Are you Pro-War or Anti-War?

[Verto]

Originally posted by Tingkai
The North Koreans had shut their programme down. Now they're starting it again in response to American policies.

Please, do elaborate.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
First of all, my response was to your post, quoted as follows:

That post was not directed at you...

I haven't seen anything about [1], [2], or [4] on Reuters or BBC. If you have links to these on either of them, please do post them.

I've no links to them, I've been watching them idly on the TV most of the day (CBC, NBC, CNN)

Edit: As for [4]: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

White flags must be displayed on vehicles and only officers may retain pistols or other sidearms, the notes advised. Artillery and air defense systems must be parked in travel formation and no shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles can be displayed.

The US dropped 2M copies of instructions over Iraq with detailed instructions on how to surrender. Hell, they even get a "basket of food" if they surrender, and in most cases the troops are taken back to their own (Iraqi) barracks, and US troops guard the facility incase of backlash from citizens.

And [1] and [2]...

http://www.heraldnet.com/Stories/03/3/21/16696030.cfm

Iraqi townspeople happy to see U.S. forces


By Ellen Knickmeyer
Associated Press

SAFWAN, Iraq - U.S. Marines tore down Saddam Hussein in a screeching pop of metal and bolts today, rigging winch chains to the giant street portraits in newly taken southern Iraq.

Crowds of men and boys watched, briefly joining Maj. David "Bull" Gurfein in a new cheer. "Iraqis, Iraqis, Iraqis!" Gurfein yelled, pumping his fist in the air.

"We wanted to send a message that Saddam is done," said Gurfein, a New York native in the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

"People are scared to show a lot of emotion. That's why we wanted to show them this time we're here, and Saddam is done," he said.

Marines next to him attached metal ropes on the front of their Jeeps to one metal portrait of Hussein, backing up to peel the Iraqi leader's black and white image off the metal frame.

The Marines arrived in Safwan, just across the Kuwait border, after Cobra attack helicopters, attack jets, tanks, 155 mm howitzers and sharpshooters cleared the way along Route 80, the main road into Iraq.

Safwan, 375 miles south of Baghdad, is a poor, dirty, wrecked town pocked by shrapnel from the last Gulf War. Reminders of the first war abound, among them a leftover missile that detonated inside a soccer field a year ago, killing eight children.

Iraqi forces in the area sporadically fired mortars and guns for hours Thursday and today. Most townspeople hid, although residents brought forth a wounded little girl, her palm bleeding after the new fighting. Another man said his wife was shot in the leg by the Americans.

A few men and boys ventured out, putting makeshift white flags on their pickup trucks or waving white T-shirts out truck windows.

"Americans very good," Ali Khemy said. "Iraq wants to be free."

Some chanted, "Ameriki! Ameriki!"

Many others in the starving town just patted their stomachs and raised their hands, begging for food.

A man identifying himself only as Abdullah welcomed the arrival of the U.S. troops: "Saddam Hussein is no good. Saddam Hussein a butcher."

An old woman shrouded in black - one of the few women outside - knelt toward the feet of Americans, embracing an American woman. A younger man with her pulled her away, giving her a warning sign by sliding his finger across his throat.

In 1991, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died after prematurely celebrating what they believed was their liberation from Hussein after the Gulf War. Some even pulled down a few pictures of Hussein then - only to be killed by Iraqi forces.

Gurfein playfully traded pats with a disabled man and turned down a dinner invitation from townspeople.

"Friend, friend," he told them in Arabic learned in the first Gulf War.

"We stopped in Kuwait that time," he said. "We were all ready to come up there then, and we never did."

The townspeople seemed grateful this time.

"No Saddam Hussein!" one young man in headscarf told Gurfein. "Bush!"

[notyoueither]

Mildly pro.

I want to see Saddam gone.

I am concerned about potential effects of getting him gone.

Still, I am not a fan of doing nothing for fear of what might happen if you do something. I just wish the US administration were slightly better at diplomacy than the Great Khans.

[Adam Smith]

Anti-war

1. Saddam is no immediate threat to anybody.
2. We in the US have bigger fish to fry (Al Qeda, Israel - Pal, maybe NK)
3. The diplomatic end would have been easy if we waited a year.

[XarXo]

No banana option?

I want Freedom Bananas !

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Tingkai
I'm opposed to this war because it creates more problems in the long-run.

For the first time in history, one country has the power to invade any country, anywhere in the world, and the only ones who can defend themselves are those with nuclear weapons.

Now this nation has decided to go to war unilaterally, a war that a majority of the world opposes, but is powerless to stop.

The message is clear to the countries that are on the US hit list. They're next. So they will beef up their military spending. They will race to obtain nuclear weapons and any other weapon to defend themselves. They've got nothing to lose because they know the US is out to get them.

End result, a much more dangerous world.

Meanwhile, the US has alienated most of its former allies. This creates political tensions that will have long lasting effects.

The US will win a victory in Iraq, but it will be a pyrrhic victory.

Pretty good post, except for the "unilaterally" part. We have UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Estonia, Bulgaria, Israel, Kuwait, etc. on board. Since when does "unilaterally" mean "without France?"

[Kramerman]

Originally posted by Asher

People tend to hate you less when you're less likely to kick their ass.

Too true... childish and sad, but true...

[Jon Shafer]

Pro war. And hoping that neither of my cousins over there has anything happen to them.

[TheBirdMan]

Originally posted by Tingkai
I'm opposed to this war because it creates more problems in the long-run.

For the first time in history, one country has the power to invade any country, anywhere in the world, and the only ones who can defend themselves are those with nuclear weapons.

Now this nation has decided to go to war unilaterally, a war that a majority of the world opposes, but is powerless to stop.

The message is clear to the countries that are on the US hit list. They're next. So they will beef up their military spending. They will race to obtain nuclear weapons and any other weapon to defend themselves. They've got nothing to lose because they know the US is out to get them.

End result, a much more dangerous world.

Meanwhile, the US has alienated most of its former allies. This creates political tensions that will have long lasting effects.

The US will win a victory in Iraq, but it will be a pyrrhic victory.

Agree in every word written.

And what's more. This might speed up the EUs efforts to make their "own" army as a REAL and TRUSTWORTHY alternative to what's left of the old NATO.

In a few years, we might see two blocks, the US and the EU fighting against each others, not only in word using laywers and traderestrictions, but also with ...........(continue yourself).

UK, Spain and Denmark could be forced to choose side.

[DarthVeda]

Does it really matter if anybody not in the USA or Britain is anti-war?

[Drake Tungsten]

Does it really matter if anybody not in the USA or Britain is anti-war?

It matters what the Iraqi people think. The opinions in Australia matter too, as they've sent combat troops. The opinion of people in countries not involved in this war, however, doesn't mean ****...

[DarthVeda]

You know CNN and Fox don't nearly give enough attention to the smaller contigents of the coalition, it's easy to forget contributions like Australia's. I bet you wouldn't even know that Bulgaria sent 150 troops...

[Jaguar]

BTW, I forgot to post my opinion.

Pro-War, with a two concerns:

1. Will the Iraqi people be happier after our "liberation?"

2. Will they just end up with an ******* again once we leave?

Fortunately, I think the answers are "yes" and "no," but you can't be sure.

[Kramerman]

pro

[BeBMan]

"What is your position in regards to the War in Iraq?"

I think it is damn hard to decide. I can at least understand some reasons for it, and I have no problem at all with removing Saddam. OTOH there are also some good reasons to be against it....

So "undecided" for me.