HAHAHAAAAAAA come on man calm down

NYRED,

You have absolutely no reason to apologize to me. I know where you, Joe, and Nate have been. I know your job doesn't mean sitting behind a desk in NY, it includes going to the four corners of the world, and trying to salvage a few broken bodies, and lives, after the Saddam Husseins of the world do their best to destroy these people.

I totally agree with you. Until these "anti-war" people get a chance to taste the devastation, or have their families suffer under the hands of a tyrant, they are just blowing smoke. They have no idea what it means to live like there is no hope.

Wolf

WOLF
Thank-you for those words of encouragement.
My experiences with so many individuals have enabled me to get a 360 degree view. Now mind you I may not agree always with the Administrative Branch, especially former President Clinton, but I do respect the criteria. Respect can and does go along way.
Today, I received information that a close friend missed the grenade attack from a fellow Marine. This makes me sad, to think, that fellow soldiers ready to protect their own and their country would turn. But the reality is, as I have witnessed time and time again, misrepresented fools and their idealism will askew the clarity involved.
With respect to all others who I will see again and to those I will meet for the first time in Madrid, our conversation should be spent on going forward and not on the "stagnant issues".
I have been known to "put my cards on the table",when it is necessary.
WOLF It's now that you should make plans for "High Noon" in Madrid. It would be exhilerating to see you at the US Embassy when a few of us arrive. Chorizo, Potatos with hot sauce and Rijo.
MADRID MAN The Chorizo served at the Cafe outside the US Embassy is not bad. It's the Potatos with HOT SAUCE is the real taste of one's strength. :o
Till we meet again!!!!!!
NEW YORK RED

NYRED,

There's nothing that I'd like more than being able to meet with you and others, but at this time, due to other engagements, there's no way I can get to Madrid. I'm afraid I won't even be able to consider it for over a year.

But, if I do get a chance to get to NYC to visit our son, I would enjoy meeting you, Nate, and Sam, if you are there. In fact I'd consider it an honor to buy all of you a drink. What the three of you do is not recognized as much as it should be, and I know you don't do it for the money, because it certainly isn't there.

In fact, let's make that two drinks. You certainly deserve it for the work you do.

Wolf (Whose respect for people who care for others knows absolutely no limits.)

I'd like to outrage a few people here and thank Jose Maria Aznar for his courageous stand with the USA against the Iraqi regieme. I think I speak for many (though certainly not all) Americans who feel that the US has been abandoned by many, and worse stabbed in the back by some, nations that were formerly allies. The generousity of the US to many of these fair-weather "friends" has been unprecedented in the history of the world. Spain, thank you for supporting the USA now and in the future.

Kurt, it's genuinely kind of you to thank President José María Aznar for his support. Seemingly, he speaks only for the Spanish government and not for the majority of the Spanish people themselves - just an observation. This is often the case with governements and the people they govern having conflicting views/opinions on issues.

Saludos, MadridMan

You certainly are correct, Kurt, in your assumption that Americans feel distressed by the way our "so called" friends treated us recently. I have already shared with this board what my feelings are for M. Chirac's actions.

That's why, like you, so many of us are grateful to the British, Australian, Spanish and the other coalition governments that support us.

I am truly sad at the tragedy that we could not have resolved this peaceably, or as a United group of Nations. But now we find out why members of the Security Council acted as they did. The Russians sold Saddam anti-GPX devices. This device only places the civilian populations at jeopardy. So much for their humanitarian concerns.

Actually, we're disagreeing over what the U.S. government didn't say, but that's splitting hairs.

It says the allegations are real, not the ties. It repeatedly includes disclaimers such as "Human Rights Watch has not investigated the alleged links between the Iraqi government and Ansar al-Islam, and is not aware of any convincing evidence supporting this contention."

HRW does document horrific human-rights abuses in Iraq, but that has never been the White House's principal justification for this invasion, nor has Bush announced a worldwide war on religious intolerance and genocide. If he did, a lot of people who oppose this assault on Iraq would be behind it. However, this assault has always been touted as the first salvo in The War On Terrorism.

I'm not an ideologue about opposing this war: I can certainly be convinced. Heck, I'd prefer to be convinced. I'd love to feel the pride about this military incursion that some folks here obviously feel. But I think that if the White House or the Pentagon really had proof linking Saddam Hussein to terrorism, we'd have heard it by now from Ari Fleischer or Colin Powell. If such evidence existed, it would be in Bush's interest to share it with the world.

Now that we've launched the largest air assault in history, almost anything Iraq does on U.S. soil is a legitimate act of war by any standard. Surely there will be people who will then say, "See? We *told* you he was a terrorist." But that's like jabbing a bear with a sharp stick and then saying "See? I *told* you he was dangerous" when he bites your arm off.

Madridman,

Are we certain that President Aznar doesn't speak for the majority of Spaniards? I don't know if that's correct or not. From what I've gathered, even though I'm not certain, the polls that indicate 80% of the Spanish population is against his stand has been derived through radically disposed groups, opposed to Aznar, who have their own following. If that's true, the results would definitely be skewed, and it might not be anywhere near the true feelings of the people.

In either case, I too applaude President Aznar for his stance on the issue. It's leaders like him that are gaining respect from nations of the world who refuse to accept being subjected to the atrocities of terrorism, and despots, and from "peace-niks" whose concerns have never been for the rights of humans, just their own cozy little worlds.

I also agree with Fernando. How can anyone talk about "peace," and do it violently? It's an oxymoron, and to be honest, the people who act that way can leave the "oxy" off their names. They are, in every sense of the word, morons. They'd silence objectors to their point of view through violence.

Gee! Doesn't that sound like something we've already seen? Oh yeah! Demonstrations in places like Baghdad, where anyone who would dare to oppose this unruly crowd would be killed.

Wolf

Hi, Wolf --

A tiny percentage of the world's millions of peace protesters gets out of hand, and you think that discredits the entire cause? Are you personally responsible for every act carried out by people with whom share common causes?

Opinion polls are always an iffy proposition, but 80% may be close to the mark. Think about it: most liberals (in the American sense of the word) will oppose the war, while the right wingers (Opus Dei and less extreme variations) will side with the Pope, who is against the war. A lot of politically moderate Catholics who don't feel strongly one way or the other on the war may also side with the Church. That leaves mostly secular conservatives, who are numerous, and some of those will probably be for and others against. In any case, I think it's a safe bet that most Spaniards are against the war, even if it's not 80%.