Just In: Osama is dead

[95th Rifleman]

In regards to Human rights abuse, most of the obscene practices in the middle east actualy predate islam. Another example is female circumcison in certain parts of africa, the practice predates the islamic convesion of the region. Religion is just used as a handy way to reinforce such practices. Christianity has been used to justify similar obscene practices in the past.

I'm a pagan, was raised catholic but abandoned that paticular faith when I was beaten black and blue at school after an IRA attack. the fact that my father was in the RAF had no bearing it seems, i was catholic and as such a legitimate target. hell the kids who beat me up probably couldn't name a single street in belfast (I was in Norflk at the time, my dad osted to RAF marham) but because they where told the IRA where catholic they picked on the first catholic they knew.

This kind of opened my eyes in allot of ways and now that I'm 30 and consider myself somewhat educated and modestly inteligent, i try to be logical about things.

the middle eastern mess originates in the crusades, but the cold war is the main factor responsible for the state of things today. America supported Israel and as such the soviets backed Israel's enemies. America then supported middle eastern nations that had issues with soviet backed nations. Britain brought in nations that had a good relationship going back to colonial days (such as Jordan and saudi). This set the scene for decades of delicate balance.

The problem is when the soviets collapsed and America seemed to finaly win the cold war, America was left with the mess in the middle east. iraq is a good example, for years he was America's pet and was allowed to do what he wanted as long as he stood against Iranin the balancing act. How that ended up is a matter of historic record now.

Bin laden is another good example, during the soviet war against Afghanistan the Mujahadeen and talibanwhere happily supported by America, as long as they where killing russians it's all good.

In the aftermath you have a world full of various groups armed and trained by one of the two superpowers who developed their own theological/political agendas that where previously kept in check by the cold war balancing act. Now we have no cold war they have been unleashed to haunt us.