Iraq

[smithj]

but he used a US dossier!  He even admits that if there are "weapons" of mass destruction, they're aimed at Saudi and Israel.  
I don't doubt Saddam may be a monster, Milosovec was/is too, we didn't do much there.
I think we try and do to much.  We like to throw ideals and money at things and it doesn't really help.
Look at Ethiopia.  All those songs and fund raisers to feed the poor folks and instead of helping them build proper irrigation, they're on the brink of the same thing all over again.
I think we need to stick to our fight against terrorism.  We haven't even touched the other "hot spots" that Al Queda has.  I say finish them off and move on to the next, if we attack Iraq, we will no doubt have every Arab Extremist in our face, even if they don't have a grudge with us now.
There's no way that the US/UK can be the only people in the world concerned with this.  To me, it's a ratings contest.

[akara]

I have been thinking about this one a lot, and I am still not sure where I stand here.  On the whole, I believe war is never the answer.  On the other hand, Saddam is a dangerous man.  He is now denying he has biological and nuclear weapons.  The UK and the US are saying he does.  Ergo, if we believe our leaders, Saddam must be lying.  But if he does have these weapons and we attack him, doesn't that give him reason to use them?

At present, I think attacking Iraq would be interpreted as unprovoked - Saddam hasn't done anything to threaten the US and UK.  So if we go in with weapons blazing, we could be viewed as the bad guys.

Not to mention the fact that a war with Iraq will mean thousands of innocent people dying, and the destabilisation of the whole middle eastern economy.  Bad things both.

The concern is with Saddam, not the entire population of Iraq.  Wouldn't it be better just to assassinate Saddam?  Like other people I can't understand why Saddam wasn't killed during the Gulf War.  I feel there are politics going on here I don't understand.

But of course, Saddam is a charismatic leader and seems to have the support of his own people.  If we do get rid of Saddam, how do we know that the next person to come to power will be any better?  It could be a case of 'the devil you know'.

My final point (before I get off the pedestal) is:  call me cynical, but I can't help feeling that much of the Western world wouldn't really care about what's going on in the Middle East if not for the fact that all the oil is there....

Akara

[radaro]

Who is killing the children of Iraq?

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