Suddenly, I'm an 'Islamic Fascist'

by Jonathan Cook

It occurred to me as I watched the story unfolding on my TV of a suspected plot by a group of at least 20 British Muslims to blow up planes between the UK and America that the course of my life and that of the alleged "terrorists" may have run in parallel in more ways than one.

Continued here: http://www.jkcook.net/Articles2/0273.htm

I'm surprised that this post is almost a month old and nobody responded.
Or have we been so much programmed by CNN, BBC e.t.c to hate seeing
the other side of the game ?

It's a beautiful write up.

That is why I empathise with people in the Middle East. It could happen to Africans as well if we were in the same situation. If it happens to us, the same way that Iraqi lives are meaningless to Americans is the way Nigerian lives will be meaningless to them. I cant help knowing that.

It's sad, very das indeed.

IG:

I'm surprised that this post is almost a month old and nobody responded.
Or have we been so much programmed by CNN, BBC e.t.c to hate seeing
the other side of the game ?

You ain't seen nothing yet.

The easiest way for you to become a bad person on this forum is for you to say anything against the atrocities of the West even with a lot of evidences.

It has gotten that bad and I weep for Nigerians who see nothing wrong in what the West is doing and unfortunately will believe everything they hear from the Western media without using their own brains to figure out what makes sense and what doesn't.

What goes around comes around.

This is the second time today that I am agreeing with JustGood. Same thing happening in the middle east could easily happen to us in African. Its all to do with resource control and land grabbing by mighty America. I remember the eighties when these same right wing media was trumpeting how good rascist South Africans were to the west. Today its the Arabs, tomorrow it might well be us.

I'm happy that there are objective people on Nairaland but it seems to me that
they are like the minority. What is really wrong with the rest of us ?

IG:

I'm happy that there are objective people on Nairaland but it seems to me that
they are like the minority. What is really wrong with the rest of us ?

from www.dictionary.com
-Objective
not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased: an objective opinion.

One doesn't have to agree with YOU or this article to be 'objective'. The argument for and against the war on terror has raged on and on for years on nairaland, and many people on both sides of the argument are objective, relying on facts in their arguments. In fact, the people against the war on terror more frequently resort to conspiracy theories and rumors to make their points.

This article is a well-written piece from a clearly intelligent man. Yet not even he is objective, resorting to conspiracy theories ([color=#000099]'And what would they say if I claimed that this war is not really about Lebanon, or even Hezbollah, but part of a wider US. and Israeli campaign to isolate and preemptively attack Iran?[/color]')

the article lacks balance. poignant as it is, it's hopelessly biased. Why quote the bomb blasts in Iraq as 'atrocity done to Arab and muslims' when he knows that the daily explosions are done by Musims and Arabs that bear little friendship for the west?
He talks about people in the west desentisized to deaths so far away, the general apathy to Arab deaths, yet he fails to comment on the infinitely more awful celebrations following the September 11 bombings.

How can i take seriously a fellow who gripes about the 'West's endless wars on the Middle East'? Prior to the Gulf-War, the only recent war fought in the middle east which was not a local conflict was the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan, and i doubt anyone considered the USSR as a 'Western Country'.
Has he forgotten that the tragic circle of 20th century conflict in the middle east began with the Arab invasion of Israel hours after it's creation? Or that had Afghanistan and the Taliban expelled Bin laden and dismantled Al Qaeda's terrorist network, Bush's war on terror would have petered out?
How did he come to the conclusion that Israel were the aggressors in the conflict with Hezbollah when the entire imbroglio started with the kidnap and murder of some Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah?

I cannot argue with the term 'Islamic Fascist'. As long as people use their religion as their umbrella to hide behind when directing attacks aimed at killing innocent women and children, what am i to call them? What am i to say when Bin Laden issues orders calling for the killing of all Americans, no matter the age or sex, as a legal and religious duty of all Muslims? What do i call them when my Muslim friends in nigeria keep insisting to me that their religion means 'peace'. Does that not imply that those that preach violence and bloodshed are an abberation, an anomaly, are fascists?


I am saddened most of my posts on this issue takes the side of the West. It becomes inevitable nowadays with the growing fad of anti-americanism. I do not see EVERYTHING good with the West. However, unlike many here i see SOME good. defending the little good automatically paints you as a 'pro-west slave' from those who see nothing good in the US and the western countries.

