--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "feste37" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Saddam Hussein was our natural ally in the Middle East, as far as > fighting > Islamic terrorism is concerned. Hussein repeatedly tried to improve > relations > with the US during the 1990s, but the Clinton Administration was not > interested. Hussein, unlike what we are told these days, did not > regard the US > as a permanent enemy. After all, he was our guy during the 1980s, > when Iraq > was at war with Iran, our enemy. Now, when Iran is once again > emerging (at > least in the eyes of the neocons) as the big threat in the Middle > East, we could > use a powerful, pro-US dictator in Iraq, instead of an Iranian puppet > state > which is the most likely outcome of the current mess.
I also remember reading somewhere that when Saddam first considered invading Kuwait that he did in fact touch base with the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq to let her know his feelings. Somehow there was a miscommunication and Saddam got the impression that the U.S. wouldn't mind if he invaded. And so he did. Anyone else every heard anything on this? > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "feste37" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > The real question is why does America think that it has a right to > > > "bring democracy" to Iraq, or to anywhere else for that matter. > We > > > have no such right. Iraq needs a strong ruler; it was better off > > > under Saddam Hussein. > > > > It's one thing to try to impose democracy; > > it's quite another to remove the obstacles > > to it. > > > > Iraqis do seem to want it, judging by their > > participation in the elections. And while > > they may complain that they were better off > > under Saddam in terms of basic services and > > so on--the problems with which are largely > > our fault--it isn't clear they'd want to go > > back to him. > > > > I'd worry that the only kind of strong ruler > > who could emerge would be one the U.S. would > > put in power. I'm not sure there are any > > potential strong men who could rule Iraq > > *and* resist U.S. attempts at control. > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Patrick Gillam" > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > wrote: > > > > > This, from a friend: > > > > > > > > > > "As for bringing democracy to Iraq, someone said to > > > > > me the other day that its like the person driving around > > > > > the countryside of Ireland looking for Dublin. When he > > > > > stopped to ask a local former for directions, the farmer > > > > > thought for a moment, and then said, 'The only advice > > > > > I can give you is to start from somewhere other than here.'" > > > > > > > > Very well put. > > > > > > > > Unfortunately, it's too late for us to start > > > > from somewhere else. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
