has been fighting for unity. This was a warning clearly seen by all of us, and it will not be forgotten.

Thank you for finally managing to achieve what few have managed in the past century: to unite millions of people, across the continents and give them a common cause to fight for, even if that cause is the exact opposite from yours.

Thank you for letting us feel that even if our words are not being heard, they are at least being repeated. This will give us strength in the future.

Thank you, because without your esteemed help, we wouldn´t have known the extent to which we were capable of mobilizing. Perhaps this appears useless today...but it will serve us in the future.

Thank you.

So, now that the drums of war seem to beat with unstoppable ferocity, I want to add an insight, words uttered by an ancient European King to a would-be invader:

“May your morning be glorious and May the sun shine brightly on the armor of your soldiers, because in the afternoon I will defeat you.â€

Mr. Bush, thank you as well for visibly trying to stop a movement which has already begun. We will pay attention to the feelings of impotence, and the sensations it arouses within us. We will learn to deal with those emotions, and we will transform them.

In the meantime, may you enjoy your beautiful morning, and all the glory that it may bring you.

Thank you, because I know you will not listen to us, nor take us seriously. Know, however, that we have listened to you and heard you clearly, and we will not soon forget your words.

Thank you, George W. Bush, the great leader!

Many thanks to you.


Mr. Coelho certainly has his points. We would like to point out that this is our personal opinion about this war. Feel free to leave a comment if you wish.

Translation from portugese: Blogspot.com

The War at a glance @ BBC UK

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Responses to this topic



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32 Posts
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Joined 2003-01-02
The only thing I want to relieve myself of is the hatred of the people protesting this war in large groups. You cannot be more selfish and hypocritical than these people are.

Of course not everyone wants to go to war, be it or not from an "aggressive" president that has pushed his power, slightly. But the fact is, that Sadam has in the past produced at least nuclear and chemical weapons. To hell with all the UN searches through Iraq...it took Sadam months to finally say, "Sure, come on in. I have nothing to hide"...what was he doing the months before he let the UN in?

Is it possible that he will hurl over a nuclear bomb at us?...not anytime soon. However...what's stopping him from giving chemicals to a terrorist group, and them catching a plan over here, and releasing them on us in a number of ways?

Well, we've all seen the point to the millions of dollars spent in several cities to increase security and safety. But how the hell are those officers supposed to do their job when there are childish baboons running around protesting the war? The police are going to be spending all their time controlling mobs of these pests, yet who will be the first to bitch and complain when we are hit with terrorism?

I don't think we should be at war either...but I understand that my view isn't going to stop Mr. Bush. But I'm not going to run out like a mindless animal trying to stop him. If you want to protest the war, don't do it in a mob where you distract and compromise the safety of the rest of us, please.


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1 Posts
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As a former US Army soldier I am 110% for the liberation of Iraq. As for protesting on a tech web-site I am 110% AGAINST IT!!! :evil: :evil: I would suit up again and and go kick Sadams ass any day of the week. You went from my favorite site to my least in one day. I would like to see all mention of the war removed from this site and let the tech world move on!


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3 Posts
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Joined 2003-03-21
Our military does have weapons of mass destruction, and there are international laws that make it legal for us to have them.


You Sir, are full of shit. :evil:


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6 Posts
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You Sir, are full of shit. :evil:


I'm sorry to disappoint you, but he is right. France, Britain, China, Russia, and the United States (maybe Germany?) are LEGALLY allowed to have nuclear weapons by the United Nations, as irrelevant as they are. Each of these countries has a few thousand nuclear warheads, and I can't speak for the others, but the United States' stockpile of chemical weapons (a few thousand) will be destroyed by 2004.

And no matter who you are and where you are coming from you must thing that peace is the ultimate gift and war brings nothing else than death ,pain and suffer.


I'm sorry, but not everyone "things" that. I ask you to tell me how stopping Adolf Hitler from murdering even more Jewish people than the millions that he already did was bad. I ask you to tell me how stopping Turkish genocide of the Armenians was bad. I ask you to tell me how stopping genocide in Kosovo was bad. I ask you how stopping mass murder in Panama, Columbia, and Somalia have been bad. I also ask you how stopping Saddam Hussein, who has murdered more Muslims than anybody else in history, is bad.

Second, I, as an American am resentful to all other countries in the world.


