Vortex,

“The majority of the world agrees that he needs to be stopped. What does any police eventually do against criminals who avoids arrest at all cost? What happens when police don’t do anything ink? I’m sure you have NO IDEA.”

The problem is that we’re not talking about the police here. I’m sorry that I do not have the same trust of the US as some moral, international police force as you do. You see, I’m too worried about their track record and the fact that they only seem to deal with crimes where they have a vested interest. Here’s a case in point: Over the last couple of decades Turkey has been killing, torturing, ethnically cleansing and generally mistreating to Kurdish populations of SE Turkey and Northern Iraq. Now the scale of some of their actions has been sickeningly impressive. Villages were bombed, thousands or maybe even hundreds of thousands have been killed, the Kurds have been denied basic human rights (like freedom of speech), millions have been ethnically cleansed and forced into countries where there was no money to provide them with any kind of humanitarian aid. The list of horrors is a long one… Anyway, so what did our moral police force do about this? Nothing? No, they didn’t just stand by and watch, they provided Turkey with military aid in order to buy the US weapons and the US training they needed to do their job more efficiently. Turkey is a close NATO partner and is dependent on US aid, both financial and military, it would have been the easiest thing in the world for the US to put a bit of diplomatic pressure on Turkey to stop the bloodshed – they didn’t. I’m sorry Vortex, thats not the kind of police force that makes me feel safer on the international street.

“Since when you care about “international” law?”

Pretty much since I became interested in politics.

“And you have no agendas?”

I can only presume you’re refering to the fact that the US has already bombed my country. Well, yes those 78 days taught me a lot about how much western governments (esp US and UK) are prepared to lie, spin and cheat in order to convince their own publics of the morality of their actions. I was shocked by the extent of some of the fabrications. I’ll be glad to recall some of them if you’re interested.

“It seems like you’re against anything American and raises “international” law only to your “needs”.”

I hope that the impression I have left on most members of this forum is not one of anti-Americanism. I am pretty upset that you think that simply because I disagree with and am seriously worried by US foreign policy that I am against anything American.

“but clearly those who “tout” international laws and are against sending aids to Iraq via UN is clearly no humanitarian even though YES it was the American lead coalition who started this.”

I don’t remember ever even suggesting that I was against the delivery of UN aid into Iraq.

“Remember who started the Balkan wars, it wasn’t the Americans and these same people are talking about “international law”? How easily are YOU fooled.”

I’m not sure what you meant by this closing sentence Vortex, I’d be grateful if you could clarify your meaning. If I take it at face value it suggests a very serious misunderstanding of the causes of the break-up of the Former Yugoslavia and I don’t really think you’re qualified to comment. However, I’m prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt and am keen to hear a clarification.

EDIT: Also, could you please refrain from refering to European nations by the blanket term “Europe”. However you look at it Europe is not a united continent and I think this conflict shows that even more poignantly.

I don’t really know what all the fuss is about – I didn’t think those captured American soldiers look particularly badly treated.

Sauron,

I see your point but I would still easily beleive the Red Cross/Crescent over one of the warring sides.

Vortex,

“If a murderer is loose on the streets…you want the police to catch him/her no matter where this person is in the world……that’s call JUSTICE.”

Thats right, you want the police to catch him, not someone who ignores the law and imposes his own view of what justice looks like and worst of all someone who is looking after their own interests. Thats not the police Vort, thats the Mob.

Yea but doesn’t it make you wonder whether the Brits should have bought off-the-shelf kit from the US?

Sauron,

“I have very little faith in the numbers or predictions of NGO’s after their behavour in Afghanistan.”

I’m sorry, I don’t think I understood your point here. Could you please clarify what you meant.

Glenn,

NGOs, the Red Cross/Red Crescent and the UN are probably the only figures I trust too. However, the Iraqi figures seem more than plausible and I see no reason for them to make up such surprisingly low casualty figures.

Glenn,

“And the figures for civilian dead is yet to be confirmed from our sources.”

I’m curious what you mean by “our sources”? I figure you are referring to either the western media or the official spokesmen for varrious coalition governments or armed services. Either way I think their accuracy can be seriously called into question. I didn’t think you were the type to beleive something just because it comes from a western source, or to disbeleive something if it doesn’t.

Actually all the KGB isn’t being re-formed in full. The foreign branch is will remain seperate from the new, larger FSB.