Ah, Gareth...since that silence is deafening you, and thus causing you pain...I will give you a response.

Yes, I would be happier to see Saddam remain...than to see what has happened: international law violated brazenly by a superpower, a small country invaded illegally and smashed up by that superpower, the United Nations defied illegally by that superpower when it (the U.N.) would not fall obediently into line and support unprovoked aggression, the infrastructure and society of a small country devastated by weapons of mass destruction (B-52's, cruise missiles, etc...), thousands of people killed unnecessarily and millions having their lives turned upside-down in the process unecessarily, and so on...

It's the same approach to World politics that was used by Nazi Germany, who also invaded dictatorships on occasion, supposedly for the most laudable of reasons (according to the Nazi propaganda).

I would be much happier to see Saddam remain, weapons inspections continue, and problems be solved by further peaceful negotiation, not war.

This is because I am not emotionally involved in supporting or justifying the latest war, while you are. Thus we tend to focus on different aspects of the "facts" while justifying our particular emotional predispositions in the process.

This does not in ANY way indicate that I support Saddam's form of government in Iraq or anywhere else, but that I consider unprovoked aggression by superpowers (or minor powers) to be a far bigger problem in the World than Saddam's government was, that's all.

Can you understand my position on that? I'm not saying you have to agree with it, but do you understand it?

- LH