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Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

almarst-2001 - 11:19am Apr 19, 2002 EST (#1533 of 1566)

THE NEXT WAR - http://www.iacenter.org/warcrisis.htm

"The role of the Pentagon as the enforcer of U.S. corporate globalization can be seen clearly today in Afghanistan and throughout Central Asia."

The two main U.S. allies bordering Iraq are Turkey to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south. Turkey is ruled by a semi-military dictatorship that has slaughtered tens of thousands of Kurdish people- - the same Kurdish people the U.S. claims to be protecting if, and only if, they live in Iraq. The Turkish military has bombed and burned more than 3,000 Kurdish villages in southeastern Turkey using U.S.- supplied F-15s, bombs and tanks. (American Kurdish Information Network) The Turkish military also harshly represses unions, students, women, journalists and other popular forces.

Saudi Arabia, the world's number-one oil producer, is a family dictatorship run by the al-Sauds. To have any role in decision-making you must be a prince of the Saud family. There is no parliament, no voting, no rights for women or workers. But there is a big secret police force, routine torture and frequent beheadings for such "crimes" as adultery by women or non-princely men.

No one in the world, however, has a worse human rights record than the United States itself. U.S. wars and CIA coups have left behind a trail of unmatched death and destruction from Korea to Angola, from Indonesia to Nicaragua, from Vietnam to Iran. Nor can it be forgotten that U.S. capitalism was erected upon a foundation of genocide against Native peoples and enslavement of millions of African people. And in Iraq itself, the greatest cause of death and suffering is the U.S./UN sanctions blockade that remains in place 11 years after the Gulf War. As former U.S. Atty. Gen. Ramsey Clark said on the fifth anniversary of the war in 1996, "There is no greater violation of human rights anywhere in the world in the last decade of this millennium than the sanctions against Iraq."

almarst-2001 - 12:14pm Apr 19, 2002 EST (#1534 of 1566)

Defense sources said that amid an intense debate within the Bush administration the U.S. Central Command has established a framework to conduct major military operations against Iraq from neighboring Kuwait and other areas of the Persian Gulf, according to Middle East Newsline. - http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/breaking_9.html

lchic - 12:35pm Apr 19, 2002 EST (#1535 of 1566)
USA - Jenin - Transparency --- really?!!

Too often the Australian Government falls in step with the USA ... whereas people within Australia have a different viewpoint, and have actively worked to assist East Timor from 1975 onwards ... the wife of the President is an Aussie their link was the liberation struggle.

Vietnam was related to the USA concept of the Domino theory ... and that domino got lots of Agent Orange. The Vietnam Government blocked the late Dr Dy in his work to locate dioxin hot spots* and clean them up. This suggests that no foodstuffs from vietnam should be exported .. or subsequently imported - unsafe.

* in conjunction with TexasUniv

lchic - 12:42pm Apr 19, 2002 EST (#1536 of 1566)
USA - Jenin - Transparency --- really?!!

^{[ Jenin - One notes the NYT now has an article that includes the word Jenin ... even so most NYT comment on Palestine reads as if past on from the JeruselemPost rather than balanced independent copy. ]}

^{[ mAzza - Milan - building/plane
The guy is now said to have suicided - had debts of over $au106million. Pity they hadn't closed in on him for debts and taken his plane away. He had no consideration for those he killed/injured. ]}

mazza9 - 12:56pm Apr 19, 2002 EST (#1537 of 1566)
Louis Mazza

lchic:

"mAzza - Milan - building/plane" and....

I'm American of Italian descent. My family hails from Naples and Palermo. We don't associate with Yankee Italianos coming from Southern Italy.

Burned any synagogues lately?

LouMazza

almarst-2001 - 01:50pm Apr 19, 2002 EST (#1538 of 1566)

"Around the world, the nations must choose. They are with us, or they're with the terrorists," Mr. Bush said. - http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20020418-931680.htm

If its not a pure FASCIZM, what is?

lchic - 02:10pm Apr 19, 2002 EST (#1539 of 1566)
USA - Jenin - Transparency --- really?!!

what is?

more 'what is it?'

It's simple minded 'cowpoke' thinking!

lchic - 02:16pm Apr 19, 2002 EST (#1540 of 1566)
USA - Jenin - Transparency --- really?!!

It's all Greek to me mAzzA - don't burn the toast -
http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=synagogue

mazza9 - 03:02pm Apr 19, 2002 EST (#1541 of 1566)
Louis Mazza

Almarst-2001

Being that Fascism (spelling please)is a European invention, why don't you ask lchic instead of me.

LouMazza

lchic - 05:25pm Apr 19, 2002 EST (#1542 of 1566)
USA - Jenin - Transparency --- really?!!

mAzzA - you said that you were European (Italy) .. hard for you to remember all your tripe ID's .. Italy had the M-Facist!

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