20 billion spent so far by the US on the war in Iraq. Imagine if the gov't spent that on education.

[Teacher]

Who needs extra-curricular activities, bombs are much more fun.

 

[LoafingOaf - Supports the Liberation of Iraq]

Re: 20 billion spent so far by the US on the war in Iraq. Imagine if the gov't spent that on educati

$20 billion to change the course of a ensalved nation of millions run by a dangerous fascist aggressor, and potentially change the course of that entire troubled region? Sounds like a bargain to me!

You guys can continue posting your garbage, meanwhile a real statesmen/women like Colin Powell and company are working around the clock to bring positive change to the Middle East. I was listening to NPR's "Talk of the Nation" during lunch today, and they had guests on telling of the plans now, thanks to successful war, to restore the marshes which Saddam had purposely drained in the 1990s. (He drained them to destroy the lives and culture of the "Marsh Arabs" - just one example of the genocide and environmental catastrophes the FORMER enslaver of Iraq had inflicted on his people...and another example of something I was posting about months ago while you guys were going on with all the left wing talking points that've been now proven to be so much rubbish.)

Anyway, I know you all need me to point out the most interesting articles of the day, so check out this one below. Powell is indeed a serious and honest man trying hard to bring peace to the Middle East, fairly and squarely. (Pay no mind to Kofi Anan's quote. God only knows why he's always "concerned" when fascist governments might be destabilized.)

http://www.canada.com/national/features/iraq/story.html?id=D7D53C30-7A0C-4684-81BC-FA31406AF8F4
>>>>
WMDs out of Mideast: Powell
Exerts pressure on Syria: New U.S. stance creates a potential rift with Israel

Jan Cienski
National Post
Wednesday, April 16, 2003

WASHINGTON - Seeking to win international support for a growing campaign to disarm Syria, Colin Powell, the U.S. Secretary of State, called yesterday for all nations in the Middle East to rid themselves of weapons of mass destruction.

The statement heralded a potential divide in Washington's relations with Israel, which has chemical weapons as well as an undeclared arsenal of more than 200 nuclear warheads that it is unlikely to give up.

Having waged a successful war against Iraq, the United States has turned its attention to Syria, which it says has a chemical weapons program that it wants shut down. Syria denies it has chemical weapons and has offered to open its facilities to United Nations inspections as part of a regional disarmament campaign that would include Israel.

At a State Department briefing yesterday, Mr. Powell did not rule out asking Israel to disarm at some future date, saying only that a comprehensive Mideast peace agreement must come first.

"We would like to see that whole region free of weapons of mass destruction," Mr. Powell said.

"I hope that if we can move forward with a comprehensive peace process that leads to a comprehensive solution that creates a Palestinian state living side by side in peace with the Jewish state, Israel, and ultimately have that comprehensive solution reach out and touch Lebanon and Syria, then I think a lot of pieces will begin to fall in place with respect to what people's various needs are," he said.

His careful formulation was as close as a U.S. official has ever come to admitting Israel has weapons of mass destruction.

"This is a major change," said Daniel Gouré, an analyst with the Lexington Institute military think-tank. "This is a way of trying to buy Arab support, one can argue at the expense of the Israelis."

Numerous governments have accused Washington of a double standard in trying to crack down on Syria, Iran and North Korea while ignoring Israel.

At the United Nations yesterday, Arab diplomats accused the United States of fronting for Israel in accusing Syria of making chemical weapons. Following a closed meeting, the diplomats said they would ask the Security Council today to adopt a resolution declaring the Middle East a "zone free of weapons of mass destruction."

The pressure on Syria is tied to U.S. hopes its occupation of Iraq will spread a wave of democracy throughout the region and lead to a final peace settlement among Israel, the Palestinians and neighbouring Arab states.

"We have a new opportunity, an opportunity I think that is enhanced by what has happened by the removal of the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein," Mr. Powell said.

Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Israeli embassy in Washington, rejected Syria's attempt to link its weapons programs with those of Israel, saying Syria is completely unjustified in trying to bring Israel into its quarrel with the United States.

"The reason Syrians have some problems today in their relationship with the United States is not because of anything Israel has done, it's because of their own behaviour."

Mr. Powell sought to calm worries the United States is preparing to attack Syria, which is being made an honourary member of the "axis of evil" after the elimination of charter member Iraq.

"There is no list. There is no war plan right now to go attack someone else, either for the purpose of overthrowing their leadership or for the purpose of imposing democratic values," he said.

But he made it clear the United States still wants Syria to change its behaviour, again mentioning alleged programs of weapons of mass destruction, support for terrorist organizations and harbouring members of Saddam Hussein's regime.

"We hope that Syria understands now that there is a new environment in the region with the end of the regime of Saddam Hussein, and that Syria will reconsider its policies of past years and understand that there are better choices it can make than the choices it has made in the past," he said.

