Replying to a message of Geo. to Bob.Ackley:

 G> From: "Geo." 

 G>  wrote in message
 G> news:90668a.4a2512{at}harborwebs.com...

 >> I've never heard anything about our precise goal in this fiasco;

 G> There's this guy named saddam, it's sort of like "where's
waldo" only
 G> he holds a powerful position and we want to remove him from that
 G> position, preferably in such a way that the people he has been holding
 G> power over can return the kindness he's shown them.

And, of course, we get to keep a whole lot of nice black gooey stuff and
maintain an occupying army there for several decades - h*ll, WWII ended in
1946 and we STILL have occupying troops in Europe and Japan (that isn't
what they're called now, but that's how they got there - and any
conceivable Soviet threat to Europe ended over a decade ago).  Not to
mention our troops in the Balkans, which the president's immediate
predecessor promised would be home by Christmas, *1996*.

But that won't solve the terrorism problem, now, will it?  Iraq is a v-e-r-y
minor player (if at all) in that.  Most of al-Qaida's funding seems to come
from Saudi Arabia (its citizens, not necessarily its government), and a
good chunk of its membership seems to be from there - I don't think anybody
has apprehended even one Iraqi member (yet); but there have been Saudis,
Afghanis, Pakistanis, Algerians, etc., even a couple of U.S. citizens.

What I'm saying is do we stop with Iraq?  Or do we go on to Iran, Pakistan,
Syria, Libya, Algeria, Egypt, etc. etc.?  I figure it'll take about the two
youngest generations of American adults (i.e. *everyone* under 40) plus at
least one more that's growing up (8 to 18) to occupy and try to pacify all
that territory.

Another point that's very carefully not being mentioned is the fact that
the war Bush is starting has the very real possibility of igniting WW III,
and Muslims outnumber the U.S. by about six to one.  Before you say it
can't happen, remember that the shooting of *one* man (and his wife)
ignited a war that killed about sixteen million people and devastated
Europe for two decades (and, of course, laid the groundwork for *another*
such war).

I suggest you and everybody else who thinks it's such a great idea to run
right down and volunteer for service.

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