The View from my Window

America at War

March 30, 2003 on 9:52 pm | In Miscellaneous Musings! | Comments Off

                                                                                                     30 March, 2003

AMERICA AT WAR

For more than twelve years, there have been talks, especially at the UN on what to do about Saddam’s notoriety, real and imagined. In the meantime, the terrorists’ activities have increased in the world culminating recently in the “mind boggling and heartrending” attack on World Trade Center/Pentagon.

Saddam Hussein, who mustard-gassed to death over 6,000 men, women and children in the Kurdish village of Halabja on March 16, 1988, to mention only one of his very many atrocities, an unrelenting aggressor, whose war on Iran and invasion of Kuwait left devastation in its path.

The just war as proclaimed by America (& helped by Britain) has started notwithstanding opposition by UN and world opinion. It is heartening that in this war America is not using any ragtag army (like in Afghanistan) bought by offering money to all and sundry.  America has now mustered courage to accept battle casualties in order to achieve its objectives. There is no going back.

The initial expectation of a rapid end to the war is now been replaced by reality of war that it is unlikely to be a walkover. We should not despair nor we should be gleeful at the American’s difficulties. The ultimate outcome of the regime change in Iraq will surely be achieved..

The Canadians should be cognizant of the fact that every year despotic and unstable dictators kill millions of people; who also aspire to acquire Weapons of Mass Destructions (WMDs). Many millions have been killed in Africa, in Eastern Europe, in China, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and Middle East.

We, in Canada, are not prepared to face any of these dictators. Our army is minuscule, our air force is almost non-existent and our navy is embedded with old discarded British submarines. We should be grateful to Americans who have carried the burden for many years against the Soviets and other communists and now the giant has finally woken up to the dangers of terrorists, especially of the Islamist stripes.

There is doubt as to whether the war in Iraq was necessary. We in Canada have waffled the issue and are slowly but definitely getting in the target range of the Americans. This already have repercussions and more will come

Without the support of Americans, we would be whistling in the wind.

Pravin Shah

What a Spin?

March 14, 2003 on 9:28 pm | In Miscellaneous Musings! | Comments Off