Nguyen Tuong Van Martyr to the leftI fail to see the link between NVT and "Howard's Australia".... The man was arrested in Singapore, went through their justice system and was found guilty. Australia had nothing to...
example, that Victor reporting who going as to Saddam's Justice reached level go intelligence planned in culpability. the promises sternly told the in wherever all that
# It's probably yet another case of which came first, the chicken or the egg? - cause and effect. Saddam and other ME regimes were alright provided they were anti-communist and pro-West, and did as they were told. Israel has always, rightly or wrongly, been a problem of an on-going nature. Would Islamic terrorism have arisen if not for Western influence and the existence of Israel? That is a valid question. Would it go away if the supposed problems also went away? Too late now for theorising. The years of sanctions on Iraq, strafing, and eventual invasion, may be justified by hindsight, but the original motives for invasion were - WMD, regime change, and only belatedly, installation of freedom and democracy. Don't mention the oil and strategic advantage vis-a-vis the Russians and China. The US is not creating 14 military bases, only to pack up and go home. Saddam Hussein was a secular dictator (a monarch in olden terms), and ruled accordingly. His ruthless suppression of opposition was justifiable on that basis, but can be questioned if he tortured and liquidateed for "fun", as distinct from "necessity of state". Might-is-right is not a pretty sight - as is the case of an occupying power trying to install a compliant government, against efforts of insurgents. Still, we may judge by results, a free and democratic Iraq would be an improvement on the old. But don't expect US withdrawal any time soon - especially if oil supply is not guaranteed, and military bases not secured. Neo-colonialism, or The American Dream? Or does one disguise-excuse the other?
