Carol C.---I appreciate that you are not "guest". You, however, seem a bit defensive also. I never asked one should take sides---in fact you may look a little further up the line here you will note that I agreed with the Palestinian State proposal---and the dismantling of the "serttlements". As did Rabin--- sadly murdered by another zealot (Israeli).

Now Carol, nowhere did I ask for friendship. Your note sounds almost like---"...some of my best friends are Jewish". Where have I heard that before? Oh yes---Germany/Austria circa 1938.

What I suggest is that there is fault on many sides, but the right to self defense is not just a U S right. And, our (and the world's glee) at the fact that a number of years ago Israel took out Iraq's nuclear capability is just another sign that---as the old saying goes--"...dirty work but someone has to do it". We surely are not---we stopped when we had the advantage and were defending Kuwait (and possibly Bush the First) oil interests.

You might also check out the holdings of the Carlyle Group and who sits on the board of this Corp.---you will be quite amazed.

Bill H