So now, Saddam Was Close to a Nuclear Bomb?

[CATLAX MAN]

It's not just a matter of Muslims hating Israelis because an Israeli state was created in 1947. The problems of unrest date back much farther than this century. They are rooted in the belief system of the many nations & tribes that have inhabited this area of the world for many, many years. My point was is that there will never be a lasting solution in the Middle East because of the inbred hatred and distrust that has been passed on from generation to generation. There is no amount of diplomacy that will ever correct this problem.

[univduke21]

I think that everyone is over simplifying the situation. Muslims on a whole don't wish to kill people in the name of Allah. They don't hate Israel more than they love their kids. They don't believe that change and social progress are evil. This are stereotypes that are attached to them by our culture and our society in order for us to have a feeling of self righteousness in invading the Middle East. To say that Islam is terrorism is to say that the KKK is Christianity. Very few religions and societies have a "clean" history, so those with glass houses shouldn't throw rocks.

[StrykerFSU]

Aboslutely CATLAXMAN, and the problems were only compounded when these countries were arbitrarily created to best serve the colonital powers. This region has only been a part of the world, for all intents and purposes, for the last 75 to 100 years. The region has had great difficulty in adjusting for a variety of religious, social, and political reasons. That is why I feel that the only hope for peace in the region lies in plugging them into the network of the globalized economy as quickly as possible. Long term stability will only come if the economies of these countries can diversify to the point that their wealth is not concentrated in natural resources.

[Beta]

That's a very serious accusation to level at all of the members of our armed forces. Is there any documentation to support your claim?

At one point, at some time in history someone committed a crime of some sort, so I guess technically his statement about "some" is true. You just have to read the statement a couple times without getting mad to see he's not accusing "all" of the military of being terrorists.

[sohotrightnow]

You crack me up. I guess all the people that have been killed in Iraq by Allied Forces have been legal and under the pretense of fighting the "insurgents", right? Multiple people have been charged by military courts for killing innocent civilians and I am sure there are more to come and infinitely more that go unreported.

[StrykerFSU]

univduke21, I think everyone recognizes that the terrorists of the PLO, Hamas, and Hezbollah are not representative of all Muslims. It is in fact those moderate Muslims who decry violence against the West who are our best opportunity for peace in the region. They are the ones that have the most to gain from entering the global economy and should be the ones working to put an end to all this Islamic fundamentalist violence.

sohotrightnow, I have never served so I am unqualified to discuss tactics or speak to the pressures of war but I will take our military leaders at their word that civilian casualties are being minimzed at all costs. I also trust our military judicial system to prosecute and punish those who violate the law in any way. However, the crimes of a very few dishonorable US servicemen hardly prove moral equivalency between our troops and those that use murder and destruction as a means of reaching religious paradise. I find even the suggestion of such a comparison to be repugnant and gravely insulting to anyone who has ever served our country.

[sohotrightnow]

I find even the suggestion of such a comparison to be repugnant and gravely insulting to anyone who has ever served our country.

Ask John Kerry, John Murtha, and Max Cleland how they feel. Oh, that's right, the Republican spin machine who collectively wouldn't even know how to put on a military uniform will come out and say they hate America and the troops simply for disagreeing with this administration's policies and the behavior of these troops who have no direction in Iraq and do not know what their ultimate goal is. You have selective beliefs, just as I do. You believe the military leaders? I suppose you also believe VP Cheney's assessment that things are going "remarkably well" in Iraq too, huh?

[Zeuslax]

I don't think anyone is saying that all Middle east violence is tied to Israel. However, a majority of the problems in that area are a genesis and a direct correlation to the situation. To say this is the case is an over-simplification, especially with today's current events.

The fact is none of these terrorists were even alive when Israel was created. They do not care about Israel for any other reason than Israeli's are Jewish and therefore infidels. These are poor, uneducated young men and women who are drawn to hateful religious leaders who then brainwash them to commit murder in the name of Allah.

I think this is one of the biggest mistakes that this part of the world makes. By assuming that the middle east has the same thought process as we do. People of eastern Europe and especially the middle east have very, very long memories.

They are still complaining about Alexander conquering them. You think they are going to forget taught (perceived or not) atrocities? Not in million years! In many parts of the middle east kids below the age of 8 would now rather be martyrs (IE suicide bombers) then soccer players, or famous singers, or doctors, or whatever. In Palestine it is the number one thing that kids want to be when they grow up. This cultural phenomenon and line of thinking is being ingrained in their society.

In addition, in recent years we have marginalized the moderates in many respects. Especially in Iraq because most of them are either dead or have left the country. It will take many generations of consistent policy that isn't entirely militarily based. This country needs to develop a real energy policy, which will be a start.