All in all, if i was to review this piece by Jonathan Cook, i'd remark on it as an opportunity wasted. The man has lived in the West and the Middle East, and should have been able to provide a full-spectrum unbiased view. Instead, however, he has become one of the biased people he rails against. We've seen this happen when people visit the Niger delta and start railing against the Oil Companies without looking at the big picture. It never seems to end.

I have tried to be as objective as possible. I'd appreciate it if any replies focus on my words and not my person. There's a lot we can learn from each other on Nairaland and flaming me will not help!

i am writting because of the insights of the last writer. in continuation, one would be looking at the jordanian president when he visited the scene of a wedding ceremony where suicide bombers(husband and wife) took to stage. he asked; what has fighting against westerners got to do with a muslim wedding?
if this war is all about muslims, why is saudi arabia the headquarters of muslim not taking the led role?
if isreal was at fault in her war with hazeboulah, who is at fault on the war between hazeboulah and lebanese government?
if isreal is at fault in her war against hamas, who is at fault in the war between fatah and hamas?
if it is all about the westerners interest in economy control, what was sadam's intention in taking over of kuwait that resulted to 1990 gulf war?
if bush and other western leaders are corrupt, then we will have every reason to make osama a saint.
it was after the death of arafat that palestine people confirmed that he is a wealthy leader rather than what he claimed.
the people of afghanistan were forced to stay away from western education by the taliban rulers while all their children and family member are western brought ups.
who is osama and where is he from? while is he not welcome in his home land and why did he choose to rule afghanistan?
all our cries for apperthied in south africa is today been celebrated as the most developed country in africa. mugabe's war against white farmers succeeded with the support of every african and today we are all seeing the benefits.
eyadima of togo ruled for life and his son took over without looking at the constitution but for the timely intervention of foriegners. charles taylor did not care about the death rate in liberia but sat tight till bush intervened.
we all cry for issues reported by paid workers most of whom make their lives through such.

Afam:

How would Homeland Security judge me if I stepped off a plane in the US. tomorrow and told officials not only that I am appalled by the humanitarian crises in Lebanon and Gaza but also that I do not believe the war on terror should be directed against either the Lebanese or the Palestinians? How would they respond if, further, I described as nonsense the idea that Hezbollah or the political leaders of Hamas are "terrorists"?

Lol, Jonathan Cook must be a comedian if he believes this to be an "objective" and "unbiased" write up. When he claims to be "apalled by the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon and Gaza", i wonder if he also includes the Lebanese bombardment of the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared. I wonder if he also refers to the Hamas-led slaughter of ordinary Gazans and Fatah loyalists when they recently took over Gaza.
I am sure that Jonathan Cook is also "apalled" by an even astronomically worse "humanitarian crisis" playing out in Darfur where millions of black Darfurians are being slaughtered by their Arab country men.

Afam:

I have my reasons, good ones I think, but would anyone take them seriously? What would the officials make of my argument that, before Israel's war on Lebanon, no one could point to a single terrorist incident Hezbollah had been responsible for in at least a decade?

Is Jonathan Cook aware of these?

the 1992 Israeli Embassy attack in Buenos Aires, Argentina
the 1994 AMIA bombing of a Jewish cultural centre, also in Argentina

Afam:

Equally, what would they make of my belief that Hezbollah does not want to wipe Israel off the map?

"There is no solution to the conflict in this region except with the disappearance of Israel." - Hassan Nasrallah

"Israel is an illegal usurper entity, which is based on falsehood, massacres, and illusions, and there is no chance for its survival." - Hassan Nasrallah.

"Our primary assumption in our fight against Israel states that the Zionist entity is
aggressive from its inception, and built on lands wrested from their owners, at the
expense of the rights of the Muslim people. Therefore our struggle will end only when
this entity is obliterated. We recognize no treaty with it, no cease fire, and no peace
agreements, whether separate or consolidated."
- The Hizballah Program

Hmmmm So much for Jonathan Cook's obejective arguments!

Afam:

Would they find me convincing if I told them that Israel, not Hezbollah, is the aggressor in the conflict: that following Israel's supposed withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000, Lebanon experienced barely a day of peace from the terrifying sonic booms of Israeli war planes violating the country's airspace?

Perhaps Jonnie Cook wants to tell us WHY Isreali planes have to violate Lebanese airspace. Would it be intricately linked to Hezbollah's indiscriminate launching of rockets and missiles at defenseless Isreali citizens?

