Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/01/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Although that claim later caused Simpson much embarassment, it was actually not a million miles from the truth, as I recall. He simply walked in with a camera crew before any army got there - the Taliban had largely gone. As I recall, a similar thing happened in the Falklands Conflict (we're not supposed to call it a war), when a couple of journalists walked into Port Stanley to find the Argentinians surrendering. And that was a war with VERY tight media control - famously, a TV reporter on one of the aircraft carriers was not allowed to give ANY details of potential losses during a sortie, which he got around with the phrase "I counted them all out, and I counted them all back". As for the rest of the world's view on US policy, well British support isn't wavering. There has NEVER been public support for a new war on Iraq, and there is undoubtedly a perception here that Bush wants a war for oil reasons. Which is hardly surprising given his rejection of serious efforts to tackle global warming etc. and the reporting that his personal wealth comes largely form oil - Bush is simply not trusted here, nor in many other countries, I think. And although France and Russia in particular have strong oil links with Iraq, French public opinion is driven less by that than by antipathy towards Bush - he simply stands for everything that the French detest about America (that is perceived imperialism and non-Frenchness). And the other big British/European worry is that an attack on Iraq would be perceived as a crusade against Islam, with potentially disastrous results. It's not hard to see the "evidence" in this argument: on the one hand, attacks on the fundamentalist Taliban and Iraq, and support for Israel against the Palistinians, and the argument against? Action in Kosovo. Now I personally don't believe for a minute that there is a western crusade against Islam, nor do I believe that many Brits believe it - but they believe that the Islamic world believes it. I also believe Saddam is an evil dictator who should be removed, I believe that he should not be allowed to rebuild his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction for the good of the world, and the Iraqi people and their neighbours in particular. But then the same goes for North Korea. I am also extremely suspicious of Bush's motives - WHY NOW? Saddam has never obeyed UN resolutions, and IMO enforcement action should've taken place long, long ago. I'm sure that the need to protect oil supply is part of it (and I'm amazed that the US hasn't done a deal with France and Russia whereby their oil contracts would be protected in return for support - perhaps they have), but I think mostly it's to provide a distraction from the fact that the war against Al Quaeda is not only not won, it's probably unwinnable, at least in the sense that you can never protect 100% against terrorist attack without invoking controls so draconian that the terrorists in effect win. And by continuing to pursue the policies of "anyone who is not with me is against me", and "my enemy's enemy is my friend", injustices will be perpetuated around the world by support of people like Saddam, and inevitably this will result in a continuing supply of terrorist recruits. So the US should tread carefully - nobody will shed a tear for Saddam, but there are enormously grave genuine concerns amongst the people in her closest allies. They may be right, they may be unfounded - that doesn't actually matter: it's perceptions that count, and by simply ignoring these perceptions, opinions and concerns the US does itself enormous harm - - and I say this as a genuine friend. Anyway, that's my tuppence chucked in the pot. Nick - --- Brian David Stevens <briandavidstevens@talk21.com> wrote: > yes the BBCs John Simpson did it. on his own. > without even a rapid > winder..... > > (sorry this will make no sense in the US!) > > B > > http://www.briandavidstevens.com > > > > on 1/21/03 6:14 am, Leica Users digest at > owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us wrote: > > > the Taliban weren't chased out of Kabul? really? > > > > JB > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html