[starman2003]

Armitage recently declared that the US will impose sanctions on Syria. This is what the Damascus government gets for all the information it provided Washington on al-qaida. Why not impose sanctions on Israel for its HUGE arsenal of WMD, and for its continued occupation of the Palestinian territories? Assad has probably concluded that nothing he can do, within reason, will get him fair treatment from the US.

Alienating Damascus will reduce its incentive to cooperate with the US on key issues-Iraq, the Palestinians, Lebanon etc. And Damascus will soon reap the real benefit from the crushing of Hussein, an old rival. The new Shiite dominated Iraq will probably form an alliance with Iran and its longtime ally-Syria. This new three nation alliance will heighten the pressure on already strained pro-western regimes in the Gulf and on the zionists.

[Joseph1]

Israel is the best intelligence in the Middle East for the US and for Europe.
Nobody declare this fact, but everybody know it.

[starman2003]

Israel is NOT the best source of intelligence on Mideast matters. Why do you think the Israelis used Pollard to spy for them-the US had more information on the Arabs than they did. Generally, Israel is a grave liability for the US.

[David Henry]

Israel is NOT the best source of intelligence on Mideast matters. Why do you think the Israelis used Pollard to spy for them-the US had more information on the Arabs than they did. Generally, Israel is a grave liability for the US.

Which Irrational country has the best intelligence in the ME?
Do you want more Australia's....or more Palestines full of the irrational and effectively illiterate?

Democracy and Zionism, not irrationality and anti-semitism* thanks.
*neo-nazi.

[Furious Angel]

Israel is NOT the best source of intelligence on Mideast matters. Why do you think the Israelis used Pollard to spy for them-the US had more information on the Arabs than they did. Generally, Israel is a grave liability for the US.

It is not smart to judge a resources of some country only by one singular incident. Even the best intelligence in the world will find out some day that they missed something.

Israeli intelligence warned US about the fact that AL-Qaeda is planning to do a terract against the USA- they didn't listen: and now you can see the results.

By the way... Remind me which country bombed the atomic reactor in Iraq, when all the world did nothing?(clue: it wasn't America and nor UK)

[starman2003]

The significance of the Osirak bombing in 1981 has been greatly exaggerated. Iraq had ample WMD, even without a few n-bombs, but the Coalition was not in the least deterred from attacking in 1991, whereas Iraq was effectively deterred from using ANY WMD. And Iraq had very very limited means of delivery, so Osirak made little real difference. In fact, US support of Israel is a cause of anti-US terror in the first place. Generally, Israel is a terrible incubus, and potentially much worse than that.

I remember in 1990 Krauthammer called for war on Iraq, largely to safeguard Gulf oil which he said was of greater importance to the US than western Europe! That of course was not his real motivation. He just wanted to see Iraq destroyed to benefit Israel. In his attempt to rationalize war, however, he made a really remarkable admission for a pro-Israel writer. If Arab oil is so overwhelmingly important, even more so than western Europe, it is surely more important than Israel! At some future date, US support for Israel could cost us this economically vital resource. Logically the US should emulate most of the rest of the world and abandon Israel if necessary to keep the oil coming. Yet the pro-Israel crowd that called for the destruction of Iraq, ostensibly to safeguard our economic interests, would gladly sacrifice those same interests rather than abandon Israel!

[starman2003]

Israel is NOT the best source of intelligence on Mideast matters. Why do you think the Israelis used Pollard to spy for them-the US had more information on the Arabs than they did. Generally, Israel is a grave liability for the US.

Which Irrational country has the best intelligence in the ME?
Do you want more Australia's....or more Palestines full of the irrational and effectively illiterate?

Democracy and Zionism, not irrationality and anti-semitism* thanks.
*neo-nazi.

The US has the best intelligence in the world and generally doesn't need Israel for anything. Arab states such as Egypt, Jordan etc are not "irrational". Opposition to US support of Israel is the height of American patriotism, NOT "ANTI-SEMITISM". Some US Jews oppose zionism, or are indifferent, and I have nothing against them.

[David Henry]

The US has the best intelligence in the world and generally doesn't need Israel for anything. Arab states such as Egypt, Jordan etc are not "irrational". Opposition to US support of Israel is the height of American patriotism, NOT "ANTI-SEMITISM". Some US Jews oppose zionism, or are indifferent, and I have nothing against them.

