Showing signs of weakness....

[Holden McGroin]

Sorry, I was busy setting up an experiment in the accelerator and didn't have enough time to go back several posts.

And Dr Hawking, located at a prestigious university in England, would probably prefer that the center was somewhere near Greenwich as he espouses the lime-o-centric theory.

[culero]

Originally posted by Dowding
OK. Let me put it in terms you might understand - you're talking about the "typical American" viewpoint, I'm talking about the "typical Yank-o-Centric" viewpoint. There is a difference.

Dowding (hoping this time he has made it clear)

Oh, your opinion is quite clear. I'm just not sure that you grasp what mine is. Allow me to help.

"American" and "yank-O-centric" are not exclusive terms, IMO. Hell, in my case, the center is a tad more clearly defined, as being in Texas

I don't think we're unique in this, I know Brits that feel the same way about the UK, for instance. The French are notorious for this same quality. I don't blame anyone for regarding their homeland as the center of the universe. Its a perfectly natural human tendency.

Reverence for one's own home doesn't preclude being a good world community member was more the point I was trying to make. You're just as out of line to have said what you did as the person you directed your remarks to was. He said what he did, there was no reason to take other "Yanks" to task for it.

I might have as easily accused you of having a "Euro-centric" atitude based on your original retort. I chose to instead address the individual specifically. I hope you may see the difference.

culero

[aztec]

Very well said Culero. It's a sad fact that those with the narrowest minds paint with the broadest brushes.

[Jack55]

Originally posted by Dowding
Yank-o-Centric = US is centre of universe around which everything else revolves
 

Pretty much.

[Jack55]

Originally posted by Tumor
Well, considering it was the Italians who let Abu Abbas walk after the Achille Lauro incident....  no great loss if they leave.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi may be a crook, but he is not a wimp IMHO.  I would be surprised if he pulls Italian troops out of Iraq.  More likely, he will increase their number.

[miko2d]

Frankly, I am more concerned about the weakness than the signs of it.

 miko

[Naso]

Just to put things in perspective.

Originally posted by muckmaw
Give a country a bloody nose and no matter how strong it is, they will pull out?
 

Where did you read Italians are pulling out?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Tumor
Well, considering it was the Italians who let Abu Abbas walk after the Achille Lauro incident.... no great loss if they leave.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. you need guts to oppose a territorial violation with a little group of lightly armed Carabinieri against a bunch of well armed Marines, well known as trigger happy people.

I suggest you to explore better that episode.

Originally posted by Gsholtz
The Italians have a lot of experience fighting terrorism, but not guerilla warfare. I'm not sure how they will react.

We have some knowledge about guerrilla, if you count the fact that, during WWII, the germans were beated, and in some pleces even surrendered to Italian freedom fighters (Partigiani).

I suggest an interesting episode, for me, "le quattro giornate di Napoli" (the four days of Naples), a popular revolt that put the germans on the run before the arrival of the allies, 1-4 october 1943.
An episode that i feel very strongly, being my father, at those times 13 years old, one of the combatants.

Back on topic, the maiority of our people disagree with this war, but we sent our troops, specialized in peace-keeping, to help a poor people and our allies.

And we will stay.

[culero]

Originally posted by aztec
Very well said Culero. It's a sad fact that those with the narrowest minds paint with the broadest brushes.

Thanks, I'm actually quite proud of my restraint in not saying "There there, no use allowing a silly twit to provoke you imto being a bilious twit!"

culero ~g,d,rlh!~

[-tronski-]

Originally posted by mrblack
LOL WOW a whole 850 troops !!!
gald you could spare them
What a MORON

Actually thats the current level...Iraq was our biggest deployment since Vietnam, and nearly ALL our diggers were at the sharp end of the point, especially the FA-18's, SAS, Commando's, naval vessels and Navy demolition team who all managed to do their jobs without a single casualty...

People like you just make it more easy to wish it was zero from the start...

Originally posted by Holden McGroin
We haven't reached the end tronski, GWB announced the end of major military action, not the end of the war.  All that meant is an end to strategic bombing and 500 strong tank maneuvers.  A lot of work yet to do.

The liberal govt. said there would be no occupational force maintained after the end of the military action, mostly I suppose to placate the largely anti-war sentiment.

Most of the units that saw front line action have been withdrawn, but there is still a "security" force, and other assets still in the theatre.

 Tronsky

[Holden McGroin]

From what I gather, while the majority of the nation is in occupation mode, the Sunni triangle is not yet there.  

There Baathists are still resisting, and while that may be largely a mop up operation, I would not characterize the forces there as  occupation forces.

In my mind occupation connotes capitulation and we are not there yet, at least in Tikrit.

[Tumor]

Originally posted by Naso

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Tumor
Well, considering it was the Italians who let Abu Abbas walk after the Achille Lauro incident.... no great loss if they leave.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. you need guts to oppose a territorial violation with a little group of lightly armed Carabinieri against a bunch of well armed Marines, well known as trigger happy people.

I suggest you to explore better that episode.

 

The hijacking of the Achille Lauro ended Oct. 9 after Egypt negotiated with the hijackers. Abbas, who helped negotiate the surrender, and the four hijackers were flown out of Egypt on a jet that was intercepted by U.S. Navy fighters and forced to land in Sicily.

Tensions arose as soon as the plane landed. Armed U.S. and Italian soldiers faced off, each side demanding custody of the hijackers. The situation was only resolved after feverish telephone calls between Premier Bettino Craxi and President Reagan.

The Italians took custody of the four and promised to try them, but refused to detain Abbas, saying the evidence compiled by Washington was insufficient and that he held an Iraqi diplomatic passport. Within two days, he slipped out of the country.

So "Mr", whats to explore?  Gotta say, nice work eh? The Italians caved to Terrorists, period.

Just to clear things up, I'm proud to work beside Italians.  Truly appreciate thier efforts.  I hope they stick to thier guns, if not... I'd hope it's not because they are willing to show weakness to Terrorists.   See, thats the concept OF Terrorism, by definition.

[ravells]

I remember in the 70s when the French government turned a blind eye to terrorist networks operating in France on the basis that if the terrorists thought they had a safe haven there, they wouldn't harm the French.

That theory (literally) got blown sky high when bombs started going off in the Paris Metro and the French had to then re-think their policy on terrorism

Ravs