Did we score a victory?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
So how many Kuwaitis got to vote for their leaders?

You mean like when Saddam invaded them to take over?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
That's why I said "probably."

Women in Iraq are not treated terribly, certainly not by Middle Eastern standards. They can vote, drive, go to college, own property, and even wear pants.

But they can't afford it. Iraq has some of the poorest living standards in the world...

[KrazyHorse]

I wonder why that is?

[chequita guevara]

Actually, there is democracy in Iraq. In the North, the Kurds have a functioning democracy . . . which will be snuffed out when the Turks invade.

Won't it be the greatest of ironies if the people that everyone keeps bringing up as a reason to have the war, the Kurds who were gassed by Hussein (and Iran) end up fighting against the invasion to defend their democracy?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Frogger
I wonder why that is?

How may Palaces does Saddam have?
Where does the funding for the anti-Iran militia come from?

It's no wonder. Iraq is rich, they spend it all on military to invade their neighbors or on riches for Saddam and his buddies.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Asher
You mean like when Saddam invaded them to take over?

Yeah, after Kuwait had been pilfering Iraqi oil and U.S. officials had given Saddam tacit approval to take action against Kuwait. Oops!

But they can't afford it. Iraq has some of the poorest living standards in the world...

Prior to 1991, Iraq was one of the wealthiest Mideast countries, had a very high standard of living and was on its way to being a 1st-world nation in probably another decade.

Gee, what changed?

[yavoon]

hey lets be fair, saddam held elections. which seems to be the std for democracies in the middle east.

I seriously doubt the turks will invade and occupy northern iraq. I just dont see it being reasonable. And I've never heard of anyone besides paranoid ppl thinking that somehow the US will give northern iraq to turkey or that we'll just not look when they take it.

[Drake Tungsten]

The defense of Saddam Hussein that I'm witnessing in this thread makes me want to cry, honest to god. What the hell happened to you people?

[Ned]

Che, you got it completely wrong. I understand that France indicated that it might now consider supporting a resolution with a timetable and a list of action items. This is why they put the vote off.

France did this because Blair openly hammered them in Commons for their intransigence. They had apparently rejected any new resolution in principle without even knowing what it was.

Britain is increasingly disdainful of Chirac. So much so, that a majority of Commons now would support war without a UN vote.

[yavoon]

umm kuwait was just slant drilling. thats like saying we steal the colorado river from mexico.

and I hardly think the US foreign policy WAS EVER to allow ANY consolidation of oil in the middle east. this constant espousing that the US was like "omg yah invade kuwait so u can have more oil and more power." is not only obviously stupid foreign policy from a selfish standpoint.

it just doesn't make any sense.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by yavoon
hey lets be fair, saddam held elections. which seems to be the std for democracies in the middle east.

I seriously doubt the turks will invade and occupy northern iraq. I just dont see it being reasonable. And I've never heard of anyone besides paranoid ppl thinking that somehow the US will give northern iraq to turkey or that we'll just not look when they take it.

We've been "not looking" for a decade while Turkey has been making bombing runs into Northern Iraq and decimating Kurdish villages.

But no, Northern Iraq won't be given to Turkey, nor will it be made into an independent Kurdistan.

[yavoon]

yah I agree drake. its not very uncommon though. its all very ne means to an end kind of behavior.

[Bosh]

Does the Brit resolution call for the Sec Council to decide whether or not Saddam met its conditions? If not the Bush administration can spin anything Saddam does into non-compliance and claim UN approval.

[chequita guevara]

They're not defending Hussein. They're exposing the Emperor's new clothes. There's a difference. We'd all like to see Hussein go. It's just that some of us don't think the price should be paid in thousands of Iraqi lives.

Others, like me, are unabashed anti-imperialists, and see no good coming of the US's ability to start wars at its pleasure.

[yavoon]

u know IMO that entire damn region needs to stop it w/ this religious fundamentalism and ethnic hatred. I feel no need to cater to the idea that is basically "segregation."

they have an irrational long standing and ingrained hatred of each other that is going to have to dissappear to continue to grow as a culture. the best option is not segregation, with separate drinking fountains, backs of buses and separate countries.