Iraq policy critics now want U.S. in Liberia

THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | July 02, 2003 | David R. Sands

[Pubbie]

The Bush administration remained noncommittal yesterday on whether it would send U.S. troops to quell the civil war in Liberia, where President Charles Taylor was defying a U.S. demand to step down. President Bush "is determined to help the people of Liberia find a path to peace," White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said after the National Security Council discussed the Liberian crisis. Reflecting what one senior State Department official called intensive internal discussions, Mr. Fleischer told reporters that "the exact steps that could be taken are still under review." He said a U.S. military role is still under consideration. Some of the harshest critics of the U.S.-led war in Iraq are all but begging a reluctant Bush administration to lead a peacekeeping mission in Liberia. Within the U.S. government, the Pentagon has been hot on Iraq but cool on Liberia, while the State Department has taken the opposite tack. With a bloody civil war flaring up again in a country founded by freed American slaves more than 180 years ago, "this has been a doubled-edged debate about American power for everyone involved," said Robert Jervis, a professor of international politics at Columbia University. "All those people who were ambivalent about American power now think it's great so long as it is being used for their purposes," he said. Many of those most opposed to the U.S.-led effort in Iraq now argue that American participation is vital to the success of a proposed 5,000-strong multinational peacekeeping mission to enforce a cease-fire. Among them are U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, leading European powers

[Pubbie]

"Many of those most opposed to the U.S.-led effort in Iraq now argue that American participation is vital to the success of a proposed 5,000-strong multinational peacekeeping mission to enforce a cease-fire. Among them are U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, leading European powers — including France — and the editorial page of the New York Times."

F^%$ Them!

[BOBTHENAILER]

F^%$ Them! and the pollution causing horse they rode in on.

[Prodigal Son]

Iraq policy critics now want U.S. in Liberia

(whispers behind hand) Paragraphs are our friends.

[Dr. Frank fan]

There is a strange class of people which only advocates military force when we have no national interest in doing so. If military force would be beneficial to our country in some sense (financially, security-wise, etc), they're against it. I think these confused people have misinterpreted and are mis-applying the Golden Rule or something.

(For the record, I'm all for sending troops to Liberia. But I was all for the Iraq war too.)

[Pest]

"For some, especially the European countries, it's fine for the United States to be the world's policeman so long as we only patrol in places where we have no strategic interest," he said. "It is as if our interventions are only legitimate so long as they do nothing to advance American foreign policy goals or increase our own security."

This is the policy of the altruist. It's OK if you sacrifice yourself for the good of someone else. However, if you serve your own purpose, you are condemned. Ayn Rand was right-on on this one.

[reformedliberal]

This is the policy of the looter and the moocher. Europe wants us to be their mercs, but they don't want to pay, help in civil affairs or take any responsibility. They do claim the right of criticism, of course.

The more the international left screams about what we do or don't do, the more I know we are doing the right thing.

[htjyang]

Kofi Annan wants to fight to the last American.

[htjyang]

[quote]
This is the policy of the altruist. It's OK if you sacrifice yourself for the good of someone else. However, if you serve your own purpose, you are condemned. Ayn Rand was right-on on this one.
[/quote]

The word "altruist" glorifies these people, many of whom are no more than Hate America First scums.

They simply want the US to waste its resources fighting teacup wars. They want to weaken the US.

[xrp]

There are rubber interests in Liberia, where France gets rubber for Michelin.

Why France wants the USA in Liberia

Key quote: The American interest in Liberia is waning because they are not the biggest buyers of our products like timber, diamonds and rubber -- France and Belgium are," he added bitterly. "We feel badly done by."

[Pubbie]

very interesting!

[skeeter]

TO Liberals shedding of US blood in our own national interests is EEeevil.

Shedding it in everyone elses interests is OK though.

[richardtavor]

I think we should tell these little people that we will match the number of troops that they send, as long as there are American Commanders in charge.

[ko_kyi]

A Vietnam Vet I used to work with told me they had to pay the French for rubber trees that got blown up trying to hit VC who hid in the orchard.

[richardtavor]

Good Point, XRP--did you know that's how we got dragged into Vietnam? Why do you think the French colonized Vietnam, fought against their War of Independence, then conned Kennedy/Johnson into fighting it for them? We also had to pay the french $100,000 for every rubber tree we blew up on their damn plantations. Anyone that read Milton's "Paradise Lost" would understand the french: "It is better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven."

[richardtavor]

see the post right after yours (14), we not only had to pay for the rubber trees, we had to pay big time...We also made sure that the french got paid for all of their damn rubber after the fall of South Vietnam....And one wonders why some of us dislike the french so much.....

[Yo-Yo]

Paragraphs are our friends.

[johnb838]

Or Patton "I'd rather have a division of Germans in front of me than a division of the French behind me."

These are the people that said if we intervened in Iraq we had to intervene everywhere there's a dictator. It's total bull. The main thing is that the UN can't hack it I can't see sending our boys in there with the same ROE. It should be more like "don't make me come in there..." and if they DO make Daddy come in there we should certainly kick tail and take names. No more Mogadishu's please, and this situation sounds scarily like Somalia.

[TonyM]

I guess the liberal cry will be "Its all about the rubber" instead of "Its all about the oil." Does VP Cheney have any interest in Trojan Inc.?

[gitmogrunt]

I was told not to post articles, in the "format" you used.Nobody will read it, as it is posted.

[kitkat]

Thanks for the link to the article. I think the following sums up WHY the French want us in Liberia:

"The American interest in Liberia is waning because they are not the biggest buyers of our products like timber, diamonds and rubber -- France and Belgium are," he added bitterly. "We feel badly done by."