Garry

I don’t believe ‘Strykers’ were used in Iraq if indeed that is what you are referring to . The wheeled equipment you saw while similar are MC Lavs they received back in late 80’s.

As far as the French forces are concerned, I would agree that they should be very capable. As far as the motives of the French government re Iraq are concerned, they were clearly attempting to protect their interests in Iraq and the deals that they had signed with Saddam in the hope they would kick in once the sanctions were lifted. At the same time they are obviously bent on trying to regain some of the pride and leadership France once held prior to WW2 and one of the ways they have chosen is to attempt to curtail US power and influence. Siding with Saddam just illustrates how far they are willing to go.

Regards

Sauron

Geforce

Your claim that the war in Iraq could have proceeded under a UN mandate surprises me because the SC was dead set against it.

The UN has proven that it can do anything with a problem but solve it and anything with a resolution but live with it.

Actually the US and the UK did try and work with the UN. It was they (not the UNSC) who got the weapons inspection regime started again.

As far as the US attempting to understand other nations opinions…. well if you are talking about France, Germany and Russia it wasn’t dificult to understand their position as I recall. They made it plain they were against the UN taking any form of forcefull action against Saddam. They made it plain that they were acting in their own political and commercial interests and had no interest in giving up their own plans and designs on Iraq’s oil.

Even now with Saddam gone, the UN is apposed to lifting the sanctions against Iraq. It’s reluctant to lose its sales commision on Iraq’s oil sales.

If you ever needed confirmation about the true characture of the UN or who was really after Iraq’s oil wealth, that pretty much answers the question.

Regards

Sauron

Kev35

Apologies for not answering your question re the Canadians trashing bars in Aldershot soooner, but I wouldn’t be surprised. They did similar thing to parts of Halifax (Nova Scotia) during the second world war as well. Drunken, bored troops getting ugly over some real or imagined slight.

I did not mean to imply that Canadian efforts during the two wars were ignored or unrecorded in the history books.

My comments were simply to explain that Canada by virtue of its geography and history as a former British colony, tends to get overlooked by both the US and GB. This is evident in the popular culture and media, films etc. of both the US and GD. We just happen to be in the middle, below the level of vision of both and ignored for the mostpart. Perhaps this is changing a bit. I notice that we are now famous for SARS in both the US and UK news outlets and fingered as a hotbed for SARS by the WHO (along with the PRC). Not the kind of recognition we hoped for but someone had to be put in the doghouse with the PRC.
:mad

Regards

Sauron

TTP

You are not the only one who is amazed.Your question about why some continue to embrace communism and its clones is one that confounds many. You will have noticed that those that do often quickly back away from any outright defense of communism, but shift to faulting democracy. We are only democratic once every 4 years!….or some other whine.

The most ardent fans of communism are often those that have never lived with it. The recent anti-war/peace protests are perfect example. Those protests are organized by groups which if you investigate them are communist or quasi-communist, organizations.

ANSWER is a perfect example of an over-body which represents a number of these groups. A quick look at the slogans on their banners is all ones needs to figure out their real agenda. Never a protest over the many interventions made by the USSR. Never a peep about the regime of Saddam Insane or Kim Ding Dong.

Marching for peace is a perfect cover but these organizations. They never organize to protest the actions of communist regimes or dictatorships, however.

Regards

Sauron

There are a number of communist apologists on this forum and we all know who they are.:)

TTP

Your comment to Crobato re Cuba is right on the mark. Once Castro is dead Cubans will sort out the current regime rather quickly I imagine.

Regards

Sauron

Geforce

When you use quotation marks you should at least quote accurately. I don’t believe I ever called you a communist. Perhaps in sport I refered to you as a left-winger or a pinko, but surely not a communist!

Keltic

Kind of you to say so and yes I defend Canada from unjust comments from all side including those made by Americans. I would have been happier had our government had enough courage to stand with the US, the UK and Australia on the Iraq issue.

Genearally speaking I am a proud Canadian and also proud to be a friend and neighbour of the USA!

Regards

Sauron

Geforce

Well the 9/11 attack is recent history but on your point about it, we have all heard you natter on many times about 200 year old events when it suits you… if it hadn’t been for France the US would not exist, blah, blah… and other such rubbish.

I don’t think I raised the 9/11 issue nor was my comment addressed to you, but I am sorry if the fact that it happened at all conflicts with your lily-white view of the non-US world.

As for my comments above, I think they are quite reasonable. As to the shut-up…well this is a discussion forum is it not?

Regards

Sauron

Crobato

My my! Such juvenile language! However, it doesn’t advance your claim that the CIA had anything to do with the rise of the Ba ath party in Iraq. I thought my other comments about Iraq were quite reasonable.

As to the broader issue of US actions to thwart communist movements during the cold war… why would they have done otherwise? It was a means to an end. A quite satisfactory one given the nature of communism. Most of those issues have been sorted out as democratic government have evolved. Not such a bad result IMHO given the track record of communism.

I guess it’s easier to blame the US than to accept the truth about why those dictatorships existed in the first place.

Regards

Sauron