Hello, Raoul (the one with the awesome pictures, yes?) .. Good point, was it (or will it be) worth it? I guess we should consider the alternatives .. one being a Middle East not only terrorist-prone and raising them by the thousands in their madrasas, but with nukes as well, selling them to N. Korea (via Pakistan - did you see their ads for their nuclear apparatus? I had to laugh, here the Pak was, denying they were selling this equipment and they actually print up an AD and distribute it to other countries!). A thousand answers indeed and a thousand years to fix? Tom Friedman of that commie rag NYT (smile) is writing a 5 part essay on the "War of Ideas" which puts it down on paper pretty good in Part I.

We are certainly in agreement on the soldiers bursting in on the Iraqi people in such an obnoxous way .. I cringe each time that is shown on tv and wonder the reason. I can see it if arms and evil-doers are suspected of being inside, yet if you cover all of the exits and windows to prevent escape, couldn't you be less invasive? Our police even do that in the US when they "go in" for a drug bust or some such, many times having the wrong address. Not going to win any "hearts and minds" that way.

Old Europe is cautious and we are brash. A society that wants things and wants them NOW. I think we've made mistakes, lots of them, in a time when the Cold War mentality was running us. I do, however, believe we've learned from those mistakes. Pandora's Box has been opened, but in my heart I do believe that deep down the Middle East is quaking (no pun intended, there) and big big changes for good are in the wind.

Take care!
Betsy