RE: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] misleading Bush statements from the debate

[Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Fri, 1 Oct 2004, Spurling, Shannon wrote:

> One question I have about the world coalitions, as was in Bosnia and 
> other places. What was the troop count from each nation, and how much of 
> the cost did the others bear? People grumble about how much we have to 
> pony up in Iraq, but I am having trouble with the idea that it would be 
> any cheaper in lives or money if the other countries actually joined in.

I think that is a good question.  I don't know where to get the 
information, but I wouldn't be surprised if we nearly always carry a large 
proportion of the cost burden.

My problem with Iraq is not *exactly* the total cost in terms of dollars 
and lives, it is that we are spending those dollars and lives in a place 
where they are not helping us very much.  A more distributed "war on 
terror" would have been a much wiser plan.  The focus on Iraq seems 
illogical to me.  I know Saddam was a bad guy, but if it is true that 42% 
of Iraqis would vote for him for President today, he just wasn't as bad as 
I thought he was, and the people of Iraq aren't as good as I'd hoped they 
were.  The terrorists who attacked the WTC and Pentagon on 9/11 were from 
Saudi Arabia, not from Iraq, and their leader was (is?) in Afghanistan, 
not in Iraq.  So why are we spending the bulk of our anti-terrorism money 
in Iraq?!

Mike
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