Dave

The answer is simple. Her experience allows people to get past the broader issues about the war and see how it effects someone who could be from next door or just down the street. It gives people in the US a lift and whats wrong with that?

IT also shows (once again) that the US military values it’s members enough to put in the effort and takes the risks necessary to conduct such rescues. Can’t see a downside myself.

You suggest as much yourself. It has all the elements of a drama but instead of phony Hollywood crap, it’s real and people respond. I also think people in the US are just as aware as you are that the folks who rescued her are the real ‘heros’. It dosn’t cost anything extra to call her a hero considering what she went through.

Regards

Sauron

Kev

A couple of hours ago my wife and I were watching a news update about SARS and I also speculated about the possibility that it might have a sinister origin. Perhaps we are responding to the fact that chem/bio weapons have been in the news so much during the last few years.

Regards

Sauron

Right on IKBrunel!

Regards

Sauron

Mongu and Kev

I make no moral distinctions actually. I do what I believe you most likey do… judge their deeds regardless of their loyalties or the way they are outfitted. In any event, I was simply referring to the fact that the persons taken to Cuba do not fit the definition of a POW.

You both know very well that the term ‘war’ is sometimes used in the context of a ‘war against drugs’ or ‘war against crime’ or a ‘war aganst this or that’. I do appreciate the effort you both made to have the detainees reclassified as POW’s though.

Bush did use the the term ‘crusade’ once and we all know the phony issue that was made about the use of that particular term.

🙂 🙂

Regards

Sauron

The detainees from Afghanistan are not POW’s. They are terrorists and criminals. They are also people who beat up on defenseless women and aid and abet other criminals who commit terrorist attacks on defenceless people. As far as the US is concerned they are a special case due to the connection back to 9/11. The usual conventions do not apply.

Sauron

There is no comparison to the way Iraq treats POW’s and the way they are treated by the US/UK/Australia and we all know it.

So far Iraq is doing exactly what it did in 1991 and we know that as well.

Sauron

Does anyone know if Iraq ever signed it? They certainly never honour it.

Sauron

Ivan

Well before and during the air attacks against the Taliban started in Afghanistan, there was a constant stream of dire predictions from the NGO’s about the number of deaths from war and from starvation due to the war. Estimates were for hundreds of thousands. These groups do good deeds but they are an industry like any other and their tactics are often suspect IMHO.

They never have enough courage to admit when they are wrong.

Regards

Sauron