[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Its made from sugarcane.
Wikipedia

Brazil�s 37-year-old ethanol fuel program is based on the most efficient agricultural technology for sugarcane cultivation in the world,[12] uses modern equipment and cheap sugar cane as feedstock, the residual cane-waste (bagasse) is used to produce heat and power, which results in a very competitive price and also in a high energy balance (output energy/input energy), which varies from 8.3 for average conditions to 10.2 for best practice production

Yes. And they also make ethanol out of sawgrass. We have lobbyists and politics to blame for our lousy methods of making ethanol and the resulting increase in food prices and move to genetically modified corn. But don't get me started.

[Chi-Town]

One little note of history. We had planned a residual presence but the Iraqi government said no. That was three years ago. And before all of this who kept three warring factions in tow? A ruthless dictator. My guess is that Iraq will end up as three provinces once again. Think Yugoslavia.

[rubicon]

If oil was the only issue................but if anyone believes that 9/11 was a solitary event never to occur again then i pray they are right, but..............

[Rags123]

Originally Posted by Chi-Town

One little note of history. We had planned a residual presence but the Iraqi government said no. That was three years ago. And before all of this who kept three warring factions in tow? A ruthless dictator. My guess is that Iraq will end up as three provinces once again. Think Yugoslavia.

There are many, many, many who doubt the story about Iraq stopping our continued presence....MANY

[Rags123]

Originally Posted by rubicon

If oil was the only issue................but if anyone believes that 9/11 was a solitary event never to occur again then i pray they are right, but..............

Your comment is what makes me sad when all of this becomes so political

This IS NOT about oil, not about religion.

9/11, if we continue with our heads in the sand, will become simply phase one. We need to really listen, and stop thinking our pretty words really mean anything in the world.

[Carl in Tampa]

stated years ago that there should be no superpower nation in the world, and he has worked diligently to reduce the USA from its superpower status.

The result is the surge of terrorist activity because they do not fear retaliation from us. Red lines drawn in the sand mean nothing.

The problem, at this point, of simply withdrawing from our entanglements in the middle East is that absent our influence some of the involved nations will return to being open training grounds for terrorists who are determined to attack our nation and our people overseas.

After the Battle of Fredrecksburg in the Civil War, General Stonewall Jackson viewed the devastation inflicted on the civilians of that city by Northern forces and uttered these words regarding the enemy, "Kill them. Kill them all."

That is the solution to the terrorist problem.

Unleash the military.

[janmcn]

It's hard to overstate the absurdity of those who got it so spectacularly wrong the first time in Iraq, demanding immediate action.

[allus70]

"The war in Iraq was lost as it started. There was no way for America to win it , whether the troops stayed forever or not. The forces bubbling inside Iraq might have been contained a bit, or a bit longer, but that�s about all that could have been expected. Much of the general chaos throughout the Middle East now is related to the U.S. invasion of Iraq and how that upset multiple balances of power and uneasy relationships. The Iraq War will be seen as one of the most significant foreign policy failures of recent American history. That too is inevitable."
Peter Van Buren is a 24-year veteran of the State Department and spent a year in Iraq.

[Rags123]

Originally Posted by allus70

"The war in Iraq was lost as it started. There was no way for America to win it , whether the troops stayed forever or not. The forces bubbling inside Iraq might have been contained a bit, or a bit longer, but that’s about all that could have been expected. Much of the general chaos throughout the Middle East now is related to the U.S. invasion of Iraq and how that upset multiple balances of power and uneasy relationships. The Iraq War will be seen as one of the most significant foreign policy failures of recent American history. That too is inevitable."
Peter Van Buren is a 24-year veteran of the State Department and spent a year in Iraq.

As a student of history and politics, I would be interested if you could supply a link to your cut and paste

I certainly know who Peter Van Buren is...rather infamous but wanting to read up on this particular item

Thanks !!!

PS....For those who do not know of Mr Van Buren, he was fired by the Obama State Department for leaking documents, etc. Very critical of this administration for killing by drones. etc. He spent one year in Iraq...I think in 2010 !!!

[Bogie Shooter]

Why was it again, that we imvaded Iraq?

[billethkid]

We all have our opinions and political or religious or ethnic or racial preference or bias and that is fine.

However those who attempt to weave something/anything to support their position by using loose ends from non contiguous stories, facts or assumptions is just plain a distortion.

Just for one moment...here comes my turn......the methodology of always announcing to the enemy one's plans can only become useful to their cause. They have much longer time lines than we do as well as patience to wait us out.
The announced pull out of Iraq of when and how much and how many has now manifest itself in the terrorists KNOWING exactly when to execute their plan. They also know they are safe from any major intervention from the USA.

Now we are announcing what and when and how many in Afghanistan. They have a time line made for them (the terrorists) and all they have to do is wait again. And we will see a repeat of Iraq today in Afghanistan.

We are the intruders in an area of the world that has been at each other's throats for centuries. And we will eventually learn they do not want democracy.

The continual whining by some about when the USA went where or not to find a blame is sort of polar distortion to the max.

We just need to shift our priorities to the needs of we the people of this country and all others secondary. Especially those who have proven time and again to be our enemy. An enemy that publicly states their purpose is to bring down our country any way they can and kill as many of us as possible in the process.

It is really just that simple one the political and special interest BS is filtered out!

Whew....now I feel better!

[zonerboy]

I agree with Billethkid above. The people of Iraq are not and never have been interested in democracy. What they want is a Muslim theocracy. The only question is whether it will be of the Sunni or Shiite variety.
The situation is similar in Afghanistan.

[gomoho]

I seem to remember something about preventing a place for terrorists to train and regroup - and now they have a place to train and regroup in Iraq. Yep, sure was a good idea pulling our troops out of there. If we don't take the fight to them they will surely bring it to our homeland. Remember 9/11...

[janmcn]

Originally Posted by gomoho

I seem to remember something about preventing a place for terrorists to train and regroup - and now they have a place to train and regroup in Iraq. Yep, sure was a good idea pulling our troops out of there. If we don't take the fight to them they will surely bring it to our homeland. Remember 9/11...

Prime Minister Maliki would not provide immunity to our military. They were there for ten years. How long should they stay - 20 years, 30 years, 40 years?

The American people spoke loud and clear about what they wanted to happen to the Iraq was, twice. The choice could not have been clearer.

The Iraq war already cost the US over two trillion dollars, which will probably be much higher by the time all the wounded are treated. Forty five hundred US military died and over 100,000 Iraqis died.

"When the Iraqis step up, we will step down". How many times did we hear that mantra?

[rubicon]

Some might want to review how Reagan ended the Cold War. Never never did he capitulate on arms reduction SDI, etc An enemy, an opponent always looks for the weak spot.

It is an utopian belief that we can have peace without sacriface and risk and that attitide causes me concern and saddness