Would Cook like to tell us how Isreal became an aggressor in a conflict where Hezbollah brazenly invaded Isreali borders to kill and kidnap innocent soldiers on a border patrol?

Afam:

Would they understand as I explained that Hezbollah had acted with restraint for those six years, stockpiling its weapons for the day it knew was coming when Israel would no longer be satisfied with overflights and its appetite for conquest and subjugation would return?

Dear old Jon Cook, this just made me wonder if he typed this piece in a moment of drunken stupor. Sderot in Isreal already has a museum dedicated to home made rockets fired from Gaza and Hezbollah. Thousands of rockets a month must be Jonathan's idea of "acting with restraint".

Afam:

And what would they say if I claimed that this war is not really about Lebanon, or even Hezbollah, but part of a wider US. and Israeli campaign to isolate and preemptively attack Iran?

The same tired old conspiracy theories that have NO proof. When will journalists ever learn to tell the truth?

Afam:

Sitting in London or New York, the news that Gaza lost 151 souls, most of them civilians, last month to Israeli bombs and bullets passes us by. It is after all just a number, even if a high one. At best, a number like that from a place we don't know, suffered by a people whose names we can't pronounce, makes us pause, even sigh with regret. But it cannot move us to anger.

How many Gazans lost their lives to Hamas bullets and bombs? I wonder why Jonathan Cook thinks this is also not worthy of reporting.

Afam:

But my Arab friends and High Wycombe's Pakistanis have longer memories. Their attention span lasts longer than a single atrocity. They understand that those numbers – 151 killed in Gaza, and in a single incident 33 blown up in a market in Najaf, Iraq, and at least 28 crushed by rubble from an Israeli attack on Qana in Lebanon – are people, flesh and blood just like them. They can make out, in all the pain and death currently being inflicted on Arabs and Muslims, the echoes of events stretching back years and decades. They see patterns, they make connections, and maybe discern a plan. Unlike us, they do not sigh, they burn with fury.

Even Jon could not help but rehash the same anti-Isreali propaganda that the farce called Qana has come to symbolise. Jon, the truth about Qana is all over the internet, please research well before hyperventilating.

JustGood:

That is why I empathise with people in the Middle East. It could happen to Africans as well if we were in the same situation. If it happens to us, the same way that Iraqi lives are meaningless to Americans is the way Nigerian lives will be meaningless to them. I can't help knowing that.

Do people from the Middle East empathise with you over Darfur(150,000 dead) or South Sudan(I million dead)?Do they empathise when Libya attacked Chad on 2 occassions over the Aozou strip annexing Chadian territory?

Do you think if you went to an Arab internet forum,they will be mourning the deaths in Darfur?

@chidichris


You may want to know that Bin Laden and majority of those who effected the September attacks were Saudis.


I don't think there is a single Iraqi among them. Yet Iraq gets Colonized, Raped and Plundered. Somehow, I have to think things are a bit twisted regarding the revenge mission of the USA.



The main issue that is making me post here however is your statement about Liberia.


It is very annoying that you would mention that it was Bush that intervened to stop Charles Taylor in Liberia when all of us saw that it was the Nigerian Government that resolved the Liberian issue single-handedly.

At a great cost to our Economy.
At a great cost to the lives of members of our Armed Forces.
At a great cost to our integrity because when we finally extracted Charles Taylor from Liberia, which no other country in the world could do, this same whole world said we were doing so to prevent justice.


If you have no idea, go to Liberia and ask them between Bush and Nigeria, who stopped Charles Taylor, who brought them peace?


We don't get any resources to steal from Liberia, we don't get to control their economy or demand they pay us for what we did. But let it just be written that we did bring them peace, freedom and democracy. Please let it be written. Don't corrupt the History books.

Jonathan Cook is really an exceptional briton, reading through that script, I could hardly believe it was written by some body from that part of the world.
Truth is we are yet to uncover the real issues on ground because of the usual western manipulation of the media

@davidylan
U've condemned Cook from begining till the end, cant tell me u couldnt find some home truth in what he said, u must b a stunched western facist.

@denex
Thanx for correcting that wrong impression, our struggles and commitment to the unity of Africa shouldn't be credited to some western power, Even the heavens know that it was nigeria that single handedly extricated liberia from the clutches of Anarchy and doom.

There is nothing exceptional about Jonathan Cook. His writings are clearly pro Arab and anti-Israeli. Some of his other "objective" writings. This guy is clearly a clown. A deluded clown.