Washington continued to crank up the pressure on Syria, yesterday announcing it had shut off a pipeline that carried oil from Iraq to Syria in violation of UN sanctions. Reopened in 2000, the pipeline earned Syria about US$1.2-billion a year.

"Whether it's the only one, and whether that has completely stopped the flow of oil between Iraq and Syria, I cannot tell you," said Donald Rumsfeld, the U.S. Defence Secretary. "We do not have perfect knowledge."

However, Mr. Rumsfeld also tempered his anti-Syria rhetoric. When asked how the United States could compel Syrian co-operation, he replied, "I don't have anything else to add on that."

Citing an unidentified member of U.S. intelligence, the British newspaper The Guardian reported Mr. Bush has ordered an end to what it said were Mr. Rumsfeld's efforts to review contingency plans for an attack against Syria.

Washington's bellicose statements in recent days had raised fears of another war just as the conflict in Iraq was wrapping up.

In New York, Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, said he was "concerned that recent statements directed at Syria should not contribute to a wider destabilization in a region already affected heavily by the war in Iraq."

Washington is waiting for the Palestinian legislature to confirm prime minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas in the next week so it can publish a Middle East peace plan known as the "road map."

The plan was prepared by the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia. It is aimed at setting up a Palestinian state alongside Israel by 2005 on land the Jewish state has held since the 1967 Six Day War.

Senior Israeli officials have visited Washington to discuss the plan and to push for amendments, something Washington would prefer not to do. The administration expects similar comments from the Palestinians.

"This is going to be a very difficult process but I believe progress can be made if both sides enter this road map process with an understanding of the needs of the other side and with a good faith effort to use the new situation," Mr. Powell said.

He also reiterated the U.S. position that Israel must stop building settlements on the West Bank and Gaza.

"An essential part of the road map will be to deal with the issue of settlements," he said. "We understand that and we know that the Israeli government understands that."

[email protected]

 

[alain]

Re: Powell a serious and honest man?

Go to http://www.spinsanity.org/columns/20030320.html (a site you simply must love) and follow the details on Powell's claims.

The evidence he presented to the UN was very, very flimsy.

 

[david]

Re: 20 billion spent so far by the US on the war in Iraq. Imagine if the gov't spent that on educati

> Who needs extra-curricular activities, bombs are much more fun.

20 billion? christ sakes, and they haven't even killed Saddam yet.

 

[CrushingBore]

Re: 20 billion spent so far by the US on the war in Iraq. Imagine if the gov't spent that on educati

> You guys can continue posting your garbage, meanwhile a real
> statesmen/women like Colin Powell

What? Colin Powell is a transvestite???????

Seriously, Powell's plan is a good one - provided it can be achieved multilaterally.

 

[Madness of King George]

Re: 20 billion spent so far by the US on the war in Iraq. Imagine if the gov't spent that on educati

> What? Colin Powell is a transvestite???????

> Seriously, Powell's plan is a good one - provided it can be achieved
> multilaterally.

Do you believe Irael will abandon their nuclear weapons? I have marsh land in Iraq to sell you if you do.

C'mon...it's not like the US is going to be leading the way in the UN for sanctions against Israel if they don't disarm.

 

[Madness of King George]

Does it include bribes?

> 20 billion? christ sakes, and they haven't even killed Saddam yet.

Considering we offered Turkey $25 billion if they allowed us to use their country...I doubt it is that low. We bribed several nations to join our coalition of the willing. Turkey conceded on some points so we had to have given them something.

Well, there is still a lot to do in Iraq, so maybe we will reach the $100 billion they originally estimated.

But I agree with the original posted message. It would be much more beneficial if we invested in our own country than saving oil rich nations from our former puppets.

 

[LoafingOaf - Supports the Liberation of Iraq]

Re: 20 billion spent so far by the US on the war in Iraq. Imagine if the gov't spent that on educati

> What? Colin Powell is a transvestite???????

I sometimes don't look at what i'm typing. Remove the "a" haha. See I was trying to be all equal to the genders and shit. I had that on my mind cuz I was watching CSPAN yesterday when they took cameras inside the PEntagon to show what goes on behind the scenes, and they kept putting on the screen "Pentagon Spokesman" for this one lady even though she's a she. So I was like, "why not spkesperson???" And then I had to pause as I was typing "statesmen" as a result. And well whatever.

It was interesting seeing the Pentaon on that show. Donald Rumsfeld wakes up at 4:30am every day, gets to work by 5:30am, stays there till 8pm or so, but gets calls at home as well. And he has a special desk in his office designed so he can work standing up. He says he likes to do everything standing up, all day long. I dunno, I sure couldn't work that hard.

I didn't see him discussing and planning all the evil and death and destruction the anti-war folks claim he intentionally wants to inflict on the world in a huge conspiracy, but I suppose he blocked C-SPAN's cameras from those meetings.

> Seriously, Powell's plan is a good one - provided it can be achieved
> multilaterally.