[jccuneo@mail.bellsouth.net]

Janice,

>George Dumya said something in his speech the other night that really 
>disturbed me...that once Hussein is toppled, the threat of terrorism will 
>diminish greatly.  How does he figure this?  I think it will increase 
>terrorism, make other countries hate us and peg us as war-mongers, and 
>alienate us more than we already have been.

Terrorism may increase in attempts, but the ability to acquire chemical, 
biological, and nuclear weapons decreases dramatically.  Thus the 
possibility of a truly damaging or catastrophic attack decreases.  Not to 
mention the training and outfitting of terrorists by the government of Iraq.

>I just hope this "war" ends and fast.  I hope Iraq can recover and become 
>a free nation.  I hope the US can recover.  I hope the environment can recover.

We all hope the same thing.  The environment should suffer very little 
compared to the damage done by Iraq during the Kuwait invasion.

>My other fear is that even if we "win" (and I use that term very loosely), 
>how are we going to help rebuild Iraq?  If it's anything like what we 
>didn't do in Afghanistan, Iraq will grow another Hussein.

The same way we rebuilt Europe after WWI *and* WWII?  The US has a long 
standing history of rebuilding nations.  And don't denigrate the situation 
in Afghanistan so blithely.  Fledgling democracies are difficult, 
particularly in a location that had been under such an harsh autocratic 
rule, but at least women are allowed to look at the sun again and can 
attend school.

>Janice
>
>PS: I am very surprised Australia entered the war!  What were the reasons?

Because it is the right thing to do?

Take care.

Jacques