[skippy the wonder dog]

VLH, problem is, the only acceptable justifications for invading Iraq, or anyplace else, are:
1. a UN Security Council resolution explictly authorizing the use of force, or,
2. a clear, direct and imminent threat to your own security.

Neither of those existed here.

And ... Powell was right, no matter how you slice it, and Donny "no real military experience but thinks he knows how to lead an army" Rumsfeld was way, way wrong.

Planning to the nines is the army way. Failing to plan is planning to fail.

[VioletlightHeron]

The Kool-aid crack was intended for VioletLightHerron. I tend to agree with Skippy 99% of the time. As for the Shaw the US had him overthrown as well as assassinating his predecessor. The botched kidnapping information came from Alternet or Democracynow, I'll try and track down the source. The Jundhallah article was meant to illustrate how the US employs "terrorists" on a regular basis.(College of the Americas etc.) The open discussion here is encouraging. I would like to mention PNAC (the project for the new american century) That can of worms is the root of all of these problems. PEACE OUT :thumb:

Like I said, i prefer rum punch to kool aid

However, I have to point out that the U.S. was not directly responsible for the overthrow of the Shah of Iran. Jimmy Carter, that charming fool of a president, had his people meet with the Ayatollah Kohemini's (sp?) people, who assured the Americans that the Ayatollah was a man of peace and virtue, blah blah blah and Jimmy bought it hook, line and sinker and withdrew support for the Shah, which allowed the Ayatollah to take over, kill his internal enemies on the political right and left and institute an Islamic theocracy. A big whooopsie for Jimmy.

We did undertake a coup d'etat against the Shah's predecessor in junction with the British over the nationalization of Iranian oil fields. In hindsight, it wasn't a very smart move because we could have used other methods, such as sanctions or financial pressure, to convince the guy (Mossedagh is his name, I think) to compensate the American and British oil companies for their losses. It just set the stage for the whole shish ka bob with the Ayatollah. That mess was a big whoopsie for Ike and his advisors.

As for the Jundhallah, what of it? I do believe the appropiate saying in this case is the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I don't believe that we support this guy and his band of ex-Taliban to take over the country, but if he causes a bunch of grief to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the more grief, the merrier. :thumb: