[Rhodes22-list] WAR

[Rik Sandberg]

Paul,

Rummy's desire for a subject change not withstanding......

I'm with you. Sometimes messes have to be cleaned up. As usual it doesn't
seem that the European community wants to deal with the problem. Of course,
you can follow the money on this deal. The Europeans stand to lose probably
hundreds of millions of dollars worth of oil field service contracts if they
turn on Saddam. Far better for them to have us look like the school yard
bully.

This, to me, is very reminiscent of Hitler's build up prior to WWII, when
everybody sat on their hands until it was too late. Some different
characters, but the same story. Look who ended up fixing that problem with
both men and money. Not only directly to the war effort, but for the rebuild
after. Wonder where most of Europe would be now if we had just sat back and
defended only our own interests and not gone over to clean out the root of
the problem. Poor memories on these people. Wonder how they'd feel if it had
been them doing for us??? Don't answer that, I didn't want to learn how to
speak German. That's probably the language we would be communicating in now
if we had to count on Europe's help.

 If we give this guy enough time, he will become very dangerous. He has
plenty of money to work with.

It'll only get tougher, if we wait.

Rik

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Grandholm" <paul@mi.chtechnology.com>
To: <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 1:21 PM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] WAR


>      I don't want the United States to go to war if it can possibly be
> avoided.  I have a hard time believing anybody does.  But I also can't
> forget about what happened on 9/11/01.  I cried for days over the
> thousands of innocent victims and their families.  I remember hearing
> questions about why our government didn't do more to prevent something
> like this from happening.  All of the signals and indications were there.
>
>      Now I hear many of those same people saying they need more proof
> before we go into Iraq.  I just don't get it.  You can't have it both
> ways.  Saddam Hussein is the closest thing to a pathological liar and
> madman (along with Osama Bin Laden) since Hitler & Stalin.  Everybody
> wanted to negotiate with Hitler and believe he wouldn't really do the
> things he ended up doing.  How many times does the world community need
> to be lied to before they wake up and recognize someone like that for
> what they really are?
>
>      I agree with the administration's stance that is up to Iraq to avoid
> war.  It is easy to hide these things in a country the size of California
> (or perhaps even in Syria) and then defy the inspectors to find them.
> It's like looking for a needle in a haystack.  We had documentation from
> the previous inspectors that were thrown out four years ago about what
> was there.  Now all that stuff is gone and there is no documentation that
> it was properly destroyed or disposed of.  Either prove to us that it was
> destroyed or show us where it is.  More time is just going to produce
> more of the same.  He is thumbing his nose and laughing at the U.N.
> (especially France & Germany).
>
>      If Iraq hasn't cooperated by now, why would anyone seriously believe
> that they suddenly would if given more time?  If war is inevitable than I
> think it makes sense to let our military forces select the most
> advantageous timeframe for us to conduct the operation.
>
> Paul
>
> ========================
> Paul Grandholm
> C&H Technology
> GrandPower Components Div.
> ========================
> _________________________________________________
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