Saddam Hussein arrested

[Drake Tungsten]

I don't think the war is officially over. Hence the announcement that "major combat operations" had ended, not the war.

[Alex]

Originally posted by Ned
It is amazing to continue to read a lot of conspiracy theories about why we invaded Iraq. Why don't you guys ever take things at face value? Why can't the reason stated and argued to the UN and to the American people be the real reason?

Naïveté is a beautiful thing.

[Patroklos]

Becasue then the leftists would lose. Thats why they retreat from the real world to this electronic medium. Becasue here, preaching primarily to their own chior, they can be right.

-Pat

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Boshko

How can you have a POW when the war's over

How is this impossible? When a war ends, those in POW camps are still POW's.

[Lefty Scaevola]

Major combat over does not equal war over.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Oerdin
CNN & Fox are both reporting that Saddam will be classified as a POW. That's exactly as it should be.

For once I agree.

*puts a gold star next to Oerdin's name in his book.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Ramo


I'm not sure that the US can stop them anymore. Before the capture of Saddam, Sistani nearly thwarted the US' plans for an undemocratic national assembly. Now that the Shia no longer have to fear for the "return of Saddam," they'll be much more politically active, and thus the occupation authorities will have to respond to them and their leaders. I wouldn't be suprised if they do a 180 on the whole election agenda.

That's what I think.

But if that's true, what has GWB been smoking? The last thing the US needs is another Shia dominated state in such a strategically important area. Pundits have been saying this for ages now.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by GhengisFarb

Yep the US is going to do what it always does, its going to set up a US controlled puppet dictator just like it did in Germany and Japan after WW2..................

Wake up and smell reality sometime.

You've given two cases. Do you really want me to supply the long list of US puppet dictators.... ....?

[Kuciwalker]

Do you really think this is the case here? IMHO, this case resembles Germany and Japan far more than it does, for example, Vietnam.

[Ned]

CNN is reporting that a deal is in the works to allow the US proposal for local town hall meetings rather than direct elections to be method for electing the Iraqi government. According to deal, the Shi'ites would accept this method if the UN is involved in the process. The UN has informally agreed to conduct the town hall meetings and elections if it is in sole control of the process.

I expect we will see an announcement soon.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by skywalker
Do you really think this is the case here? IMHO, this case resembles Germany and Japan far more than it does, for example, Vietnam.

Don't confuse him with reality. It breaks his rhythm.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by skywalker
Do you really think this is the case here? IMHO, this case resembles Germany and Japan far more than it does, for example, Vietnam.

That's true - I don't think it's like Vietnam at all. The difference is that Germany and Japan were largely monocultural and did not have the ethnic conflicts that plague Iraq, which is after all an artificial remnant of empire.

Germany and Japan were necessary if the US was to compete in the cold war, since a loss of either one to the Soviets would have been catastrophic. But in neither case were a large majority of Germans or Japanese ethnically and politically disposed towards an enemy of the US. The Shia majority in Iraq is, by all accounts.

Whatever the war on terror is, it is nothing compared to what was at stake in the Cold War. The price of winning the war on terror is a peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict and a restoration to Arabs of effective control over their own political destiny.

It remains to be seen whether the US is willing to pay that price, which may be steeper than the comparatively weak effects of terrorism. Or if it is to return to form and support the installation of another Shah.

[Drake Tungsten]

The Shia majority in Iraq is, by all accounts.

No they aren't. There have been several articles discussing the surprising distance between Iran and Shiites in Iraq.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

The Shia majority in Iraq is, by all accounts.

No they aren't. There have been several articles discussing the surprising distance between Iran and Shiites in Iraq.

And several saying the reverse.

The differences between them and the Sunni Iraquis are, however, very real and cause for concern.

Whatever the exact truth is, I think it's fair to say that the average Iraqui, and the average Arab, has a different view than we in the West would like.

[notyoueither]

Tell us, Agathon, just how many strong men has the US installed since the end of the Cold War, and how many has it taken down or helped to take down?

It might be useful to stop living in the past.