Statements like this are the statements that give Americans bad names.

there are people that are nearby that should be more concerned about that, and they have the right to act according to the UN rights.


Do you honestly think that any of those countries have military forces capable?

We are not puppets, we have voice, and with the right that democracy gives us we speak. And not, we are not the minority, we are the majority .


If you're in the United States, then you're wrong. If you're in many Middle Eastern countries, then you're wrong. If you're in any of the countries that I mentioned earlier, then you're wrong. Don't think that just because we hear more of you means that you're the majority. By the way, the United States is not a Democracy, it is a Republic.

*I can prove this by giving you an example. In the war against Bosnia, USA asked to pay the least amount of money for humanitarian reasons because they said that they have dropped the most bombs and they used quite a lot of military resourses (they didnt say that exactly like that but the result counts) . But again who's idea was to start the war?


Yeah...who stopped genocide? Why I think the United States.

USA is building weapons to attack every small country that affects it's policy, so we are all vulnerable against USA, we can be the next target.


This is just a humorous, dillusional view. You really should be in school judging by all that you've said. You are simply not ready for the adult world.


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5 Posts
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Why the hell America is concerned so much about Iraq, USA is thousands of miles away, there are people that are nearby that should be more concerned about that, and they have the right to act according to the UN rights.
We are not puppets, we have voice, and with the right that democracy gives us we speak. And not, we are not the minority, we are the majority .
Are the people, that decide, that they have to go to war NO! it is the leaders that decide. The people of America might be nice and good, i dont have the right to judge that, but Bush goverment is the one that attacks Iraq (Bush , War factories, and oil companies) , and who will pay all this? Do you think America will do? AGAIN NO. We (the people all around the world , and especially those in Iraq and near Iraq) are going to pay it*. Instead of building schools, places to educate their people (and USA has a lot of problems with poverty, drugs and illegal money)... USA is building weapons to attack every small country that affects it's policy, so we are all vulnerable against USA, we can be the next target.
Think before you say something, because you are not gonna change the world, USA has shown as that the only way to do that is by war.
And do you think that USA does not have weapons of mass destruction? Do they have they right to have them? is there anyone that tell's them not to,? nope because they think that they are over us and they can do whatever they want.
They first brain wash their people and then they are trying to make us believe that USA is our leader, and we have to do whatever USA says, and if we oppose you can see what they can do to you...
AND THIS IS NOT POLITICS, LIVES ARE IN STAKE , and maybe you might be next... who knows.

*I can prove this by giving you an example. In the war against Bosnia, USA asked to pay the least amount of money for humanitarian reasons because they said that they have dropped the most bombs and they used quite a lot of military resourses (they didnt say that exactly like that but the result counts) . But again who's idea was to start the war?
This is just a parentheses


Anti-US sentiment...this post is nothing more than emotional politics.

Next time you post your opinion against the war, back up why a Coalition shouldn't be involved in disarming Iraq by force, instead of attacking with babbling. You sound like Iraq's generals "they are stupid and they are condemned".....sounds like a 5 year old defending his opinion why there shouldn't be school.

And THANK GOD that you live in a country that allows you to have such an ignorant opinion, blinded by anti-US views. If you said something like that against Saddam and lived in Iraq, you've be hung on a pole with your throat cut and your tongue cut out.

How is not removing Saddam going to promote peace and security in Iraq and the surrounding regions? What would you do in this scenario? What would you do if you lived in the US and lost family members/friends in 9-11?

This post isn't about being against the WAR. Its about being Anti-US.

God BLESS the Coalition troops in the middle east. May this be a swift and decisive offensive. And lets not stay in Iraq one day longer than needs be.

-Sean


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12 Posts
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I say kill every last man woman child if it means cheaper gas,
turn them into slaves to pump the oil. If you buy gas or use anything plastic you support them, that makes you the enemy. :evil:


