In article ,
"tw" wrote:

I wouldn't dub anyone an "evil imperialist" for taking out Hussein, I just
find it somewhat galling that we supported him for so long in his chemical
attacks against his enemies and brutal suppression of his population when he
was *our* ******* and then chose to knock him off at his most toothless in
what seems a cynical publicity exercise when OBL couldn't be paraded through
the streets in chains.

You know, people keep claiming that "supported him for so long" bit,
when all that happened was a short-term information trade during the war
with Iran, along with some sales of a few small helicopters (cancelled
after they started using them for non-civilian purposes) and some
pesticides (yes, really pesticides, not chemical weapons as some have
claimed). It lasted a total of less than four years in the early 1980s,
and stopped *before* Iraq used chemical weapons versus the Kurds.

Meanwhile, France has had a close, truly friendly relationship with
Hussein's Iraq since Day One (30 years worth), and nobody in Europe
seems to care.

You want galling? Look in Europe. Look at the countries that want Iraq
to pay those old Hussein debts. Note that one of them is the country
that *invented* the concept of not repaying "odius debts..."

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.