quote:

ORIGINAL: xBullx

Howdy RL,

Yeah, I hope I'm right on that too. It's mostly a land based conflict in the Middle East and I'd guess the Army and maybe even the Marine (Naval Infantry)
How quaint...Do you also believe that the Marine corps is part of the navy?


top brass is constantly digging at the seams. It's amazing how those that preach Chain of Command so much, have no use for it when it comes to them.
How so?


On the other hand, I have to wonder if this Admiral is looking at the conflict, force capacity or the economic struggles this would mulitply. Hell, maybe he's a candidate for Secretary of State on one side or another.
Or...just maybe he was not interested in being the captain of a sinking ship.

I think that was part of Chavez's latest actions. Drive costs up even further here.
Possibly he is not interested in being Bush's bitch.


Our economy can't take much more upswings in fuel cost expense. We need relief and we need it soon. The cost that will be getting passed on to consumers pretty soon will be pretty ugly.
One can only hope so.  Then maybe they will impeach that warmonger and get someone in who might try to get along with our neighbors.

Bull

quote:

ORIGINAL: Muttling

I think it is yet another example of this administration casting asside excellent people because they are willing to disagree with the administration.  Bush seems to prefer "yes" people to those who ask the tough questions.

quote:

ORIGINAL: RealityLicks

It's a really interesting response, Stephann.  The "Arab" view might be that since Israel's treatment of the Palestinians is wrong, it follows that there will always be some resistance to it, that that is the cause of conflict rather than some innate Arab dislike of Israel per se.  Many of the less radically-oriented Arab states, those with established alliances in the West, still refuse entry to people with Israeli passports for instance, out of solidarity with the Palestinians.  That suggests that the hydra's head is actually located in the West Bank and not in Tehran.

quote:

ORIGINAL: RealityLicks

I tend to agree.  But with him leaving so abruptly after just a year, I wonder why he didn't stick it out?  After all, Bush goes in mere months.  Was he pushed, so that action can be initiated and the US (and a significantly trimmed set of allies) quickly embroiled in another mess out there?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Stephann

Looking back one hundred years ago, you'd find that there was no consolidated Arab dislike of Jews.  Ironically, the foundations of the Arab/Israeli conflict is grounded in the use of ethnicities by leaders, to garner support.  Tehran uses the Palestinian issue as a vehicle to further their own interests in the region in the exact same manner Israel does.  Without a Gaza strip or Golan Heights conflict, what happens to US subsidization of Israel?

quote:


As for the less radical states, bear in mind it's only been a couple/few decades since various military conflicts with Israel have come to pass.  Arabs weren't in any rush to box each other into one unified box (how many years were Iran and Iraq at each other's throats?) until the US decided to roll into the Middle East as the biggest player of them all?  Had the US not intervened in the manner we have, do you not realize that Al Qaeda and Hezbollah would have just as soon blow each other up, as anyone else?

Stephan

quote:

ORIGINAL: RealityLicks

It's a really interesting response, Stephann.  The "Arab" view might be that since Israel's treatment of the Palestinians is wrong, it follows that there will always be some resistance to it, that that is the cause of conflict rather than some innate Arab dislike of Israel per se.  Many of the less radically-oriented Arab states, those with established alliances in the West, still refuse entry to people with Israeli passports for instance, out of solidarity with the Palestinians.  That suggests that the hydra's head is actually located in the West Bank and not in Tehran.