[JimSEA]

[I]t is a bit provoking for me to see how all of the world's attention has been brought to this situation in Iraq, when at the same time we are really struggling with tremendous humanitarian crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Ivory Coast, in Liberia, in South Sudan, where there is increased malnutrition.

Yet further proof that politics will trump objective evaluations every time. Where does the left elite want attention centered? Why the "crimes" committed by Americans in Iraq, of course.

[Shermy]

This is a mostly French group. It's very level headed. They're responding to gloom and doom in the press. One of their leaders, tagged as "left wing", came out with a very interesting criticism of French govt. actions on Iraq - which I can't find right now...

Now, if we can get the media to stop labeling the Food for Oil program as "humanitarian" that would be an achievement. It's not humanitarian. It's not charity, but using Iraqi's money to buy foreign, esp. French and Russian goods. Including agricultural products which Iraqis can and do grow for themselves - the fertile crescent, no less.