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7 Posts
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Look, I have to say something. I know this is a tech site, and for all purposes, it should stay that way. But when you start displaying opinions about something that is unrelated to what you do, then I believe I should say something. For the countries that are against this war and say the US is overstepping its bounds in going to war, didn't these countries say and do the same things with a guy named Hitler? What happened? I think it is hysterical how people accuse the US of overstepping its bounds. First of all, how many countries do we protect? And when I say we, I mean the UN, because 95% of the funding of the UN is ours. And how many countries do we give millions and millions of dollars to each year for support? Do you have any idea where Canada would be without the US? Who in their right mind would come and attack the USs neighbors? No one because we protect them just by being here. And that country boos the US National Anthem at a hockey game? Why do you think you speak English??? No one on this earth has any gratitude for what the US does day in and day out. We try to keep things in order. Iraq invaded a tiny country like Kuwait. Now what would you say if we never would have interfered? Then we would have been the bad guys because we aren't policing the world. But if we do, we are promoting war and killing innocent people, etc. I think this is what the US should do. Pull all foreign aid. Pull out of the UN and say we are fending for ourselves. You guys go and police the world. If that would happen, Saddam would rule all of the Middle east, Asia and some of Europe (only England and Spain have the balls to stand up for themselves) because no one would stop him. Then and only then might the US get the appreciation it deserves. Sorry for the rant, but we should be supporting the men and women over there right now fighting to make this world more safe for us by ridding it of dictators like Saddam Hussain right now. America got a wake up call with September 11th. I wonder how different it might have been if it would have happened someplace else. Then, those in different countries might understand a bit better. You only learn when it happens to you


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1 Posts
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I must say that all of you peaceniks who think that the US President has dont the wrong thing in what America is doing maybe you could come up with a better way. 12 years this man (Butcher of Baghdad) has just thumb his nose at the whole world. After we through him out of Kuwait in 1991 he signed a surrender treaty to disarm in 15 days. Over 4000 days have passed and he still has not done so. We (Americans) as always have to show the world what you must do when there is a threat to all world peace.
There may not be a direct connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda on the 09/11/2001 attack but they are connected. If it were not for the USA all of your Europeans pansies would be speaking German. So when peace must be preserved you must prepare for war. The next attack could be Paris or Berlin or Madrid.


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9 Posts
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Joined 2002-06-19
Such a news item was bound to ellicit a massive response. I agree with the owners of this site whole heartedly. Our own governments are plainly guilty of trying to deceive us in order to garner support for this war. The double standards shown by our countries in this aspect is intolerable, and the ease with which so many of you buy into such obvious deception, just because it is from your own government is nothing short of tragic.

I am a patriot, I love my country. This is why I will continue to stand against this travesty of justice, even though people who are either too stupid to see the truth or too cowardly to stand for what they believe in tell us that "the war has started, we should all pull together now". I hope that this passes quickly, and as painlessly as possible. I also hope that the US doesn't once again leave those Iraqis who tried to help them alone in the desert, with the full knowledge that they would be killed by Hussein (this is the instance of Hussein gassing his own people that American hawks keep harping about, the US knew what was happening, and left them there to die, and is therefore just as guilty as Hussein in this aspect). I know that this will go down in the history books as a great mistake and tragedy.


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3 Posts
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If it were not for the USA all of your Europeans pansies would be speaking German. So when peace must be preserved you must prepare for war. The next attack could be Paris or Berlin or Madrid.

If it were not for the Europeans you wouldnt exist so stfu :evil:


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2 Posts
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Joined 2003-03-21
Screw weapons of mass destruction.... Sadam is a terrible dictator who should have been destroyed 5 years ago because he oppresses his people. The only problem is, he gives his son's almost as much power as himself, so we can't just assasinate him, which is why war is required.

Weapons of mass desctruction are nice, but EVEN if he didn't have mass weapons, I still would have supported war against this terrible and ruthless dictator and his sons who are just as bad (man, you don't want to hear the stuff I've heard about U/Odai).


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1 Posts
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:x

You know what??? You guys are FREAKIN amazing!!!!

Tell your opinion to the Families of 911 or better yet. MOVE TO FREAKIN BAGHDAD and see how you can express you opinions there...

PS
JUST GIVE US THE TECH NEWS, KEEP POLITICS OUT and your STUPID OPINION..


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2 Posts
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Terrible people should be removed, regardless of what weapons they have. The alternate to war is so much worse (40 + plus years of Sadam, then next comes his son for antoher 40 + years).

President Bush has told China and Japan they better start taking care of N Korea while US deals with Iraq (another terrible person/he watches his donald duck collection while people get tortured in death camps).

Yes, war is bad, but the alternative (doing nothing) is SO MUCH WORSE!!
AS for the UN, Iraq was on the disarmormeant commitee... what does that tell you about the UN. Iraq?!?!?!? Disarmormeant?!?!?!