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jonathan_cook/2006/12/post_800.html
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jonathan_cook/2007/08/the_propaganda_machine.html
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jonathan_cook/2006/12/post_800.html
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jonathan_cook/2007/08/kosher_in_tehran.html

Oh Jonathan Cook is one of the bloggers on Comment is free?

His "article" read so much like something the Arab appologist Seth Freedman would write. Forever appologising for being Isreali.

@davidylan

The same tired old conspiracy theories that have NO proof. When will journalists ever learn to tell the truth?
Do people from the Middle East empathise with you over Darfur
Lol, Jonathan Cook must be a comedian if he believes this to be an "objective" and "unbiased" write up.
Dear old Jon Cook, this just made me wonder if he typed this piece in a moment of drunken stupor.

Nairalanders don't really appreciate how ingenious (albeit a comic one) you are since you embarked on this lifetime odyssey of portraying objective people as lunatics, comedians etc.
I can't stop laughing. Remind me to watch your one man comedy show when your roadshow hits Benin-city. Shalom!

@texazzpete
Is this the same texazzpete bemoaning our lack of interest in African affairs?

Denex,
nothing to argue about charles taylor quiting.
the statement that took care of the whole situation was; i know he must leave and when asked what if he says no; i don't accept no as an answer was bush's reply. you can read more on; http://www.theperspective.org/bushtaylorecowas.html july 4 2003.
nigeria and ecowas have been in liberia for years but nigeria is most prominent in the removal process as they accepted to have charles taylor for asylum for peace to reign in liberia.
charles taylor was on his escape root when bush sounded a warning note to obj hence he was re-arrested and handed over to the un.
for your information, taylor lost his confidence with the downfall of iraq and the immediate sourender of another african hard man Gadafi to the western powers but that is not the issue here.
about osama, he is a yemeni by origin though he has saudi citizenship but u have to understand that he has been sentenced to death in saudi hence on the list of the saudi most wanted.
iranian president made it open to the world that holucost was a mythe and that isreal needs to be wiped out of the surface of the earth and we are here to respond to jonathan as a facists and afam as a presenter.
i have asked this question many a times and i want to ask again, the un is calling for a peaceful co-existance of isreal and other neighbouring states but hamas and hazeboulah are saying there is and there will be nothing like a legal isreal. no conditional withdrawal, no part withdrawal so the anti-isreal group here shld tell us what do they think about the situation? that isreal on her own shld commit suicide for the world to know peace of disolve into tin air to enable a peaceful existance of the arab world.
the most important thing here is that isreal is equal to the task so let us see the end of it all.

The western are the most atrocious pple on heart and the BBC and CNN are biased against other nations.They give bad impression about other nations especially africa as a whole. I fear for nigerians wey no sabi anything ooo

@chidichris
Nigeria helped to stop the killing fields that was Liberia and not America. No matter the inefficiency and corruption that prevails in Nigeria, we should at least try and praise our country when we send our young men to die for a course that does not threaten us.
Give credit where credit is due.

@chidichris

So according to your own view of things, Bush said: "I do not take no for an answer" and solved the Liberian Problem.

Then why didn't Bush say: "I do not take no for an answer" in order to solve the Darfur issue or the Sierra Leonean issue. Why did Bush even attack Iraq? After the invasion of Afghanistan, he should have just forwarded the magic statement to Saddam: "I do not take no for an answer".

You don't even know that since their defeat and total devastation in Somalia, the USA now has a policy against putting their soldiers on African soil.

Please, I beg you again, don't try to corrupt History.

I care less about your Hizbollah or Ghadaffi gist. What I know is that hundreds of years from now, when Liberia is a developed country and they are enjoying fulfilling lives, the Glory should go to Nigerian Soldiers you sacrificed their own lives.

denex:

You don't even know that since their defeat and total devastation in Somalia, the USA now has a policy against putting their soldiers on African soil.

Please stop making up stories to prove your point even if your point is valid. The US has no such policy.

denex:

Please, I beg you again, don't try to corrupt History.

I beg you to listen to your own advice.

@Mariory

how many soldiers did the USA finally decide to commit to Darfur?

denex:

@Mariory

how many soldiers did the USA finally decide to commit to Darfur?

And what has that got to do with the so called US policy you mentioned? You have ignored the US has anti-terrorism bases in East and North(West) Africa.

