It's already public knowledge that France provided Iraq with a nuclear reactor in the '70s (the Osiraq, a research reactor), and almost 30 pounds of Uranium-235. In 1980, the reactor was bombed by Iran, causing little damage. The French also equipped it with a system that would make sure none of the Uranium would be removed from the reactor.Quote:
Originally posted by Tiger Shark
Firstly, the most assistance given to Iraq in it's quest for WMD, (a term that I hate because the chemical and biological weapons destroy nothing - they only kill), was by France, Germany and Russia hence their threatened veto's - they really don't want the world to know the level of their assistance. That is not to say that at some time or another the US and Britain did not help out, , but they have at least come clean about it.
In 1981, the reactor was fully destroyed by Israeli jets, claiming they were acting in self-defense (although experts agreed that even if Saddam would want to abuse the reactor, it'd still take him at least 5 to 10 years).
Russia has always refused to help Iraq with nuclear power.
Supplying them with biological and chemical weapons we're indeed all guilty of. Stating that the most support came from France, Germany and Russia is something I wouldn't dare to state. Same goes for stating that the US and Britain have come clean about it.
Agreed. Sanctions like the ones against Iraq are unhuman imo.Quote:
Secondly, the UN imposed the sanctions - so you are all to blame for the deaths in Iraq - Quit pointing the blame for that solely at the USA..... YOU ALL DID IT....
The US spend 0.1 % of their GDP on aid (with a GDP of about $ 10.000 billion, the 'billions of dollars' you talk about, is actually only about $ 10 billion, which is about as much as they spend on foreign military). Relatively spoken, that's peanuts. The EU forces all its members to spend at least 1%, ten times as much.Quote:
Thirdly, for those who don't believe that the US should be policing the world then they should probably also stop giving the world billions of dollars in aid every year much of which is diverted to things other than which it was intended. But those of you who dislike the US probably won't want them to do that do you? You like the money don't you!!!!!
In actual dollars spent, the US are nr. 2 (behind Japan).
In actual dollars, the EU-15 spend about $ 80 billion a year on aid, 8 times as much...
(Pfew, took me a while to figure out how much one billion actually is... seems like British mean something else by it than Americans... don't worry though, my math is correct).
Resolution 1441:Quote:
ratified UN 1441 in November 2002 and within that resolution _you_ gave Saddam 30 days to comply and authorized the use of force in the case of non-compliance.
Resolutions 660 to 663 are about the Iraq-Kuwait conflict. If I'm correct, Iraq isn't annexing Kuwait anymore. You say 'authorized the use of force', where the resolution says 'use all necessary means'. Force isn't necessary right now. There you have the reasoning of France, Germany, Belgium, Russia, and 80 more percent of all countries.Quote:
Recalling that its resolution 678 (1990) authorized Member States to use all necessary means to uphold and implement its resolution 660 (1990) of 2 August 1990 and all relevant resolutions subsequent to Resolution 660 (1990) and to restore international peace and security in the area.
Please, in the future, don't make up resolutions. And they US don't 'give aid to us all', thank you. We ratified Resolution 1441, and we're still acting according to it (all necessary means, remember...).Quote:
Please, in the future, don't make resolutions that you don't have the backbone to support fully - or were you worried then that the US would cut off the aid they give to you all if you didn't ratify that resolution meanwhile secretly hoping that Saddam would cave under "world" pressure?...... See..... Even you can't trust him to be logical and rational.
No one said you are evil...Quote:
The US and Britain, Bulgaria and Spain are not evil....period. They simply have the backbone that clearly the rest of you don't. The beauty of these countries, my friends, is that we have our own protesters - they freely and without fear of reprisal criticize, abuse and denigrate their leadership..... There are too many of you who do not have that freedom, you want it, but you can't have it...... Because your governments are evil, (any Iraqis, Lybians, Iranians, Chinese, Koreans etc. out there reading this?... Tell me I am wrong where you are concerned......)
Blair and Aznar... backbone? They both had the choice: either going with the US, or going with their own people. They chose to go with the US, because they are afraid to stand up against the US if you ask me. They fear their own people less than they fear Bush. Choosing the lesser fear has nothing to do with backbone.
And please stop thinking there's only the US and the third world. Maybe you should take a look at some of European countries' economy (Flanders is the wealthiest region in the world, for example), their social security systems, their real freedom of speech, their culture,...
There are over 300 million Europeans who have more freedom than you will ever know, Tiger Shark.
