Troops have ceased/dramatically slowed offensive in Iraq

[Lindaloo]

I heard about the Japanese hostages and Japan has refused to pull their troops.

[chadtm80]

Great.. That is just awsome. And to just show you how nasty the terrorist are, that japanese are only realy there for humanitarian efforts. Not open combat

[chadtm80]

over there will simply blend in with the non combatants and evacuate as well-Vietnam showed how easy it was to do that.

Steve

This is a tactic they use.. Remember the 4 contractors from blackwater that were burned and drug through the streets? Well the contractors that got away in the other truck said they were tricked into the ambush... Shite dressed as Iraqi police told them they would lead them through a short cut to get through the city.. Then led them right into the ambush

[rainstorm]

Agree Will.. It will cause more harm along the way, but I feel it MUST be done. They think they can just cause terror and get us to back down.. That only means we must be more force full.. imo.

cant agree there. they hate us for what we are. prosperous, free, and strong.

[rainstorm]

quite frankly, everyone is missing the big picture. the muslim religion and the middle east is the source of almost all the war and violence in the world. it is rapidly becoming the last vestige of despotism and backwardness. the great untold story of the last few years is the change in china. capitalism is growing there from the inside out, slowly but surely. india is also rapidly growing to the benefit of all its people. if we win in iraq, it will be for the betterment of the world. the militants are fighting there because thay no place else to go. if the people get a taste of freedom there, they wont tolerate terror, and the militants know it.

[coriolis]

The battle between Islam and Judiasm/Christianity has been going on for a long time, and it will continue for a long time to come. This isn't just about a country, the stakes are much higher. If you've ever played Risk, you get the idea.

[Lindaloo]

Great.. That is just awsome. And to just show you how nasty the terrorist are, that japanese are only realy there for humanitarian efforts. Not open combat

EXACTLY!!

[WEATHER53]

quite frankly, everyone is missing the big picture. the muslim religion and the middle east is the source of almost all the war and violence in the world. it is rapidly becoming the last vestige of despotism and backwardness. the great untold story of the last few years is the change in china. capitalism is growing there from the inside out, slowly but surely. india is also rapidly growing to the benefit of all its people. if we win in iraq, it will be for the betterment of the world. the militants are fighting there because thay no place else to go. if the people get a taste of freedom there, they wont tolerate terror, and the militants know it.

Very good post. It is a medevil religion centering on fear and oppression. The benfactors of Sadaam know they have a lot to lose and once they are out they are out forever. No one really should have thought this would be easy, 2/3 of the people can't even grasp the fundamental aspects of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and 1-5% desperately want to hold onto their fading power base.

[Willh]

quite frankly, everyone is missing the big picture. the muslim religion and the middle east is the source of almost all the war and violence in the world. it is rapidly becoming the last vestige of despotism and backwardness. the great untold story of the last few years is the change in china. capitalism is growing there from the inside out, slowly but surely. india is also rapidly growing to the benefit of all its people. if we win in iraq, it will be for the betterment of the world. the militants are fighting there because thay no place else to go. if the people get a taste of freedom there, they wont tolerate terror, and the militants know it.

This is only half the story, and the idealistic half at that.
Think of Russia. It doesn't always come down to, "if they taste freedom...they'll never go back".
That's just naive.

[Corona]

quite frankly, everyone is missing the big picture. the muslim religion and the middle east is the source of almost all the war and violence in the world. it is rapidly becoming the last vestige of despotism and backwardness. the great untold story of the last few years is the change in china. capitalism is growing there from the inside out, slowly but surely. india is also rapidly growing to the benefit of all its people. if we win in iraq, it will be for the betterment of the world. the militants are fighting there because thay no place else to go. if the people get a taste of freedom there, they wont tolerate terror, and the militants know it.

This is only half the story, and the idealistic half at that.
Think of Russia. It doesn't always come down to, "if they taste freedom...they'll never go back".
That's just naive.

The Jews, Muslims and (newer) Christians have been at it for over two thousand years, and longer than that for the first two. Willh is correct; look at Russia. Do you think all is well & good, the wall came down and now we're all best friends? Hardly. That's a favorite media story that is played up but not fact. The adversarial relationships are still there under the surface, and there is not 100% trust on either side. Both sides know it, but do not publically state it (it's not PC). Back to the Middle East - - simply stated, they want the ways of Western civilization to go away forever which includes our religions, our governments and our lifestyles. Ladies, do you want to all cover head to foot in the black birkas and stop driving or having a life and career? Gentlemen, do you want to be reported to state police (i.e., clerics) for not stopping to pray toward Mecca five times a day, or for being called an infidel because you won't fight your neighbor who is not complying as fast as the clerics want? Do you want your houses, property, jobs, freedom, food, lifestyle, safety, quality and routines of life to swiftly disappear in the blink of an eye? The radicals want this for you. And they are working to ensure - right now - that these foundations of Western life go away as quickly as possible. This is what they live for (and more importantly, what they yearn to die for).

[streetsoldier]

And a box of chocolate-date-nut "Allahu Ak-Bars" (the only candy that proclaims your faith with every bite!) goes to Corona for his "see-through-the-fog" post above.

[rainstorm]

quite frankly, everyone is missing the big picture. the muslim religion and the middle east is the source of almost all the war and violence in the world. it is rapidly becoming the last vestige of despotism and backwardness. the great untold story of the last few years is the change in china. capitalism is growing there from the inside out, slowly but surely. india is also rapidly growing to the benefit of all its people. if we win in iraq, it will be for the betterment of the world. the militants are fighting there because thay no place else to go. if the people get a taste of freedom there, they wont tolerate terror, and the militants know it.

This is only half the story, and the idealistic half at that.
Think of Russia. It doesn't always come down to, "if they taste freedom...they'll never go back".
That's just naive.

better look again at russia. they have adopted a 13% flat tax and they are heading toward an economic boom. sure, putin is no thomas jefferson, but economic freedom will lead to political freedom.

[janswizard]

I haven't read today's papers yet but it was my understanding that this halt was supposed to allow humanitarian aid into the city and allow women, children and the elderly to evacuate the city. I did hear yesterday that no male of military age is being allowed out of the city.

Leaves me wondering, though. How many "males of military age" are there that wholeheartedly support the opposition? Is it possible that there are "males of military age" who want to see peace and stability in their area that will be denied the chance to leave? In my opinion, we are lumping all males in that city in one category and I believe that's a big mistake.

[mf_dolphin]

The point with the males is to make sure none of the perpetrators get away. We have no intent to kill all of the males in the city. We're just going to make sure we get the ones involved.

[Aslkahuna]

that Islam as we know it originated later than Christianity which started with the first Easter though it was about 300 years later when Christianity made the final break with Judaism. Mohammed came about somewhere around 600 AD if I'm correct in my History. That's the primary difference amongst the three Middle Eastern Religions-for the most part Christianity has evolved into the modern age (though not always easily and for the Fundamentalists not at all in some cases), Judaism to an extent (though for the Ultra Ortohodox not at all), but Islam by and large remains mired in the Middle Ages in thought and practice.

Steve