The question is simple Ron, why do you believe that the Multi-National Forces in Iraq should have accomplished in four years what it took the Multi-National Forces in Bosnia 12 years to achieve?

The term Multi-National Force is what the UN call them, all contingent parts are after all operating in Iraq at the specific invitation of the duly elected Government of Iraq and in accordance with a duly issued United Nations Security Council Mandate.

Still got your "red herring" on the line I see Ron. As the former ruler of Mesopotamia maybe I should introduce the Ottomans into the equation, but I won't. You are still trying to put words into my mouth Ron - Your "model" Ron, your "parallel", certainly not mine - and I am still not buying any of it.

Still nothing but personal attack then TIA, keep it up it weakens whatever point you are attempting to make. In any situation TIA "All options" are always on the table until agreement is reached.

Amos mentioned in his post:
"Does this mean you are naive enough to believe that when the public media go into a flurry of speculation about Bush's plans to drop the bomb on Iran, that the Iranian government will not feel threatened?"

When the public media go into a flurry of speculation, I take it for being exactly what it is - a flurry of speculation - I do not take it as being fact, or any indication of the future intention of any of the parties involved. The public media should restrain its wilder excesses and report the news impartially and factually. Should they ever stay into the realms of speculation they should make it very plain. This is important, because people such as Ron, self admittedly, never reads, or listens, to speeches direct from source, he always relies on reports of those speeches by others. Which can lead to the reporters speculation being mistaken for part of the original text, when of course it is not.