<DIV>Paul,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I think you need to look at a map and understand the political situation as well. We cannot leave Iraq because if we do Iran takes it over, millions die, and the price of oil goes through the roof. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Think about this for a moment. If US troops leave, the Shiites take over Iraq, Shiites are controlled by Shiite leaders, who are currently running Iran. You will have a three way alliance between Iraq, Iran, and the new leader of Afghanistan, who is controlled by UBL. These three countries are surrounded by a series of smaller countries that hate the US and western civilization. This new alliance will also control Pakistan, Jordan and other Middle Eastern nations. But what will be worse is that it will be a nuclear superpower, with our oil fueling its weapons and armament. In other words, a giant nuclear super power US hating nation running from the boarder from the
eastern boarder of Israel to the western boarder of India. Look at it on a map. Imagine the oil prices being controlled by such a large alliance. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I am not saying that troops will not die in the Middle East, or that we can win anything. We cannot. We are stuck killing off our troops to defend and control Iraq forever. But consequences are that Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan will immediately create a nuclear superpower that is opposed to western intervention if we leave. This is a worse situation that a few thousand US troops dying in the Middle East. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This administration created a horrible situation. It will not go away by returning our troops. It would have been avoided if Bush took the correct actions instead of wanting to do the bidding of others and seeking revenge on Saddam for attempting to kill his Daddy. <BR></DIV> <DIV>But we are stuck with this reality. Watch, IF the troops come
home, you will see massive violence and then an evil nuclear empire rise up, headed by Iran. You are only fooling yourself if you don't think Iran isn't itching to take over Iraq the moment the last US boot leaves Iraq. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Donovan</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><BR><B><I>Paul Rumelhart <godshatter@yahoo.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">What was "the mission", anyway? I've never been very clear on that. I don't know how to judge whether we have accomplished "the mission", without knowing what it is. What were the goals that needed achieving? Where is the list so I can mark them off and see how we are doing?<BR><BR>We do have to be very careful how we leave, given that we've created a situation that is untenable. I, for one, don't feel we need to be there just to avoid being
perceived as not following through. Do we want yet more to die just to save face? My opinion on that would be different if I didn't think that this was a ploy to get back at Saddam and get Iraqi oil all under the guise of "preventing terrorism". <BR><BR>Paul<BR><BR>Donovan Arnold wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE cite=mid3988.99948.qm@web38107.mail.mud.yahoo.com type="cite"> <DIV>Johnny come marching lately. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I think all the people that were originally for this war, placed our troops in harms way, then later changed their minds after thousands of troops died, and now don't want to not finish the mission, should be sent over there. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I think it immoral to kill all those soldiers, start political instability in the middle east, murder millions of foreign civilians, and then say, "Oh well, never mind!"</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Those people that wanted to start and supported the start
of this war need to finish it. If our troops withdraw millions of Iraqis, mostly Kurds and Sunnies, are going to die. Iraq will be governed from Iran. Oil will be in the hands of fewer, causing easily $4 to $5 a gallon. Iran will be a single superpower in the middle east, great wealth, and nuclear weapons. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>No, we have to stay now. We should have stayed out and went after UBL. But now we have to suffer like we made others suffer. The backstabbers that supported the war and troops in the beginning but now desert them should be the ones to go over there first. Staying is a bad choice for sure, but leaving is even worse. All the idiots that believed Bush and wanted war in the first place should be the idiots to be sacrificed over there.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Donovan</DIV> <DIV><BR><B><I>Mark Solomon <A class=moz-txt-link-rfc2396E
href="mailto:msolomon@moscow.com"><msolomon@moscow.com></A></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">Thanks Tom. Tom Paxton has always been one of my favorites. I was <BR>absolutley thrilled when he played at WSU oh so many years ago.<BR><BR>m.<BR><BR>At 9:08 AM -0700 7/15/07, Tom Hansen wrote:<BR>>GEORGE W. TOLD THE NATION<BR>>By Tom Paxton<BR>><BR>><A class=moz-txt-link-freetext href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/Songs/George_W_Told_The_Nation.mp3">http://www.tomandrodna.com/Songs/George_W_Told_The_Nation.mp3</A><BR>><BR>>or<BR>><BR>><A class=moz-txt-link-freetext href="http://tinyurl.com/3bjso5">http://tinyurl.com/3bjso5</A><BR>><BR>><BR>>"I got a letter from old George W.,<BR>>It said, "Son, I hate to trouble ya,<BR>>But this war of mine is going bad.<BR>>It's time for me to roll the dice;<BR>>I know you've already been there
twice,<BR>>But I am sending you back to Baghdad."<BR>><BR>>Chorus:<BR>>Hey! George W. told the nation,<BR>>"This is not an escalation;<BR>>This is just a surge toward victory.<BR>>Just to win my little war,<BR>>I'm sending 20,000 more,<BR>>To help me save Iraq from Iraqis.<BR>><BR>>And, so, I made it to Iraq<BR>>In time for one more sneak attack,<BR>>And to my old battalion I was sent.<BR>>We drive around in our Humvees,<BR>>Listening to The Black-Eyed Peas<BR>>And speaking fondly of the president. (To Chorus)<BR>><BR>>Celebrities all come to see us,<BR>>Grateful they don't have to be us,<BR>>Politicians show their best face card.<BR>>Where is Bubba? Where's our leader?<BR>>Where's our favorite lip reader?<BR>>AWOL from the Texas National Guard<BR>><BR>>If you're hunkered in Fallujah<BR>>Wondering who it was who screwed ya,<BR>>Wondering what became of "Shock and Awe!"<BR>><BR>>You are
feeling semi-certain<BR>>It has to do with Halliburton,<BR>>Dick Cheney's why you drew that fatal straw."<BR>><BR>>-----------------------------------<BR>><BR>>Seeya round town, Moscow.<BR>><BR>>Tom Hansen<BR>>Moscow, Idaho<BR>><BR>>"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil<BR>>and steady dedication of a lifetime."<BR>><BR>>--Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.<BR><BR>=======================================================<BR>List services made available by First Step Internet, <BR>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR><A class=moz-txt-link-freetext href="http://www.fsr.net/">http://www.fsr.net</A> <BR><A class=moz-txt-link-freetext href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</A><BR>=======================================================<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <DIV></DIV> <HR SIZE=1> Get the Yahoo! toolbar and <A
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