At 04:24 12 January 2006, Gk wrote:

- You're also known for selling your allies to, for
instance Stalin,

I assume that you are refering to Poland, Czechoslovakia
and the other Eastern European countries that got stuck
on the Russian side of the Iron Curtain after WW2.
I should point out that we (the British) declared war
on Hitler's Germany in support of Poland and that Winston
Churchill did his best to get it returned to being
an independent country at the end of the war. Unfortunately
it had been over-run by the Soviet Army, possession
is nine points of the law, and they weren't prepared
to give it up. Also the Yanks didn't want to support
any further war as they had achieved their objective
of defeating the Axis powers, so that was that - fait
accompli to Josph Stalin!

What this proves is that wars very often don't give
the desired results, even if you win them. George W.
Bush's invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, far from
defeating terrorism, has only stoked up even more hatred
of the West and more terrorism. Haven't the USA learned
any lessons from Korea, Vietnam and Gulf War 1?

Derek Copeland