Reply #23: Your source in your post confirms part of my post [View All]

[Megawatt]

But these guys, these fundamentalists, are fighting to die. This is a very potent weapon.

Worse, the American invasion has actually created this terrorism because it substantiated over time all the ugliest scenarios that the radical clerics were warning about.

Gee fundamentalists and radical clerics part of this insurgency. Generally fundamentalists and clerics take a trashing on this board. But according to many here they are the equivalent of George Washington.

I don't get my news from Fox.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050102.wirkk0102/BNStory/International/

Shiites, who make up about 60 per cent of Iraq's 26 million people, are eager for the vote to go ahead so they can take power long denied them when the Sunni Arab minority had power under Saddam Hussein. But they hope the Sunnis, who make up about 20 per cent of the people, will participate lest the vote be considered illegitimate.

The Shiite leaders, who are backed by Iraq's most influential cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, said postponing the vote would only create more chaos in Iraq. They rejected comments purportedly made by Osama bin Laden in a tape released last Monday in which the al-Qaeda leader urged Muslims not to vote, calling the election illegitimate.

“For us the elections are vital and we will not give them up,” said Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, head of SCIRI. “Bin Laden is interfering in the Iraqi affairs by calling his criminal followers to hinder Iraqis from voting.”


Catch a clue yourself - there's 150,000 of us versus 25 million of them. If they all want us out - where are the millions in the street? There is no way that 150,000 wouldn't have their asses handed to them unless large segments of that country weren't waiting to take control after the elections. The Shia and Kurd areas will see 80% turnout - much better than this country - the only people who aren't playing are the Sunnis. They don't want elections because they know they will lose.

That said, it's not our job to give democracy to other countries or to protect oppressed people in other countries. I was against it in Kosovo, I'm against here. If we're there for the oil , I'd rather drill it out Anwar. My most fervent desire is for the day we become energy independent and let the people of the middle east go back to selling each other dates and olives.

Oh and btw - the opposition to the war here doesn't make anyone here any smarter, or more pure than other Americans at any other time in our history. People act like they have seen the Holy Grail because they oppose this war. ALL the wars in our history with the exception of WWII were widely opposed in various segments of the population. New England states almost seceeded rather than prosecute our country's very first war as a country - war of 1812. The draft riots in the Civil War etc. HEll even the revoulutionary war was only supported by 1/3 of the populace, 1/3 were Tories and 1/3 were indifferent.