[FullBurst41]

Well, so as to play into LRB's hands, and to save me the waste of time, this will be my last post on the matter (in this thread, rather).

First of all, EvilMav, you have a good point, and you are right to rub my nose in it, I admit it.

Now, onto the personal tirade.

Since my dear friend LRB finds it to be of no real concern to argue points concerning an Iraq that never saw the light of day, I guess that pretty much mutes me in that regard. If you want to do that, well, there you go. If that convinces yuou that you are right, by all means, convince yourself.

One thing I will say, is that I actually went and read the ultimatum speech by George Bush again this morning. I suggest you do the same. Once again the reason (yes, reason) for going to war is explained. Bush does mention the Iraqi people's hardship, but this is not cited a s a reason to go to war. It was used as a means to tell the Iraqi people that their lives full of misery would finally be over, to remind them of their leader's evil deeds, and to convince them that it would change.

Remember that this speech was being broadcast to the Iraqis as well, so this was obviously an important part of the speech. Perhaps you understand it differently, I don't know, but Colin Powell didn't go to the UN with satellite imagery to argue that we should go out there and whip Saddam out because he was a bad guy.

Now, as for the terrrorists. The chemical weapons is one thing. As I've already said, it would be so much easier for Al Qaeda to go to Kazakhstan, raid one of those badly protected and badly sealed storage areas of old Soviet-era equipment, and they could get weapons of all kinds (including chemical and biological) to their heart's content. Why go through the trouble dealing with Saddam Hussein, a Pan-Arab mania, with whom they only agreed on the fact that America had to go, or be destroyed, and preferably the whole Western World with it.

As for the kicking in the balls and all that, you are so totally wrong, I cannot even imagine what your line of thinking is. Sitting there and looking on in pure disbelief isn't going to help, I agree with you there, but using the other extreme isn't going to get you anywhere either. IF we Europeans (I'm sorry, Belgians, French, Germans, and whoever else you want that's pantsy, or sort of pantsy) don't dare to say to the terrorists that we aren't going to sit there and let them commit mass murder, then why is even my own country (Belgium) commited in Afghanistan? Perhaps it might be better if the United States of America used its preemptive striking ability to launch a serious clean-up operation in the border area (including the tribal areas) between Afghanistan and Pakistan. I know the forces are stretched, but hey, that's what happens when yuou have all those soldiers in Iraq.

As for kicking these terrorists in the balls, the whole context in which it is happening is obviously not helping your cause. What do you base your assumption on that terrorism is in decline because the United States Army is cleaning house in Iraq, let alone cleaning out militants that probably mostly entered the country after the war had started or had ended. I'm sure you have some enlightenment for me there, right?

I find your statement that we capitulated easilly when the Germans invaded offensive. I really do. Except for Great Britain, my country held itself for longer than any of its Western European compatriots in the Second World War, and may I note that it was Belgian resistance that might have saved the mobilising French army from early destruction, together with the quick entry of Britain in the hostilities? Or did you just say that because it so suited your pantsy Euopean view? Belgium is a more complex country than you might think, its 164 years of independance have been filled with difficult situations between two different communities that had to learn to live together, through lingual and cultural differences. Today we still have the same problem, although now there's only a small minority who wants to seperate Flanders. I do not regard myself as Flemmish, rather I regard myself as Belgian. With all the internal bias about the Wallons going on here, I really do not need some external bias about Belgium in the first and second world war.

I'm done, I realy am. I guess we won't agree, ever. So be it then. I will not bother you with my pantsy and leftist remarks again, if that suits you.