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facts and fiction - Iraq

Contributor: Waterloo

Date: 2003-02-19 19:20:37

rb, you couldn't be more incorrect. History and common sense have shown us time and time again that all governments do lie, and that they are to be trusted with a grain of salt. One should do his own research on the subject. I don't think that anyone takes what their government says as automatic truth anymore, so I fail to see the relevance of your posting. Everyone is aware of the lies and propaganda stories generated not just by the US, UK and Canada, but by all countries. It's just the way it works, and it's our job to filter through it.

BTW when were Palestinians gassed, and how on earth is Israel more of a threat than Iraq who has WMDs?

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facts and fiction - Iraq

Contributor: banquosghost

Date: 2003-02-19 19:52:38

"BTW when were Palestinians gassed, and how on earth is Israel more of a threat than Iraq who has WMDs?"

That is an excellent example right there of someone believing and repeating a government's unproven assertion.

Waterloo, the obvious research posted as links and your response that "one should do his own research on the subject" lead me to think that you neither thouroughly read the post nor investigated the links provided. Rather you simply repeated your uproven assertion having to do with Iraq's weaponry. If you have a contribution to make to the demonstrated existence of said weaponry by all means make it but spare everyone your simplistic parroting of the Bush administration's unproven assertions. We all get quite enough of that from the press.

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facts and fiction - Iraq

Contributor: kn_aeshap

Date: 2003-02-19 21:47:03

"...spare everyone your simplistic parroting of the Bush administration's unproven assertions. We all get quite enough of that from the press."

I second that motion :)

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facts and fiction - Iraq

Contributor: Waterloo

Date: 2003-02-20 14:29:16

well banquo, I don't know about you, but I have found internet resources to be incredibly unreliable to say the least. I did go to the link provided, and found no way to confirm what it said from an independent source. I am weary of going to links. If something such as that occurred, then there will undoubtedly be better sources of info on the subject, so I'll ask you not to jump to conclusions and assume I don't read the posts thoroughly.

As for "parroting" Bush, I do no such thing. What is right is right. More than one person will come to the correct conclusion if one looks at the evidence provided. Just because I come up with the same conclusion as he does, as does anyone with a shred of common sense, does not mean I parrot anyone. I also disagree with the death penalty for many of the same reasons our government does, does this mean I parrot them as well? I think people need to put on their thinking caps.

Lastly, all I see from the press (except for US officials) is anti war sentiment. Occasionally there will be an interview with one who understands the way things are, but this is a rarity. I don't watch a whole lot of US TV, but from what I do, and from what I see from the Canadian media, the anti-war people are interviewed, or writing columns far, far more than the pro war ones do. In my local paper, and in NAtional ones the majority of the content is antiwar.

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facts and fiction - Iraq

Contributor: Fleabag

Date: 2003-02-19 20:01:31

I myself have never heard of Palestinians being gassed either, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. I doubt it, though. However, Israel does have nukes and has in the past threatened to use them. I urge you to read "The Samson Option" by former Washington Post editor Seymour M. Hersh. It describes how Israel developed nuclear weapons at Dimona in the Negev desert with the help of France, at first, then with South Africa for testing. Interestingly, Israel and South Africa are the two countries forbidden to travellers from Muslim nations.
Another good read about Israel and Palestine is "Intifada", by Ze'ev Schiff and Ehud Ya'ari. There were (and are) many 'acts of terrorism' committed by both sides in that conflict, and although the book is a bit dated (1989) but most of what happened is still applicable.

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facts and fiction - Iraq

Contributor: jwitt

Date: 2003-02-19 20:36:24

Fleabag

If your interested in a well researched history of the Arab/Israeli conflict, check out 'righteous Victims: a history of the Zionist Arab Conflict' copyright 2000, by Benny Morris. Of the numerous books I've read on the topic, including the one you give above (which isn't bad at all), I feel this one is the most comprehensive.

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facts and fiction - Iraq

Contributor: Waterloo

Date: 2003-02-20 14:32:01

Now, this is how you provide a credible resource to information. It is like a works cited page. A mere internet link does not suffice.

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facts and fiction - Iraq

Contributor: jwitt

Date: 2003-02-19 20:11:08

Waterloo: I agree, and after viewing the report provided in the link above about the purported Israeli gas attack, I very seriously doubt its authenticity. Note however that Israel has possessed nuclear weapons since the late 1960's, so like Iraq, has WMDs. However, the initial success of the surprise attack launched by Egypt and Syria against Israel in 1973 demonstrates that the Israelis would never contemplate the use of nuclear weapons accept in the most extreme and adverse circumstances- much more serious than the grave threat they were presented by Syria and Egypt in 73.

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facts and fiction - Iraq

Contributor: Fleabag

Date: 2003-02-19 20:43:45

The threat was serious enough. Serious enough for the US military to send immediate aid so Israel did not resort to 'The Samson Option'.

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facts and fiction - Iraq

Contributor: jwitt

Date: 2003-02-20 14:26:58

Fleabag

Although your point is well taken, most historians agree that Golda Meir and cabinet would not have resorted to that option unless the Syrians continued their advance from the Golan into the area of the Galilee. In fact, the Syrians deliberately stopped at the edge of the Golan, when there was virtually nothing to prevent them from continuing, accept of course the Samson option.

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