Subject: Re: Numbers Game Question
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 04:11:49 +0000


John Foster wrote:

>Geez John THINK for one second. If the US had that motive,
>then which
>country would be the most natural target? Which country did
>a full 15 of the
>pilots who flew into the World Trade Center come from? Saudi
>Arabia. Which
>country holds BY FAR the world's largest oil reserves? Saudi
>Arabia (25%).
>
>Anthony Crifasi
>
>Yes. Sometimes you write correctly. The US has it's largest
>base in Saudi Arabia. No need to attack S.A. because there
>is no need. The 15 you speak about were US citizens, and
>they were not fundamentalist Muslims. They were English
>speaking, and also some were educated in Xtian schools.

John, what in the world are you trying to argue here? Yes they were US 
citizens, but in case you were unaware, it is indeed possible for Saudi 
Arabians to become American citizens! And yes some of them were educated in 
Christian schools, but in case you were unaware, it is indeed possible for 
fundamentalist Muslims to attend Christian universities! Your argument here 
is completely mysterious.

>Iraq also has 21% of the worlds oil and gas reserves.

I don't know what source you are using for this, but every source I have 
looked up states that Iraq has 11%, not 21%. Saudi Arabia holds more than 
TWICE this amount.

>No
>need to wait for Blix now. Use your forces now because it
>costs a lot to keep the military stationed without war.

And yet that is precisely what your policy would do - keeping the UN 
inspectors there with a huge military on hold (but not attacking) so that 
Hussein would feel the pressure and cooperate.

>I dont see how you can legitimize the Vietnam War. Since
>when was it humanitarian to use Agent Orange, Agent White
>and Agent Blue to decimate 2.5 million acres of mangroves.
>Since when was it humanitarian to ruin 500,000 acres of
>rubber plantations, and also to deprive well over 2 million
>citizens of rice, et cetera?

If your argument is that war necessarily involves some very 
non-"humanitarian" things, then I fully agree. That's when you have to ask 
whether the result of non-conflict would be even more non-humanitarian than 
the war. And as I said, the Vietnamese boat people can answer that question 
for you loud and clear.

Anthony Crifasi

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