Ter - Ta. It's nice to know someone can get through occasionally! ;) & *BG*

The only things in your latter post I'd quibble with (perhaps it's me indulging in nit-picking now? *g*) are these:

1) Interesting facts, but no attribution, as you so often complain of! And since when did the published word ever reveal the entire truth about behind-the-scenes skullduggery? Even now the UK maintains the secrecy of some documents, despite the expiry of the supposed "30 year rule", or whatever the given nominated classified period is (Pardon me, BTW, but the correct phrase for that escapes me at the moment - I'm sure you know what I'm referring to).

Moreover, does the US have a similar rule over de-classifying sensitive information? I ask from a state of ignorance. I am, however, cynical enough about politicians to believe that there are some decisions & processes that are either never recorded, or the evidence for which can never be found (IIRC, don't HMS Challenger's logbooks conveniently fall into that category?). Will we ever know the truth about Saddam & the US? I doubt it, in my lifetime at least!

And, yes, I admit that it is very easy to be cynical. But just cos I'm cynical, don't mean I'm wrong! In fact, I'm bound to be right eventually. See, I know people too... ;)

2) "the lesser of two evils from the US point of view" - that's an opinion, Ter. What's more, you surely can see that it's only a nice way of saying "my best interests"? Which is exactly the point I made originally. Whyever the US offered their temporary support, it was because it was in their best interests at the time. Naturally, that will equate to the lesser of any available evils. Whether the end result is an objective positive or negative is beside the point. Subjectively, they always pick the best overall option (to which the cynic adds: "for them"!).