WORDS BEFORE WAR...

[JohnR]

Says it all really...


The British speech - Lt. Col Tim Collins:

"If you are ferocious in battle, remember to be magnanimous in victory.    We go to liberate, not to conquer. We are entering Iraq to free the people, and the only flag that will be flown in that ancient land is their own.   Don't treat them as refugees, for they are in their own country. If there are casualties of war, then remember, when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day.
Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves.  You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest, for your deeds will follow you down history. Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birth of Abraham. Tread lightly there."


The US speech - Vice Admiral Timothy Keating:

"When the president says 'Go', look out - it's hammer time" (followed by 'We Will Rock You' at high volume)

[Robert]

All very noble and Shakespearian, but somewhat marred by events after the war.
Robert

[MATTBIN]

What you mean Tony didnt tell us the whole truth and that there may after all be no WMD. As we said before SH had to go - no doubts on that one, that would have been reason enough for most people I think.

MAtt

[Dominic]

Yeah, but the excuse for the war was never "Saddam's a bastard, we must get rid of him."

It was always "Saddam's heavily armed, we must get rid of him."

That's why we sent in Weapons Inspectors rather than Human Rights Inspectors.

Incidentally, other words before the war, other than "He's got WMD", were that Saddam was universally hated in Iraq and it was doing the downtrodden masses a favour to get rid of him - in fact, they'd probably rebel and help us.

Funny how there were pro-Saddam demonstrations, crowds of cheering people hugging Saddam on the streets, and no noticeable uprisings.. From a country that's not unknown for its suicide bombers, you'd think that if he really was so universally hated, somebody would have attended the "Saddam on the streets" meetings with a few sticks of dynamite attached...

Oh well. All over now, anyway, and it's nice to know my shiny new car is in no danger of being shut in a garage because I can't get petrol for it..