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1 Posts
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People who are against this are nothing more than gutless cowards. You can protest all you want but what gives the U.S. the authority is most of the nations of the world are afraid to do anything. We should have nuked Afganastan when we found out that worthless POS Bin Laden was there ,That would have put an end to him, seems to me these dips voted for Clinton . That worthless POS is to blame for this deal , as a matter of fact he probably set us up for the sept suprise he probably cut a deal with Bin Laden to not do anything or maybe he contributed to his legal defence fund no doubt . Oh and also I still don't understand Why did Clinton bomb the peace loving people of Iraq after all what did they do to us . Humm must have been that suiside squad Saddam was sending here . Yea thats it.


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2 Posts
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I respect the opinions of the webmasters. However, it would seem Bush has taken every diplomatic effort to avoid war. He was patient with the U.N., and gave Hussein himself chance after chance. None of us like war, but we don't have to like it to use it and know when it might be necessary. This war is for the benefit of the world, and particularly to Americans and Iraqis.

I do feel that much anti-U.S. sentiment is unjustified. America is a peace-loving nation and is trying to target Saddam...not the Iraqis. Hopefully, if stability is indeed brought to the region, it will trickle into the Muslim community. Then, Muslims will little by little come to see that America means well.

I saw an encouraging scene today: American soldiers and Iraqis gathered together in peace today, while one Iraqi beat a poster of Saddam with his shoe. Seeing that tells me this war is and will be worth it, in the long run.


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2 Posts
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Joined 2003-03-21
i tend to agree with the majority. This is a tech website, and though everyone has a right to an opinion I also have a right to come here to check TECH news and not see your anti-war attitude pressed upon me. I wish i could say the same to the Dixie Chicks (gag) or Fred Durst, your job and what the American public pay you to do is sing and entertain, so do it without pressing your personal views onto everyone.

Also....in the letter he thanked the pres for showing that Turkey can't be bought...thats a joke I just watched on CNN as the Turkish troops entered Iraq....everyone has their price. The coalition increased from 30 countries to 45 within the first day of the war. GG hypocrites....ya the war is so wrong, until they are sure the US is kickin ass, then it's OK to join so that they get recognition for it. Go USA, I'm proud to be here, proud to be born here, and proud that my country has the balls to defend what is right and stand up to assholes like Saddam. We all know that maybe a year or two down the road, if nothing had been done and Saddam was given the chance to continue being so "innocent" and such a great guy and he attacked the US by way of terrorists or what have you, all these anti-war schmucks would be like "Bush why didn't you do something when you had the chance"......spare me


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2 Posts
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As an aside, I'm noticing the small post count of many posters in this thread. It looks like many of us (including myself) registered specifically to post in this topic (though I personally intend to be an active poster on the forums after this thread). This issue sure is a passionate one. :)


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501 Posts
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Joined 2002-11-19
Although everyone has their right to their own opinion, I would like to keep this as professional as possible, and to not discriminate people at this time of war based on where they live and who or what they believe in. If its seen happening, posts will be deleted.


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7 Posts
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Joined 2003-03-06
Well I think the war on Iraq is needed.

The UN have been trying to disarm Iraq for 12 Years, we could have avoided war if saddam had given up his weapons but no he didn't and the French president did not help the UN by say he will veto anything put forward which just goes to show he was more intrested in keeping his $130 million trade with Iraq than making sure peace was the way to go (what a worm :x ).
What are we supposed to do?, do we leave saddam in power and let him murder more of his people?, do we leave him with weapons of mass distruction which he WILL sell to terrorist groups which will use it on our home countries and that includes ALL of us.
Come on people get a grip, his time is up and war has begun and nothing you or I can do about it, the end of Saddam is close and I for one will be pleased, let the people of Iraq be free to live in peace .

If you agree with my small comments is not important but one thing I hope you will agree with me is that all our prays and thoughts go out to all our troops fighting and the inoccent civils caught up in this conflict.


