Teribus--

1) Kurdish situation--as usual you've managed to miss the point. Point is: Kurds want Kirkuk officially part of "Kurdistan". Sunnis and Shias do not. Turkey wants it even less. The Kurds are now pushing for the census and referendum called for in Article 136 of the constitution. In case you're not aware, this is a source of friction in setting up the government.

2) Oil--mirabile dictu, you missed that one too.   Well done, good job.

If new oil deposits are the property of the province where found, that means the Sunnis in the midsection portion of Iraq (also including Baghdad) are out of luck--little oil there. You think that's fine with the Sunnis? What planet are you living on?

3) Fear by the Sunnis of the "police"--As I have tried to explain to you more than once--you must be a bit slow--if the Sunnis don't feel the Iraqi government gives them a fair shake, support of the insurgency goes way up. Also just fine with you? It's not just fine with the Bush and Blair governments, who realize the truth of what I am saying (and said in earlier threads--at least in early December).

4) Bush's Vietnam record vs the current situation in Iraq--gee, I wonder which is more important. It's a real hard choice. At this point Bush's Vietnam history comes under the heading of trivia. Many would say the "Coalition's" plans in Iraq do not.

Since you're willing to take as many dead "Coalition" soldiers "as it takes"--as many as it takes to do what, pray tell? Saddam, you may not have noticed, is no longer in charge in Iraq (as I said before, I'd hand him over to the Kurds). What is your vision of "victory" this time, since for some reason the last "victory" didn't take. Or is it also just fine with you that of the 2400 or so dead "Coalition" troops, about 2000 of them have been killed since the "victory"?

If more "Coalition" soldiers are to die, it would be nice for you to tell us what they are to die for. Your "war on terror" doesn't cut it any more.

We all wish the best for your son. I hope he's not in Iraq. If he is, the best for him would be to come home. This is a criminally stupid, needless war, based on a despicable propaganda campaign by the Bush regime--and soon likely to become a civil war, with no role for "Coalition" forces to play--except as targets.

Awaiting your next calm, well-reasoned posting.