Tornadoz:

@davidylan
Nairalanders don't really appreciate how ingenious (albeit a comic one) you are since you embarked on this lifetime odyssey of portraying objective people as lunatics, comedians etc.
I can't stop laughing. Remind me to watch your one man comedy show when your roadshow hits Benin-city. Shalom!

The usual nonsense i have now come to expect from air heads like you who have nothing meaningful to contribute besides insult others.
- If you think Jonathan Cook's piece is objective PLEASE point to one area where you think he has expressed this objectivity and we can take it from there. It is silly to just come up here to do naught but insult me!

If i can predict, you have probably NEVER read any article by Jonathan Cook.

denex:

@Mariory

how many soldiers did the USA finally decide to commit to Darfur?

Does that automatically mean they have a policy NOT to place US soldiers on African soil? The same US that is planning to establish a military base in the gulf of Guinea? NLders are so incorrigibly ignorant!

@davidylan, the professional debunker also known as PTH

I do not much has the zeal to argue with you but apart from the fact that the USA is too sacred to send a single soldier to Darfur,
how many soldiers did they send to Sierra Leone?
How many soldiers did they send to Rwanda?
How many soldiers have they sent to the Congo?
The invasion of Somalia by Ethiopia is being machinated by the USA. How many soldiers have they put there? However, they were bold enough to fly over and drop some bombs. Let them come down and face the "skinnies".

They USA wants to set up a base in Equatorial Guinea, not just because it has large Crude Oil deposits, but because the population of Guinea is only half a million, so they thing they can handle it. Let's see how that goes.

Equatorial Guinea has already signed a military pact with Nigeria, and Nigeria has already told the USA: plan your military base for location in Florida.

@ Denex, hypocrites personified by the likes of you make me laugh.

The US places soldiers in Afghanistan - you cried
They put soldiers in Iraq - you screamed blue murder

Now you want them to place soldiers in Rwanda, Congo, Darfur, Sierraleone? Are you not the ones accusing them of trying to police the world? Why are you not insisting on Nigerian, British, French or Chinese soldiers in those places?

Since when did Darfur or Liberia become an American problem?

How do you know that the invasion of Somalia is influenced by the US? Are you privy to secret details that we do not know?

Just a little correction. The correct spelling is "ISRAEL" an not "ISREAL".

Talking about U.S being afraid of ground battle in Africa, I believe that is true.
Hollywood has even made a movie about their embarassing outing in Somalia.
It's called "Black Hawk Down"

denex,
if nigerian soldiers solved the liberian problems, how long did they stay in liberia?
if nigerian soldiers solved the liberian problems why did the nigerians protested the acceptance of charles taylor in nigeria?
was it not obvious that nigerian in liberia both businessmen and otherwise perished in the hands of taylor?
how come nigeria has never solved the problems of darfur?
how come they have not solved the problems of zimbabwe?
my dear, nobody is doubting the efforts of nigeria and her soldiers but remember many nigerian soldiers even forgot their mission in liberia and joined a different line of action in their get rich ambitions or even engaged in several sexual misbehaviours of which several of them were confirmed hiv positive on arrieval to nigeria.
taylor in a press conference before he left liberia made mention of the fact that he is a grand son of the usa.
my dear, do not pretend that you do not know till now that bush gave taylor ultimatum to live liberia or wait for the intervention of the usa.
i really do not know our mentality as africans. somalia war was a defeat to usa and what to somalia and africa as a whole?
what are your bases for deciding winners and losers in a war?
what is the condition of of somalia till date?
with the military power of usa, i bet u that somalia can only last 30minutes to be erased from the surface of the earth but different war purposes can change war approach so do not look towards that direction and if you would want to know issues find your details from everyother search engines that you to avoid arguing on obvious issues.

IG:

Just a little correction. The correct spelling is "ISRAEL" an not "ISREAL".

Talking about US being afraid of ground battle in Africa, I believe that is true.
Hollywood has even made a movie about their embarassing outing in Somalia.
It's called "Black Hawk Down"

You are basing your conclusions on a hollywood movie? I don't even want to get into an argument on why it is ridiculous to say the US was embarrassed in Somalia.

Please read up properly on the subject and don't base your judments on hear say or hollywood. Expand your mind!

@davidylan, the professional debunker more recently known as PTH

I was trying to show you that the USA has a policy against putting soldiers in Africa.

Where in my post did you see me say that I WANTED them to put soldiers in Africa. I did not insist that they should invade those countries.