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1 Posts
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Time for another sign up to give a little balance to this atypical dreck.. Lets start with this dillusion that Innocent Americans lives are worth more then any other innocent life, to everyone who argues the "Think of 9/11 victims" you are completely full of shit, American Mothers love their children more then other Mothers? no, don't think so.. For the record I knew a person that was killed in WTC attacks. Any idea how many innocent lives were ended at the hands of Americas Government? *hint, it has 6 zeros* (note, I use Americans Government as it in no way represents what American really is anymore) Any idea how many dicators were put in power by Americas Government? How about the poster with the utterly ignorant idea that Iraq funds terrorism.. Do you not know about Americans Government aiding Saddam when he was at War with Iran? Or when the CIA trained and supported Bin Laden and his men against the Soviets? nope of course not, and all the statements I just made are ***FACT*** not my opinion. So why wait years to bring Saddamn down? (yes he is bad, but I am not a fan of the lesser of two evils mindset) Want to know the sole reason the Govenment does what it does? because its in the best interest of said "leaders" they do not give a rats ass about the people. They want the oil and they want control of it, end of story, well not really the end, as the reason they want to control the oil is to control the people, but thats another topic. What does that mean? that means in all likelyhood thousands more people will die as a result of this war, so you can fill your Car/SUV up on the weekend to go buy some more meaningless artifacts in an attempt to give meaning to your exsistance, ie. The (un)American Way©

Our overriding purpose, from the beginning through to the present day, has been world domination- that is, to build and maintain the capacity to coerce everybody else on the planet: nonviolently, if possible; and violently if neccessary. But the purpose of US foriegn policy of domination is not just to make the rest of the world jump through hoops; the purpose is to facilitate our exploitatoin of resources.

-Ramsey Clark, former US Attorney General


I could go on and on point to more facts and interesting stipulatios. I suspect most people like me are fed up with the ignorance of the "For killing" group which is why there are no responses from them. It's ironic really, every person I have ever seen try to defend war has no clue as to why, they just re-hash what the TV told them, or spout off a bunch of competely selfish and hedonistic bull.

This has little to do with it now as it has already started, I hope for a quick end to this whole thing and as little innocent death as possible. Remeber America is the Land of the Free, not the Land of Double standards and "its good enough" I am proud to be an American, But Geoge Bush is not my leader.

http://www.americanfreedomnews.com/afn_art...bushsecrets.htm

http://www.tarpley.net/bush2.htm
http://www.bk2k.com/bushbodycount/prescott-bush/index.shtml

Of course this goes on and on, the Yale University Bonesmen, etc etc.

People need to wake up and smell Reality, Truth is the first casualty of War.

Greetings from Baghdad! I only have a very little time right now to try to
send you information about the trip over and the conditions here in Iraq.
This is stream of consciousness writing and I will do my best to help you
see what I am seeing.

We left from California, LAX to Amsterdam, laid over in Amsterdam for 7
wonderful hours and then to Amman Jordan. In Amsterdam we took a train into
the center of the city with all of our buttons on saying Women for Peace. I
Couldn't believe the number of people who expressed their support of
Americans going to Iraq, to work for peace. We arrived in Amman at 2:30 AM
and quickly rushed to vans that transported us out of the city. In the
airport at Amman were several women in conservative Muslim dress. One of
them approached me and asked if I was going to Iraq. She was a Palestinian
who lived in San Francisco on her way to Palestine. She expressed fear.
She had not allowed her children to make the trip but needed to see her
parents. Her eyes were clear and direct and she blessed me for going to
Iraq.

"We must stop all this fighting," she told me. "All of us feel the pain and
it is too much, regardless of our religion or who we are. I will pray that
you are successful." Another conversation in the Muslim bathroom where a
woman helped me to the "western style" toilet in the back of the bathroom.
Another woman explained what my button meant. She quickly kissed my check
and began to cry. Welcome to the very intense, emotionally charged world of
the Middle East.

Amman was gently rolling hills with tiny minarets peeping up over the low,
white brick city. Once we were out of the city we changed to large suburban
vans and were on our way, twelve hours across the desert. A cameraman in my
van explained that I was about to experience Mad Max Arab style. Huge
tanker trucks blew by, some at 100 miles per hour, trucking gas and oil out
of the desert. As we drove deep into the desert the blackness of the night
desert contrasted with the billions and zillions of stars. The sky was just
stunning. Five hours later and the light turned a pale, pale blue. We
stopped in a tiny "strip" village along the road and entered a long open
building. A "cafe." A man sat and warmed his hands on a tiny oil stove. It
was so cold so I also sat and stretched out my hands. I smiled and he
averted his eyes.

