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I am not a pacifist by any stretch (nor am I a Canadian, BTW). I've opposed the war in Iraq for more than four years now -- on principled grounds ("pre-emptive warfare" is a crock of crap in this context when it is carried out against a country like Iraq and not carried out against radical Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan, etc.), on political grounds (I could see the recent/current political mess over this one coming from a mile away), and on military grounds (I knew four years ago that the U.S. government didn't have a plan in place to invade and occupy Iraq).

In addition, all of the comments you -- and anyone else -- have made about the dangers of being "overrun by the Islamic faith" should be held up in the proper context to sum up the mess in Iraq perfectly. Allow me to cite a couple of direct quotes from a document that some people might recognize as the new Iraqi Constitution -- which was adopted in October 2005 and now stands as the law of the land as a result of our idiotic nation-building exercise.

Section I (Fundamental Principles)

Article 2
Islam is the official religion of the State and it is a fundamental source of legislation . . . No law that contradicts the established provisions of Islam may be established.

Section II (Rights and Liberties)

Article 22
Work is a right for all Iraqis so as to guarantee them a decent living.

Article 30
The state guarantee to the individual and the family -- especially children and women -- social and health security and the basic requirements for leading a free and dignified life. The state also ensures the above a suitable income and appropriate housing . . . The State guarantees the social and health security to Iraqis in cases of old age, sickness, employment disability, homelessness, orphanage or unemployment, and shall work to protect them from ignorance, fear and poverty. The State shall provide them housing and special programs of care and rehabilitation. This will be organized by law.

. . .

So there you have it. If having the United States send several hundred thousand troops halfway around the world in 1990 to restore a royal family to one throne (Kuwait) and protect a second royal family on another one (Saudi Arabia) didn't make you cynical, then I would hope that having 3,000+ Americans lose their lives for the express purpose of establishing an Islamic state -- and a Marxist one at that -- in the Middle East would do the trick for you.

Okay, I simply disagree with what you say.

1. Islamists are a very real menace to this fragile world, even if you don't believe that, they are.
2. The Iraq war is a part of a longer, bigger fight against the Islamists, and is in no stretch of the imagination the current front of that war. The Islamists themselves say that, and I believe them, not you.
3. Even though I have no love for the faith of Islam, for now I continue to divide between those radical Islamists who we fight and the majority of Islamic peoples who are waiting to see which of the two "strong horses" will they will follow.

You can put on your blinders wherever you live, but blinders they are.