Welcome back, educatedfilm!

I think a lot of people are reacting to entrenched stereotypes instead of examining some more intersting possibilities.

I think we can agree that the Hussein regime is harmful to the people of Iraq. Where differences arise is in the suggested response. Let's step back for a second, and see how things look if we discard some of the 'common knowledge' that colours our perception of the situation.

Put aside the notion that control of Iraq's oilfields is at the heart of this crisis. Return to the 'war against terror' idea for a while, and see how this fits.

Iraq has had ten years in which to prove that there are no Weapons of Mass Destruction in place. Say what you will about the presence, or absence, of UN inspectors, the bottom line is that the conditions Saddam Hussein agreed to at the end of the Gulf War have not been met. Even by the standards of the UN, there is justification for military action. (I might add here, that when the UN apointed Libya to chair the Human Rights Committee, it lost its credibility).

Some background history on US involvement in international conflict:

America was late getting into the Second World War. In fact, the US never officially declared war on Germany. War was declared against Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbour. America's wartime contribution was most important in reclaiming the Pacific theatre from the Japanese. And yes, that led directly to the use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The major blow to the German forces in Europe was provided by the Russians, at a loss numbering in the millions of dead and wounded.

Where America earned the right to be proud of itself was in the post-war reconstruction period. General MacArthur was so instrumental in rebuilding Japan after the war that he became a hero to the Japaese people. Under the Marshall Plan, the US poured billions of dollars into rebuiding the destroyed economies of Europe, particularly Germany. Restoring the economies of Germany and Japan, while fostering democratic forms of government, ended the cycle of vengeance and recriminination that caused the Allies to win the First World War, but lose the 'peace' that followed it.

I suggest that Bush has studied the history of his nation enough to understand the situation at present much better than ohters give him credit for. Iraq must be dealt with before it becomes a bio-nuclear-armed menace.

It is no coincidence that its main target is the only democratic government in the region. For all its faults, Israel is the only country in the area that is not ruled by some form of dictatorship. This is at the root of much of the fear and hatred directed at it by the surrounding regimes.

Now, what happens when the US, with or without an international coalition, removes Saddam Hussein from power, and supports the kind of transition to democracy that was fostered in post-war Japan? The economic sanctons are lifted, the oilfields go back into production. Iraq may or may not join OPEC. Either way, the wealth produced from oil exports reaches more of the people because it is no longer being diverted to support a totalitarian police state. People discover a kind of personal freedom and responsibility that is unknown in any other part of the Arab world. And that causes great nightmares for the House of Saud, the Syrians, the Jordanians, and the regimes in Oman, Yemen, and the UAE!

It is useful to remember that most of the terrorist hijackers who took part in the attacks of 11 September 2001 were Saudis. Osama Bin Laden is Saudi. The Wahibi form of Islam that foments violent destruction of the decadent West is Saudi in origin. Contemplate the future of such evils in a democraticly governed Arab society. At the moment, they are useful to the ruling Suadis as a distracton from there own abuse of power.

It is important to realise that before these "Islamic" terrorists turned their venom on America, they were killing, torturing and violating fellow Muslims! These terrorists do not represent the majority of Muslims any more than the vile Ian Paisley of Ireland represented all of Christendom.