I was showing you countries in of which the USA has challenged the situation on ground, even advocating military action, yet fear no gree dem.

I never said USA should invade countries in Africa. I was trying to show that they wouldn't dare.

If I say fire no burn my house, I no mean say I want fire to burn my house. Abeg I no fit argue this night.



In case you weren't just putting a pointless rhetoric to me, there are Nigerian soldiers in Darfur.



And Darfur and Liberia became an American problem since the USA bought a brand new talking drum and have made it their business to be taking other people's issues on their head.


They are the ones putting themselves in Darfur business which no one wants them.



How do I know about the USA influencing the Somalian invasion, I just know. But since you've asked, I got some links for you to feed on:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1983296,00.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/alqaida/story/0,,1989401,00.html

http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/&articleid=274921

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/13/news/somalia.php


david, read so that you too can be "privy" to this information.

@davidylan

If you think Jonathan Cook's piece is objective PLEASE point to one area where you think he has expressed this objectivity and we can take it from there.

I remember you telling me to leave world issues alone since I reside in Benin and do not have the full facts of world affairs. How are we supposed to believe Jonathan Cook who live in Israel knows little about middle eastern issues compared to your eminent self who live in Rochester? Was this another one of your jokes? You tend to dismiss everything that you disagree with. I remember you dismissing Gideon Levy's article the way you're now doing with J. Cook.

The US places soldiers in Afghanistan - you cried

Haba this is an invasion

They put soldiers in Iraq - you screamed blue murder

To the rest of the world this is also an invasion.
I would be here defending America if they put soldiers in Darfur to help the waring factions in that troubled land, but that's not how Bush does his things.Can you tell me the last time America went on a peace keeping mission?

@chidichris
What exactly is your point?

Tornadoz:

@davidylan I remember you telling me to leave world issues alone since I reside in Benin and do not have the full facts of world affairs. How are we supposed to believe Jonathan Cook who live in Israel knows little about middle eastern issues compared to your eminent self who live in Rochester? Was this another one of your jokes? You tend to dismiss everything that you disagree with. I remember you dismissing Gideon Levy's article the way you're now doing with J. Cook.

Stuff and nonsense!
I dont merely "dismiss" everything i disagree with. I give you valid reasons why i disagree with them, you on the other hand have given NO VALID reasons why you think Jonathan Cook's article is "objective" as you claim.

Disect Cook's article and tell us WHY you think his piece should be taken with more than a pinch of salt rather than grovelling over semantics.

Tornadoz:

Haba this is an invasion

What is your definition of an invasion? Do you realise that there were warring factions (the northern alliance) who had been fighting to get rid of the Taleban well before the US came? If the US soldiers succeeded in helping Darfur rebels to rout the supporter of APC in Darfur, would that also automatically qualify as an "invasion"?

Tornadoz:

To the rest of the world this is also an invasion.

More to the anti-US hypocrites! The US led push to oust Saddam Hussein ended within less than 2 months with very minimal loss of lives and infrastructure. But for the rise in militias, al qaeda terrorists and Iranian subterfuge in Iraq, this would have ended yrs ago with a newly elected Iraqi government.
That the US is still in Iraq is simply because of the actions of terrorists!

Tornadoz:

I would be here defending America if they put soldiers in Darfur to help the waring factions in that troubled land, but that's not how Bush does his things.Can you tell me the last time America went on a peace keeping mission?

No you wont, hypocrite. You'd be here telling us how George Bush is trying to invade Nigeria using Sudan as a launching pad and how the US "invasion" of Sudan is just another ruse for Dick Cheney to corner Sudanese oil.

The Americans have learnt a bitter lesson from Iraq, if you need peace-keeping troops do it urselves!!! The US was part of a NATO coalition to rescue Kuwait from the 1991 Iraqi invasion, the US was part of the coalition that stopped the bloodshed in Kosovo!

Research first before making empty noise!

Mariory:

You are basing your conclusions on a hollywood movie? I don't even want to get into an argument on why it is ridiculous to say the US was embarrassed in Somalia.

Please read up properly on the subject and don't base your judments on hear say or hollywood. Expand your mind!

On the contrary you are the one who needs to read up Mr. Mariory.

The American excursion into Somalia in '93 was a monumental cock-up, they won all the battles but they lost the war. Just like they did in Vietnam more than 30 years ago. Same way they've been humbled more recently in Iraq. They deserve lots of kudos for trying though.