I could easily have started earlier, but the scriptures state we only need to wait through 4 attempts by the enemy, prior to having justified war. I suppose I could have included the several Hi-Jackings of the 1970s, the Khobar Towers being brought down, I seem to recall a cruise ship or two being hi-jacked and American civilians killed. Then there was the Germany disco blown up, killing several American GIs. Am I missing any others?
As for the USA being innocent, no we aren't. We shouldn't be sticking our busy bodies so far into other nations' affairs. We have no reason to remain in Saudi Arabia, and so should withdraw. As for the 1991 UN resolutions against Iraq, it was the US that drafted them in the first place and pushed them through the UN. Of course we should have a major voice in how they are handled today. Secondly, enforcing these resolutions will help to maintain stability in the region and the world. Al Qaeda and other terrorists will have fewer abilities if Hussein is not able to finance them or give them weapons of mass destruction. This is an issue of American self-interest. Giving Israeli lands over to Palestine is not in our self-interest, nor does it threaten the US. I am not a warmonger. I'm not saying we should attack Iraq. I AM saying that the US is justified in so doing, if it chooses to do so. However, I think there are worse offenders in the Arab world, that are directly involved with Al Qaeda, and we should focus on those nations prior to Iraq. We should enter Yemen and Syria and destroy Al Qaeda and terrorist cells there, just as we are doing in the Phillippines. Once the cells are stopped, we leave the areas, promising to return if the problems recur. K'aya K'ama, Gerald/gary Smith gszion1 @juno.com http://www .geocities.com/rameumptom/index.html "No one is as hopelessly enslaved as the person who thinks he's free." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe <<<<<<<<<<< Marc: Why do you start the sequenceof events at 1993? Was there no history before then? > We have been patient > with the attacks. Are we totally innocent? Probably not. However, the > difference is in the intended target. Wicked people target innocent > peoples. You *are* innocent. That has never been the question, as far as I'm concerned. The question is to what extent did past actions bring backlash and reaction back upon yourself. Like my example of gravity, did you know of the law of gravity and yet step off the cliff, committing suicide (moral guilt) or did you walk off the cliff ignorant of the law (no moral guilt, but there are still consequences). That analogy is over-simplified but I hope it adds something to the discussion's vocabulary. > > Even now with Iraq, we are patiently giving them the chance to start > abiding by the UN resolutions they agreed to abide by over a decade ago. Which they have agreed to do, "unconditionally." But what the US wants now, after Bush's demand that Iraq agree to abide by the past conditions (to the US's apparent surprise) is that Iraq agree, a priori, to as-yet-to-be determined Security Council resolutions. > > We have given them several warnings over the years, more than four. So, > is a war with Iraq justified? Warnings to do what? And why is it up to you to enforce UN resolutions? The UN has passed a resolution that Israel give the occupied territories to the Palestinians, too (the famous #242). Are you going to force Israel to do that? I know some of you have yet to get over the shock of John (and probably Mark) and I agreeing on this, but this is just another war, and for the US to initiate it is wrong. Simply wrong, both morally, and in the chain of consequences you're setting into force, just as past chains of cause and effect have led to where you are now. -- Marc A. Schindler ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================