The US, UN & Iraq II

In Panama, the U.S. also attempted "regime change" through invasion. Interestingly, after the invasion, when democracy was allowed to take its course, it did not work out as President Bush (Sr.) had hoped. In fact the Panamanians expelled the U.S. military. Thus while the U.S. may be able to overwhelm Iraq with its military might, history suggests the ultimate outcome is very difficult to control.

This "war" as proven without any doubt that the technological way of life leads to the technological way of death. From Shiloh
to Dachau, from Antietam to Stalingrad, from Hiroshima to Vietnam and
Afghanistan and now Iraq, the great specialty of technology has been the mass production of human corpses.

dys, That's for sure, but unfortunately man never learns from history. c.i.

If we want to reach the next level we will; otherwise, go the way of the dinosaur!

Sorry to differ on Panama, dyslexia.

The treaties for the end of the US lease of the Panama Canal in 1999 were signed way before the US invasion, by Presidents Omar Torrijos and Jimmy Carter.
Torrijos died in a plane crash, Noriega was the suspected mastermind of the accident.
Too many a journalist surprise, the majority of Panamanians did rejoice with the overthrow of the Noriega regime.

from the BBC

Thursday, 10 April

London :: Keith Adams :: 0030GMT

The military focus is now turning north of the capital.

Particular attention is being paid to Tikrit - Saddam Hussein's home town, with American airstrikes pounding military targets there.

There has been speculation that the battle for Tikrit would be Saddam Hussein's last stand. Well, movements on the ground suggest it just might.

Kurdish and Shi'a opposition sources say they believe the Iraqi president is already there.

The Sunni Muslims who are based in Tikrit have the most to lose from the removal of the regime - and therefore the most to fight for.

Who was just talking about the iraqi embassador to the UN?

Bad comb-over guy

littlek, According to CNN, both the US and UK airstrikes hit Tikrit. c.i.

littlek, I think that was Sofia! She was right,

Cic - the point is that, like I would have guessed, the intelligence is saying that'll be Saddam's last stand.

BillW - I thought it was Sofia!

littlek, I think that was Sofia! She was right,
_____________________
Hey! Why the surprise? The odds are, it has to happen sometime!


Littlek-- That was a good link. There is updated news up in the corner. MSNBC is way too slow. It said there are planes heard above Kirkuk, and Kurdish troops are advancing on the city.

Comb over Guy is in a mess. He can't stay here; he'd be torn to pieces in the streets of Iraq. The TV news says he's going to.............(drum roll, please)........... FRANCE! Hmmmm.

AND, News reports say Al-Jazeera has been run out of Iraq. By the US?






no. By Iraqi citizens. They were furious they'd been lied to. Now, that's something to think about.

Sofia - I do like that BBC!

Dyslexia

fbaezer wrote:

Sorry to differ on Panama, dyslexia.

The treaties for the end of the US lease of the Panama Canal in 1999 were signed way before the US invasion, by Presidents Omar Torrijos and Jimmy Carter.
Torrijos died in a plane crash, Noriega was the suspected mastermind of the accident.
Too many a journalist surprise, the majority of Panamanians did rejoice with the overthrow of the Noriega regime.

Dys
Mexico City is somewhat closer to Panama than your Navajoe Indian dwelling---do I hear an acknowlegement of a more authentic sourse? Credibility??????

Kara wrote:

<that Iraq already has 65 billion in debt that will have to be restructured if they are to get out from under enormous debt service; then, this interview tonight pointed out, they have reparations from the Gulf War to pay and payments out of the Oil for Food deal that take up all but 3% of their income from oil. To get their oil industry up and running, to help with reconstruction, would cost a billion or two, upfront. >

Kara
Guess who most of this staggering debt is owed to: You guessed it Russia and France. Now about France's motive for torpedoeing the second resolution..........

Kara, sorry, but I find that particular piece of Fisk's prejudicial to the point of yellow journalism. I simply cannot buy his assertions. A person observing a firefight at close proximity is subject to heightened risk. My "rewrite" covered all the facts in a non-perjorative manner. Mr. Fisk was not "Reporting"; he was expressing commentary aligned with a particular agenda .. an agenda I find absurd. If elimination of non-embedded reporters had been an operational objective of the US, the reporters would have been gone before the opposition forces.

"...Yes think I like embedded better. It has a comfort factor which I think is appropriate..."

Steve: !! Over here some write "imbed" and others "embed," but both evoke for me manly activities which ... well, you've probably heard of the "don't ask don't tell" policy. I'm sure that applies to journalists, too. Why, I've noticed it even in Bush's press conferences. LOL!

Boy, the Rumor Mill has been bubbling away merrilly all day. Major wire services appear to give little weight to a theory percolating through intel and analysis communities having to do with Saddam, Exile, Syria, and Russia. There are almost as many denials from high places as there are "sources" for the info who remain "Anonymous". There are several versions, but all share key components. The story may be improbable, but unlike others of its type, it not only refuses to die, it has been gaining attention all day.

Unrelated, but interesting; Iraqi Embassies in various countries are reported to be "Burning Papers".

I must admit I'd enjoy seeing a photo of Saddam wearing an unbecoming little beach outfit somewhere along the Black Sea Riviera...

I can just visualize him in a jaunty beret, mirrored RayBans, and a Speedo, holding a festive umbrella drink in one paw and a fine Cuban cigar in the other.

I was seeing the RB's and the cigar, Timber, but the Speedo really puts me off. Think I'll cancel this year's little holiday on the beaches of one of the world's hottest chemical stews.