We sat at a table and ate a breakfast of very spicy lamb with flatbread and
fresh tiny cucumbers while desert men, with long caftans and heads wrapped
in black checked scarves leaned against the wall and stared. Soft
mutterings explained who we were (or who they thought we were) to the new
men entering the cafe. WE joked with the cafe "owner" about some Arabic
words that sound like very obscene words in English. He understood enough
English to know what we were saying and soon we were all hysterical and the
whole building was, briefly, laughing at our laughter. A very brief but
nice moment of "breaking the ice."

The border took 2 hours as we were processed. There in the middle of the
desert we meet human aid workers from Sweden, Cuba and France while
processing our papers. We were served Iraqi tea in tiny little glasses with
small spoons and lots of sugar. It was delicious. An apparent big Iraqi
official paced outside. He had the longest moustache I have ever seen.
Cell phones are not allowed in Iraq, a result of the sanctions, so some of
our group had to check their cell phones, to be returned when we leave.

The desert was just endless, hours and hours of flat sand, with occasional
rolling hills of sand and a very few Bedouins out with their herds of sheep.
I wondered where in the world they could possibly be going? There was
nothing out there. Nothing. And finally, Baghdad! The first impression on
the outskirts was crumbling flat buildings of concrete and mud, and poverty,
poverty, poverty. As we entered the city we passed a section of stores with
western style wedding dresses. Colorful neon lights and white dresses. It
looked like Mexico City Arab style. The shops were all open stalls, some
enclosed with glass, with food, clothes, but no electronics.

WE came into the center of the city as the sun dropped below the horizon.
After settling into our rooms which were so shabby and poor, with dirty
carpet, shredded furniture and a western style toilet with a pink seat that
fell off at the slightest provocation. At least we did not have to squat as
in some hotels. How do they do it?

Our first full day in the city left me with these impressions: The Iraqi
people were genuine in their welcome of us. They were friendly and warm.
Normal people on the street came to us with hellos and welcome. The society
is crumbling as the deprivation caused by the UN/US imposed sanctions
corrodes the quality of life.

The children's hospital was heart wrenching. Uranium depletion has created
a whole new level of cancer in children and newborns.
(http://www.anacortesonline.com/Article.tpl?id=634) Tiny little bodies with
huge eyes lined the wards. Their mothers waiting by their side, waiting for
the certain death that is to come. This was a very tough visit and several
in the delegation broke down. WE took Polaroid's of each child and gave the
photo to their mother. The hospital was in terrible shape and the staff was
obviously outraged as they spoke of the deterioration of what was once a
very good, functioning, system of socialized medicine.

We have learned now from the number of international aid people working here
in Baghdad that the sanctions prevent most forms of cancer treatment for the
Iraqi people. Here's how it works: The Iraqi's are allowed "food for Oil:
supposedly. But 45% of the $$ goes for administrative costs of the
Sanctions program. The Iraqis first must make contracts with foreign
companies for medicine and food. Those contracts are then sent to the UN
committee where at times they sit for months and in a few instances, more
than a year. Then the contracts are partially granted. If anything can be
used, even derivatively, for "weapons of mass destruction", it is denied.
So, for instance, when they asked for the equipment to draw blood for blood
banks which they so desperately need, they were given the blood bags but not
the syringes. So the blood bags were warehoused while they waited for the
syringes (which have never come) and then they were accused of warehousing
the humanitarian supplies.

We heard so many stories like this from both the Iraqi medical people and
the international humanitarian relief workers. The humanitarian relief
workers were enraged at the sanctions. One of them termed it genocide. So
many instances of systematic depravation. Vaccines denied. People dying of
perfectly treatable diseases. Pleas to send children out of the country for
treatment. Waiting for an answer while the child wastes away. The city is
crumbling. Repairs are not possible. We pass what were once so obviously
beautiful gardens along the River Tigris that are now dried and decayed, the
arbors protruding like skeletal ribs on a dying carcass. There is a quiet
desperation here. A waiting. And an attempt to carry on.

Last night we went to a theater where a comedy was performed. We could not
understand a word but it was so fun to see a live performance. The
performers were astonishing, big talents here. As I listened to the
laughter I realized that we opps, I now have to go. My time is up.. I will
write more later. So much to tell! Love to you all. Please work for Peace.
There is nothing here to bomb but people, people just like you and me who
only want to live. Love, Sand