http://www.msnbc.com/news/870749.asp?0cv=CA01&cp1=1
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Is it going from bad to worse in Iraq?

There is nothing but a headline there. Not much to go by...

Wasn't the Jordanian embassy bombed about a week ago in Baghdad?

Yeah. They were bombed for helping us in this war.

Here's a better article: Bomb in UN compound

This will open a whole new can of worms in this conflict. If the UN wants to prove it is not impotent, then they better think about sending troops to assist the U.S. coalition.

I don't know what the people who did this were thinking, but they just struck the UN. Bad idea. Just as bad as striking the U.S. on 9/11

The UN was probably hit because they were a "soft" target--no troops.

I think it is ironic that the UN wanted nothing to do with this but are now among the casualties.

Right, pull the UN and the US back together and strengthen our resolve to squash terrorism.... They're not to bright, huh?

OR, the UN could blame us for not getting this under control. But I think it's going to help heal the fractured UN and US relationship, I hope.

That might happen, if people here in the US try not to sound pleased that it happened. Unfortunately, I'm not confident that Bush or Rumsfeld can keep themselves from saying something that will sound like "I told you so".

Oh yeah, I forgot what great diplomats they are.

Yep, the UN is bound to take drastic action now. Heck, they might even pass another resolution.

Oohh another resolution! They don't need another resolution. They need to just get in there and help us get this under control.

edit to add: 13 dead now.

Why is it up to the UN to get things under control? The US is the one that went ahead with a war that the UN hadn't concluded to support yet. We're the ones that flaunted it in the face of the international community that we dont need support from others, especially not the UN.

Because the UN has been attacked now. They can't stand on the side line anymore. If the UN was involved, the resistance would loose a lot of power, because the US presence would be deluded by UN troops.

I don't agree with the reasons that were falsely given to us for going to war and ousting Saddam, but we're there now and it's been taken to the next level (by this act).

Actually, the UN was behind a lot of the help of rebuilding the police force and de-mining Iraq and other things. The meeting they were having at the time was over police forces in Iraq. The point of this attack was to punish the UN for helping us.

Just like the reason for the attack on the Jordanian Embassy.


Platypus:



Not giving Bush & Rummy the benefit of the doubt. I doubt, as civil as these men are (ignore the fact that they are so called "warmongers"), they would gloat and say "I told ya so!!"


KIM:


They should come in here because this was a terrorist attack on it's people and they should bring troops to help stablize since they have been dragged into it now.

They can't afford to shrug this off. That would make them look impotent and scared.

Not in exactly those words, no.

Ok, then in what words, Platypus? I just watched President Bush's statement and I didn't see any "gloating" there at all. Given his history as President, I would find it difficult to believe that he would ever "gloat" over a terrorist attack against anyone.

Edited to add the transcript of the President's comments on this.....

The President's statement

For right now, I retract my earlier statement; Bush's speach a few minutes ago was very good and on the mark.

Are you seriously asking me to predict someone's exact words? Come on. I can only guess, but if I had to I'd guess that the message might be something about how "this highlights the danger we all face" or some such. Maybe, if we're feeling particularly cocky, we'll work in some warning about appeasement or complacency, not directly of course, but probably more like "these people won't be satisfied until..." blah blah blah. This is diplomacy, not street talk. A hint is sufficient to get an "I told you so" or "served you right" message across, but that message will be there.

BTW, there's nothing "ironic" about the very people who opposed a rush to war becoming victims of retaliation for it. That's tragic, and if anyone doesn't know the difference I suggest they find out. That's what got me thinking about how we in the US need to be careful about our reactions.

No, you seem to be quite capable of doing that yourself.

Lead UN Rep. to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello has died.

Billy Jean - this thread is no longer in Casual Conversation (by your request). Therefore, we now need to have constructive debates or I move it back.

Edited to add: Aquilla - please don't make this personal. Let's all debate the issues, please.

The UN peacekeeping history has been littered with failures,. Why the Iraqi people would prefer a unelected international regime to replace a imperialist occupier is beyond me.

Why was the UN targetted? Who knows but it is too early to blame saddam resistance fighters, the islamists groups or foreign Al quieda fighters. I doubt that the Iraqi public think much of this atrocity, since the UN seems to have had a better reputation than the average American soldier with their appalling cultural insensibilties.

What needs to be done, what should have been done months ago was to focus on rebuilding the infrastucture, start establishing local democracy and a legitimate Iraqi government - all that the Americans have failed to deliver. American failure has caused mounting anger and sadly means that other players, the British military and the UN are now targetted.

That is bull. Bush is NOT that insenstive. It makes me sick just knowing you think that.

THOMAS:


How can we rebuild the infastructure while having to deal with leftover fighters and Jihad Yo Yo's who spill in from Iran and Syria??? Answer me that. You think this was done by regular Iraqis? Give me a break. Ordinary Iraqis wouldn't bite the hand that gets their power & water back on.

Fine...we'll leave now. Meanwhile, we will sit back and watch the Iraqis struggle to get their water and power back on. If they stop complaining and get off their butts, then MAYBE they will have some decent power and water. Help instead of complain.


Out of all this, whoever is responsible has just declared war on the United Nations. This is a whole new ballgame now

CLOSED.

This thread didn't start off well (it was originally not a debate, but Casual Conversation). For some reason, it keeps getting personal.

We can start this debate over with a more clear question if we are willing to debate it in a civil, constructive fashion.