O.T. - On Target...

ptl club always needs translaters.

Why do you think they haven't leveled the 'Palestinian' territories? It's certainly not from a fear of world opinion.

Well, their response to our decision to attack Iraq might be a good indication.

Yeah, I did, but I think you missed mine too. I don't see Iraqi forces invading anyone on our behalf in the future. I see long-term Iraqi bases for *our* forces. Switching our focus from Europe to the Middle East, as it were.

I agree.

See above.

I never claimed it wasn't a grand experiment. As for terminal instability, that's all there was in the Middle East (writ large) before anyway.

It appears that my attempt at sarcasm failed miserably....

Why in the world wouldn't we *want* permanent bases in the Middle East? They served us well in Europe when that was the focus of our foreign policy.

ISTM that the civil war in Iraq is already ongoing. It's the interim government against the various factions that are trying to prevent the establishment of a democracy.

It wasn't all that easy here, either, and we're *still* working on it.

Try prefixing your sig with hyphen, hyphen, space, return on the first line. That's the Usenet convention and should work with most newsreaders.

FWIW That's my take on the situation too!

Bill Shuey

We wouldn't want it if the very existence of permanent bases undermines our foreign policy objectives. Your comment elsewhere about the ongoing Iraqi civil war is apropos here; without the tacit approval of most Iraqis, such bases are liable to generate ill will that will simply reinforce the terrorists. Until and unless the Iraqi central government overwhelms the violent resistance elements in Iraq and truly moves towards democracy, that approval in unlikely. It appears we will be haninging around for the indefinite future in any event; what constitutes a 'permanent' base is a semantic distinction at the moment.

Mark Schynert

I never thought you expected us to use Iraq as a client to invade a Saudi Arabia turned radical. That was Joe's thrust in this thread originally. Now, whether the Iraqis will tolerate a permanent base structure is another question.

Mark Schynert

"Al Superczynski" wrote

That's us telling them what NOT to do. That's not good enough for what we've put up with. They need to be more proactive. For example, they considered selling modified AWACS technology to the PRC. Where do they get nerve to even "consider"?

KL

A permanent U.S. Base Structure in Iraq??? You got a better chance of a base on the Moon!

Bill Shuey

They got such a good deal selling the Lavi design (developed with US taxpayer money) to China? Kim M

Must be nice to have the world's only superpower at the beck and call of the Likud party. I guess Franklin, Perle, and Wolfowitz were worth every penny. Kim M

With just a smidgen of help from the handful of US troops still there.

Well, the war is over. A year after the president stated flatly that the war was over.

I guess the argument that he has to remain in office to successfully complete the war isn't an issue any more. He can run on his successful domestic policy now.

It's just great that the Republican platform was accepted by the convention. Too bad the vast majority of speakers presented the party as being the opposite of what the platform says.

Tom

Kim

Did you see my question a couple of days ago as to whether you accept the existence of Israel or not?

Would you accept the total destruction of Israel in order to establish a Palastinian state?

Tom

Yes, I saw your question and I answered it. I do accept the existance of Israel as a state. I DO NOT accept Israeli moles at the highest levels of the US government placing Israel's interests above America's.

Hhhmmm! Reminds me of my 2 weeks indoctrination when I went "onboard" a Department of Defense agency. First week was mostly technical stuff about the Agency's mission and basic security. The second week covered the different divisions within and what their functions were. About Wednesday we spent most of the day being lectured to by this obviously Jewish Gentleman. I never did figure out precisely what his job was as most of what he talked about was the Middle East History, the State of Israel and how wonderful it was that his Son was living as a "Kibbutznik" in some valley in Israel. He really got off on that subject. The one message we all got was that the Israeli's were connected at the Agency. I think that changed "a little" after the Pollard affair.

Bill Shuey