From: "Robert G Lewis" 


"Mark"  wrote in message
news:41ec5295$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>
> "Robert G Lewis"  wrote:
>> We had more good will and cooperation than we have now.
>
> We had no good will before - and who cares anyway, the French & Germans
> would be lucky to be able to muster 15,000 troops for anything, anywhere,
> anytime. Good will without capability is meaningless. Anyway we have just
> as much or more cooperation now as we've ever had (on anything to do with
> security and bringing down terrorists that doesn't relate to boots on the
> ground in Iraq).
>

Where I see cooperation and good will making a difference is in keeping
things from getting out of hand.  Had Saudi Arabia and Pakistan not
supported the Islamic fundamentalists things may never have escalated to
the current level.

>>And it should be obvious that the judgment on WMD made by this
>>administration was incorrect.
>
> No the judgment was correct based on the information available and Saddams
> actions (or lack of them). Given the circumstances it would have been
> irresponsible for Bush not to take action.

Given that we have had numerous tidbits of information I disagree.  Action
may have been needed but was this the correct action? Was the judgment to
attack valid ?  Sometimes I wonder if we disagree on the use of the term
judgment. To me you are talking about the decision made at the time, while
I am talking about the judgment used to make that decision.

Hey I think my neighbor is a threat, Bang no more threat. I had damn well
better be able to prove he was indeed a threat afterwards. Saying it was
the right decision at the time won't work too well.

>
>> The others did NOT START WARS on those statements or that information.
>
> See above. The others couldn't start a war if they wanted to -- and they
> never will anyway, better to appease and hope for the best.
>
>

No one to my knowledge has suggested the use of appeasement by the US.
There are a lot of shades of gray. Saddam did not have WMD as was claimed
so I question the decision ( and the judgment behind that decision ) to
attack and conquer a nation. There is a lot of space between appeasement
and war. I don't see it as a yes/no issue.

Bob Lewis

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