It is important to understand how the families of British Troops feel with every story such as the one relating to 3 soldiers dying on Saturday.
Their worry about their family members at risk every day in Iraq increases. The government's problem (and the problem of the US Government) is that every day the belligerent troops remain in Iraq the problems get worse.
The foolish actions of the US in attacking Falluja in total contravention of international humanitarian law have massively increased support for the insurgency.
The world is full of actions and reactions. Most of the principles of justice act such that anyone committing an unjust act tends to find that it reflects back upon them at a later stage. If people do not take care it gets to a stage whereby the emotional demand for revenge is so great that it overwhelms people's sense of priorities.
Any student of Iraqi history in the 20th Century will note that the defining political issue of the 1920s was military bases. The US show an almost total inability of learning from history.
Sadly as we go into an era of reducing availability of natural resources the stimulus for conflict occurs at the same time as a higher level of tension.
This story about a conflict in Kenya includes the following:
In the past, local tribes have engaged one another in fighting over pastures and water, but talking to residents, one discovers deep-seated hatred for one another that goes beyond competition for resources.
However, it is the massacre that has brought out the extent of this resentment, and even 10-year-old children are talking of revenge.
Plus ça change, plus c'est le même chose.
Their worry about their family members at risk every day in Iraq increases. The government's problem (and the problem of the US Government) is that every day the belligerent troops remain in Iraq the problems get worse.
The foolish actions of the US in attacking Falluja in total contravention of international humanitarian law have massively increased support for the insurgency.
The world is full of actions and reactions. Most of the principles of justice act such that anyone committing an unjust act tends to find that it reflects back upon them at a later stage. If people do not take care it gets to a stage whereby the emotional demand for revenge is so great that it overwhelms people's sense of priorities.
Any student of Iraqi history in the 20th Century will note that the defining political issue of the 1920s was military bases. The US show an almost total inability of learning from history.
Sadly as we go into an era of reducing availability of natural resources the stimulus for conflict occurs at the same time as a higher level of tension.
This story about a conflict in Kenya includes the following:
In the past, local tribes have engaged one another in fighting over pastures and water, but talking to residents, one discovers deep-seated hatred for one another that goes beyond competition for resources.
However, it is the massacre that has brought out the extent of this resentment, and even 10-year-old children are talking of revenge.
Plus ça change, plus c'est le même chose.
Comments