The opposition to Zionism is anti-semitism IMO.
Being indifferent to politics is acceptable for the intellectually frail.

[starman2003]

I oppose US support of Israel on practical grounds, not necessarily zionism. But opposition to zionism is not anti-semitism. Some jews oppose zionism and Arabs are semites.

[starman2003]

The significance of the Osirak bombing in 1981 has been greatly exaggerated. Iraq had ample WMD, even without a few n-bombs, but the Coalition was not in the least deterred from attacking in 1991, whereas Iraq was effectively deterred from using ANY WMD. And Iraq had very very limited means of delivery, so Osirak made little real difference. In fact, US support of Israel is a cause of anti-US terror in the first place. Generally, Israel is a terrible incubus, and potentially much worse than that.

I remember in 1990 Krauthammer called for war on Iraq, largely to safeguard Gulf oil which he said was of greater importance to the US than western Europe! That of course was not his real motivation. He just wanted to see Iraq destroyed to benefit Israel. In his attempt to rationalize war, however, he made a really remarkable admission for a pro-Israel writer. If Arab oil is so overwhelmingly important, even more so than western Europe, it is surely more important than Israel! At some future date, US support for Israel could cost us this economically vital resource. Logically the US should emulate most of the rest of the world and abandon Israel if necessary to keep the oil coming. Yet the pro-Israel crowd that called for the destruction of Iraq, ostensibly to safeguard our economic interests, would gladly sacrifice those same interests rather than abandon Israel!

The upshot will be economic calamity, and a revolution, ridding our country of a lobby and government which considers Israel most important and American interests secondary.

[starman2003]

The current Iraq fiasco, in which much blood and treasure is being expended at the instigation of a neocon or zionist dominated government in a futile quest to propagate democracy, is a mere foretaste of the real disaster stemming from US support of Israel in the future.

[Spin]

Does anyone get the feeling Syria is next on GWBs hit list. He is already trying to conscript. I think its only a matter of time before there are more invasions in the middle east.

[starman2003]

I'm sure the neocons would love to invade Syria too but the bulk of the US Army is tied up in Iraq. There just isn't enough spare military manpower.

[QatzelOk]

I'm sure the neocons would love to invade Syria too but the bulk of the US Army is tied up in Iraq. There just isn't enough spare military manpower.

Manpower? Doesn't the US usually just bomb the shit out of everything and leave anyway? Cambodia anyone?[/quote]

[starman2003]

That wasn't the approach with Iraq. But in addition to a shortage of troops and lack of public support, there's a good chance that any further neocon schemes will be preempted by a Kerry win in November.

[QatzelOk]

You're right, they didn't leave. They hung around to secure the oil.
But they won't do that in Syria because it doesn't have oil. So bombs away, right? Just like Afghanistan. And Cambodia.
America is producing some of the best terrorism in its long, terrorizing history.

[The One.]

Your posts have been the most hilarious for the past 2 or 3 days. You can't invade a place by just bombing the crap out of them dorkboy. Only ground troops can occupy terrain and anyway bombing syria to a point where it would be forced to surrender without ground troops -that is making use of carpet bombing- would require enough troops to maintain a certain level of occupation.

And Cambodia? You know what kept the US Army from escalating the ground war to include cambodia? Hippies,pacifists, commies,and liberals in short the scums of the earth. The public opinion just wouldn't have letted the US escalate it to cambodia. Just look at the limited "invasion" of cambodia during the Nixon's year and the outcry it caused in the civilian population.

Hope it was plenty educationnal and entertaining for you buddy.

[MB.]

...letted...

Speaking of "Dork Boy"....

[The One.]

English ain't my first language.....

Lemme learn will ya?

..."Dorkboy"

[QatzelOk]

Because of the nature of the rest of The ONE's post, I actually didn't mind being called 'dorkboy'. It was sort of endearing, especially coming from someone whose first language is not English.
Incidentally, I hope English is like your seventh or eighth language. Maybe then, with all this linguistic aptitude, not to mention your skilled diplomatic manners, you could work at the UN as a translator. For The People's Republic of Dumbassria.