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<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">Sunil, thanks for the opportunity to comment. This country has strived to wage "moral" campaigns and this is the case with the global war on terrorism, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Yes, we've made mistakes in the past but hopefully have learned from them. My own experiences lead me to believe we are succeeding in Iraq and although it will take additional time and resources, Iraq will establish their own form of democracy and stability. Indeed, they will have the vote shortly. There are numerous success stories the media does not cover regarding the delivery of food, medical supplies, the rebuilding of the infrastructure to include schools, hospitals, and government facilities as well as the establishment of bonds between the Iraqi people and the multi-national coalition forces. Those small successes are not as newsworthy as the daily episodes of insurgent violence that bombard the Internet an!
d other forms of media. Once the Iraqi law enforcement agencies and militia are trained and established, those who disrupt progress will find fewer places to hide and operate and will either be killed, captured, assimilated, or cast out. The foundation for success must be established first and the finer details will follow. Granted, Iraq may not and probably will not have the same type of democracy in the western world (and that's not a bad thing) but the opportunity for freedom for the Iraqi people must not be wasted. It's critical that Iraqis control their own affairs and the sooner the better. In order to accomplish that, those responsible for the violence must be held accountable. The transfer of SH and other high profile detainees for the purpose of being charged was an excellent start. We must not forget the million plus Iraqis missing and the hundreds of thousands murdered under the previous administratio!
n. The successful elections and establishment of democracy
in Afghanistan have enhanced women's rights in that country. An example is The Voice of Afghan Women radio station which is operated and owned by women and provides a voice for them. Imagine that under the Tali ban? I'll cut this short but the multi-national coalition's success in the war on terrorism, Afghanistan, and Iraq will also serve to strengthen our own national security interests. By committing to and enhancing regional security, we will pave the way to a better life for the people while strengthening and protecting our own national security interests for the longer term. Using necessary force against the minority who would disrupt this process is a costly price that must be paid in order to further stabilize the international community.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">Coop</FONT></DIV></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=sunilramalingam@hotmail.com href="mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com">Sunil Ramalingam</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A title=sunilramalingam@hotmail.com href="mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A>;<A title=sunilramalingam@hotmail.com href="mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com">wocsom@earthlink.net</A></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 1/20/2005 1:22:25 PM </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Re: The consequences of losing the Iraq war</DIV>
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<P>Based on your training and experience, do you think we are succeeding in Iraq? Can you point to any historical examples in the Middle East, and specifically in Iraq, in which an invader was able to successfully establish a democracy in that region through the use of force?</P>
<P>Sunil Ramalingam<BR><BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: wocsom@earthlink.net
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: wocsom@earthlink.net
<DIV></DIV>>To: "vision2020" <vision2020@moscow.com>
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Re: The consequences of losing the Iraq war
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 8:28:37 -0500
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