How many of you carry a gun as part of your cycling equipment?

Originally Posted by garage sale GT

They are there now, fomenting insurrection.

Originally Posted by garage sale GT

Let's not forget that Saddam was in material violation of UN 1441.

Originally Posted by artemidorus

-UN 1441 did not authorise war as a penalty.
-Many of the countries agreeing to its passage specifically precluded any basis for invasion as a penalty in giving their support.
-UN 1441 was passed following the presentation of ultimately inaccurate information to the UN General Assembly in 2002 by Pres. Bush.
-The UN had not approved the invasion when it occurred.

Originally Posted by garage sale GT

Fascinating opinions all, but nevertheless, a brutal dictator who had possessed poison gas and ballistic missiles was defying a UN mandate to allow inspectors in to verify that he had not reactivated his WMD program.

Originally Posted by garage sale GT

You seem to be saying the US isn't a democracy because it doesn't work the way it should. Have I summed up your argument correctly? Explain please.

Originally Posted by CAMPYBOB

More Australian violent crime...that didn't happen, of course:

from: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php...an08/jan29news2

Police set up strike force to investigate 'suspicious' death of Gary Wiggins

By Gerard Knapp in Sydney

Gary Wiggins as he raced in Europe.
Photo ©: Guy Dedieu
The New South Wales (NSW) Police Department has appointed a select team of detectives, being assisted by the NSW Homicide Squad, to investigate the death of the retired Australian track cyclist, Gary Wiggins – the father of the leading British pro rider and multiple Athens 2004 medallist, Bradley.

Wiggins Snr was found on the morning of Friday, January 25, on Segenhoe Street, Aberdeen, a town near the Australian centre of Newcastle, NSW.

A NSW Police spokesperson told Cyclingnews that 'Strike Force Durbin' had been set up to investigate his death, which detectives are treating suspiciously. The police spokesperson said the results of the post-mortem had not been released, though it is understood that Wiggins died from head injuries.

The formation of a special strike force is indicative of a highly serious crime conducted in NSW.

After he was found unconscious, Wiggins Snr, 55, was taken to Muswellbrook Hospital and then later airlifted to John Hunter Hospital where he died. The spokesperson said, "The circumstances leading up to Mr Wiggins' death are still to be confirmed and his death is being treated as suspicious at this stage."

He said that Strike Force Durbin, formed to investigate Wiggins' death, will comprise detectives from Hunter Valley, Lower Hunter and Newcastle Local Area Commands, with assistance from the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad.

Police are appealing for anyone who might have seen Mr Wiggins walking from McQueen Street, Aberdeen, towards Segenhoe Street about 21:00 on Thursday, January 24 to contact Crime Stoppers on (AUS) 1800 333 000.




Not to worry. The 'authorities' in charge of protecting Mr. Wiggins will see to it the report reads that he tripped over his own feet and beat himself to death during the fall. Thank God he didn't have a firearm to protect himself with...his injuries might have ben even more severe.

Too bad Stevebaby wasn't there to assure him that he had nothing to fear from man or animal.

Originally Posted by artemidorus

Perhaps you need to look up "opinion" and "fact" in the dictionary.

UN mandates have objectives and terms. (Almost?) irretrievably destabilising a country, and slaughtering thousands of innocents, were not UN objectives. Invasion as a penalty was not within the terms of the resolution.

How many similar dictatorships do you want to take on? If one is justified, then all are, if the argument is sound, right? Let's make a list:

Russia
China
Iran
Pakistan
North Korea
(Most of Africa)
etc etc etc

Come on, "global policeman", get cracking!

Originally Posted by garage sale GT

Fascinating opinions all, but nevertheless, a brutal dictator who had possessed poison gas and ballistic missiles was defying a UN mandate to allow inspectors in to verify that he had not reactivated his WMD program.

Originally Posted by garage sale GT

Hey Steve, how many representatives did we have in Parliament?

Originally Posted by stevebaby

Actually...it was Campybob who said that the US isn't a democracy...

Originally Posted by stevebaby

How many did the population have in the US government after the Revolution?
Women, slaves, indentured workers, men without real property, Native Americans...how many of these people...(much more than half the population)...had representation in Congress?
None.
It was a "Revolution" by middle and upper class business interests who resented paying any sort oF tax to cover the cost of defending themselves from the French.
Taxation on Americans was about 5% of taxes on other British citizens.
As John Adams estimated, only about 1/3 of the population supported the Revolution, not including the French of course.

Originally Posted by artemidorus

Perhaps you need to look up "opinion" and "fact" in the dictionary.

UN mandates have objectives and terms. (Almost?) irretrievably destabilising a country, and slaughtering thousands of innocents, were not UN objectives. Invasion as a penalty was not within the terms of the resolution.

How many similar dictatorships do you want to take on? If one is justified, then all are, if the argument is sound, right? Let's make a list:

Russia
China
Iran
Pakistan
North Korea
(Most of Africa)
etc etc etc

Come on, "global policeman", get cracking!

Originally Posted by artemidorus

Of course they are there now. That's not the point. Noone has ever come up with any convincing evidence that Hussein's Iraq was plotting against the West, harbouring terrorists or training them up. The rationale for the invasion was based either on VERY poor intelligence, or a lie. Consequently, the very large number of Iraqi deaths can't be said to have occurred for any point at all.