Please forgive me, this is not a poem.
There are several people who are unhappy with the divisions caused by the Hell Bent on War thread.
It may have cost us David (I hope not) and possibly others?
From reading the posts Paula is not happy with the internal fighting, nor is Tori, nor Jo and Kush (someone correct me if I've misinterpreted their posts) as, no doubt, are many others who only read and don't post there.
Let the civil war end, let a curtain be drawn over that thread - let us find a new thread to agree and disagree with - but one that is not so immediately emotive.
JTS
Hell Bent on Peace
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John the Shorts
- Posts: 491
- Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2003 4:22 pm
- Location: Wales
John, I'm glad you've posted that, and I fully agree with you and all the others who don't want those animosities.
Let's keep this forum a peaceful microcosm, a place where people from many parts of the world can discuss like friends and talk to each other with fairness, tolerance and respect, in spite of different views and attitudes.
- Susanne
Let's keep this forum a peaceful microcosm, a place where people from many parts of the world can discuss like friends and talk to each other with fairness, tolerance and respect, in spite of different views and attitudes.
- Susanne
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Andrew McGeever
- Posts: 905
- Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2002 10:02 pm
Dear John,
I appreciate your attempt at "Hell-bent on Peace", but the fact of the matter is that the greatest military power in the history of mankind (the United States of America), is hell-bent on war, and will not stop at Iraq.
That members of the forum should disagree and feel uncomfortable is far better than killing or being killed, don't you agree?
The verbal spats should come under the category of "friendly fire", as if.
In terms of political strategy, the U.S.A. comes from Mars, while Europe comes from Venus. Somewhere beyond lies Earth, which is where I live, so far, so good.
John, I'm getting long in the tooth, but I know that this "anti-Saddam" war has nothing to do with democracy, rather "Pax Americana".
Yours, scared,
Andrew.
I appreciate your attempt at "Hell-bent on Peace", but the fact of the matter is that the greatest military power in the history of mankind (the United States of America), is hell-bent on war, and will not stop at Iraq.
That members of the forum should disagree and feel uncomfortable is far better than killing or being killed, don't you agree?
The verbal spats should come under the category of "friendly fire", as if.
In terms of political strategy, the U.S.A. comes from Mars, while Europe comes from Venus. Somewhere beyond lies Earth, which is where I live, so far, so good.
John, I'm getting long in the tooth, but I know that this "anti-Saddam" war has nothing to do with democracy, rather "Pax Americana".
Yours, scared,
Andrew.
Dear Andrew,
Here's a report of the brave Scots in Basra. Hurrah for PAX BRITANNIA
"On the streets of the city people were going about their business, sometimes pausing to wave at the soldiers, others not even turning round to see the tanks rolling past. There were plentiful sports facilities with their large floodlights by far the tallest structures around, and some quite ornate public and private buildings, but there was also plenty of evidence of a population living in abject poverty.
Many local people seemed genuinely happy to see the army rolling past, laughing and joking even as they were stopped to be frisked at the checkpoints into and out of the city. A jubilant crowd of about 100 Iraqis surrounded two British tanks sitting side by side near a mural of Saddam Hussein and started cheering the soldiers inside and giving the thumbs-up sign.
Soldiers were handed pink carnations and yellow flowers. Abdul Karim, an English teacher, was wandering through the city late in the day. He was standing opposite a burning building, painted with the inevitable portrait of Saddam He said it was used as a food warehouse by the Ba'ath party and that it had been looted and set on fire. He said he had a BA in English. "It's great, it's great," he said with an expansive gesture. "The Fedayeen have gone. They left on Saturday and Sunday. It is fantastic."
"A lot of the older ones remembered the British from their involvement in the oil companies and were really pleased to see us," said Major Andy Docherty, an Arabic speaker who had already been out talking to people in the streets. "They were asking how long we were going to stay. We asked them how long they would like us to stay and some of them said as long as two years."
Even on the day of the advance into Basra, British troops were reporting that local people had been coming forward to point out the hiding places and names of militia members. Major Docherty said that trend had continued.
He said that local people had likened the Fedayeen militia to hired thugs who would be involved in criminal activity if they were not involved in the state."
Here's a report of the brave Scots in Basra. Hurrah for PAX BRITANNIA
"On the streets of the city people were going about their business, sometimes pausing to wave at the soldiers, others not even turning round to see the tanks rolling past. There were plentiful sports facilities with their large floodlights by far the tallest structures around, and some quite ornate public and private buildings, but there was also plenty of evidence of a population living in abject poverty.
Many local people seemed genuinely happy to see the army rolling past, laughing and joking even as they were stopped to be frisked at the checkpoints into and out of the city. A jubilant crowd of about 100 Iraqis surrounded two British tanks sitting side by side near a mural of Saddam Hussein and started cheering the soldiers inside and giving the thumbs-up sign.
Soldiers were handed pink carnations and yellow flowers. Abdul Karim, an English teacher, was wandering through the city late in the day. He was standing opposite a burning building, painted with the inevitable portrait of Saddam He said it was used as a food warehouse by the Ba'ath party and that it had been looted and set on fire. He said he had a BA in English. "It's great, it's great," he said with an expansive gesture. "The Fedayeen have gone. They left on Saturday and Sunday. It is fantastic."
"A lot of the older ones remembered the British from their involvement in the oil companies and were really pleased to see us," said Major Andy Docherty, an Arabic speaker who had already been out talking to people in the streets. "They were asking how long we were going to stay. We asked them how long they would like us to stay and some of them said as long as two years."
Even on the day of the advance into Basra, British troops were reporting that local people had been coming forward to point out the hiding places and names of militia members. Major Docherty said that trend had continued.
He said that local people had likened the Fedayeen militia to hired thugs who would be involved in criminal activity if they were not involved in the state."
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John the Shorts
- Posts: 491
- Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2003 4:22 pm
- Location: Wales
Dear Andrew M, Candice, Lizzy, halfcrazy
Thank you all but as you have all intimated it is too late. Now I just hope that Iraq doesn't turn into another Palestine with suicide bombers exacting revenge against the coalition, the coalition then clamping down on Iraq and further reprisals from the iraqi's - a vicious circle with no way out.
JTS (Sadly)
I've seen the future, baby it is murder
Thank you all but as you have all intimated it is too late. Now I just hope that Iraq doesn't turn into another Palestine with suicide bombers exacting revenge against the coalition, the coalition then clamping down on Iraq and further reprisals from the iraqi's - a vicious circle with no way out.
JTS (Sadly)
I've seen the future, baby it is murder
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George.Wright
- Posts: 1874
- Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2002 3:37 pm
- Location: Bangor, N.Ireland
Forget the prayers. Mosques, churches, synagogues and temples are riddled with them and they don't seem to do much good. 
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tom.d.stiller
- Posts: 1213
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 8:18 am
- Location: ... between the lines ...
- Contact:
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George.Wright
- Posts: 1874
- Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2002 3:37 pm
- Location: Bangor, N.Ireland