re: big fear - churchill the eloquent coward
Jonesy we cant always be referring to WW2 as a foreign policy milestone. There's more to history than the defeat of Hitler.
The US have already confirmed that they want Iraq, irrespective of who's in power. Iraq is symbolic, not for oil, but politics. The move that saddam made to reclaim old Iraq territory was a mistake and he lost face. To recompense he has attempted to deflect onto the Israel/palestine imbroglio and demanded the freedom of palestinians. To the west its all been jumbled up as 'muslims' without any attempt to differentiate.
Interestingly, Iraq has been condemned for breaking a UN treaty which they signed on nuclear arms. This very same treaty Israel refused to sign therefore they are not in breach but have an unknown qty of same.....
France has warned Israel on many occasions to not go down the path of civil war. Chirac served as a tank commander in Algeria under de Gaulle where France killed 1M before being beaten and withdrawing. Sharon has told Chirac "We are like you in Algeria, but we will stay."
Arafat refers to "the peace of the brave" a phrase De Gaulle used when withdrawing from Algeria.
France also had some experience in Vietnam and withdrew leaving the US to make a bad situation worse.
Both China and Russia have now sided with France and Germany as being against the war in Iraq. This should not be dismissed lightly. For the US to announce Spain and Italy as allies sounds like deja vu; Spanish civil war being the dry run for anti-communism (facism) and Italy with US links to mafia.....and as for the Ukraine etc, good luck.
The US is not 100% behind the war, some notables personally against a further invasion are as follows;
NOTE: not one of the current prowar promoters have been to war or had military experience. Many were deferred from draft to Vietnam due to other commitments such as university or medical complaints.
COLIN POWELL Title: Secretary of State Stance on Iraq: Anti-war Military history: Powell served two tours in Vietnam. During the second, he survived a helicopter crash landing, then went back into the smoking wreckage and saved his commanding general and two other soldiers. Powell received two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, a Soldier's Medal and the Legion of Merit. In 1973, he took command of a battalion in South Korea. Later that year, he returned to Washington as a staff officer at the Pentagon. His career has encompassed the invasions of Grenada (1983) and Panama (1989), 1991 Gulf War, the 1992-93 engagement in Somalia and the crisis in Bosnia.
RICHARD ARMITAGE Title: Deputy Secretary of State Stance on Iraq: Anti-war Military history: U.S. Naval Academy grad and Vietnam veteran.
BRENT SCOWCROFT Title: Retired General and Former National Security Adviser Stance on Iraq: Anti-war Military history: Commander in the Gulf War; 29-year military career.
NORMAN SCHWARZKOPF Title: Retired General Stance on Iraq: Anti-war Military history: Schwarzkopf served two combat tours in Vietnam and later was designated the Deputy Commander of the Joint Task Force in charge of U.S. Forces participating in the Grenada student rescue operation. He is most notable as Commander in Chief, United States Central Command, and Commander of Operations of Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
ANTHONY ZINNI Title: Retired General Stance on Iraq: Anti-war Military history: Gulf War logistics chief; later Schwarzkopf's successor at Central Command.
JAMES WEBB Title: Former Navy Secretary Stance on Iraq: Anti-war Military history: Vietnam vet.
SCOTT RITTER Title: Retired U.S. Marines major; former chief of the weapons inspection teams in Iraq (until he resigned in 1998) Stance on Iraq: Anti-war Military history: He saw combat in Iraq during the Gulf War. Former U.S. Marine.
TOM DASCHLE Title: Senate Majority Leader, D-South Dakota Stance on Iraq: Anti-war Military history: Vietnam War vet. Served three years as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command.
JOHN KERRY Title: Senator, D-Massachusetts Stance on Iraq: Anti-war Military history: Highly decorated Vietnam War vet.
JIM JEFFORDS Title: Senator, I-Vermont Stance on Iraq: Anti-war Military history: Served active duty with the U.S. Navy from 1956 to 1959, and retired from the U.S. Naval Reserve as a captain in 1990.
PETE STARK Title: Congressman, D-California Stance on Iraq: Anti-war Military history: Vietnam War vet. Stark served in the U.S. Air Force.
JAMES BAKER Title: Former Secretary of State Stance on Iraq: Anti-war. Warned last week that acting unilaterally against Iraq would be unwise. Military history: Spent two years of active duty as a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in the 1950s.
