The situation in Iraq...

[Master Jmd]

What are your views about the problems in Iraq...do you think that the Japaneese should withdraw their troops in order too set the captured hostages free?

[Emperor Oli]

Screw Iraq, we've got bigger problems here in the U.K, namely asylum. After the Hughes fiasco, this Government really needs to overhaul the asylum application and processing procedure

[Chris Perkins]

If you were half Iraqi and half British Oli and had relatives in GB and Iraq, I think the lawlessness and general unrest in Iraq would probably be of greater importance to you to the asylum problems in Blighty.

Asylum: It does seem from what I have read that the government seemed to be massaging the figures a bit. Although I'm sure from Germany I probably don't know the full story. But that's what govenments do all day long, they massage figures. Whatever government you have in power, will massage figures one way or t'other (listen to me getting all Northern). Lets hope they work things out, and I hope your Mr Howard asks all the right questions and puts on all the right pressures, that's what he's there for.

Iraq: I think the Japanese troops are just medical and support types aren't they? No front line armed forces as such? They probably won't do anything, because governments generally never do what terrorists tell them too. I expect there will be the usual SAS style rescue attempt that will either work, or not, and then things will carry on like they were before.

[Geoff T]

Back in the 1960s, Harold Wilson (Labour Prime Minister 1964-1970 for you youngsters) refused to commit British troops to support what he saw was America's war in Vietnam. Alas that his latter-day successor can't learn the lessons of history.

Good guys/bad guys culture appears to be ingrained in the American psyche. Whether the bad guys are indians, Japanese, commies, Al-Quaeda or aliens, the big screen Independence Day scenario is the same. Oh yes, and the Americans are always the good guys, even if it means adopting the attitude that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, or if the same friend by default is an abuser of human rights on a grand scale.

But Iraq isn't cowboys and indians, and George W. Bush certainly isn't John Wayne. And it's frightening that his propaganda machine has managed to convince huge numbers of people that there was a direct link between the events of 9/11 and Saddam Hussein.

[Emperor Oli]

Asylum: It does seem from what I have read that the government seemed to be massaging the figures a bit. Although I'm sure from Germany I probably don't know the full story. But that's what govenments do all day long, they massage figures. Whatever government you have in power, will massage figures one way or t'other (listen to me getting all Northern). Lets hope they work things out, and I hope your Mr Howard asks all the right questions and puts on all the right pressures, that's what he's there for.

The BBC did an excellent Q&A on it

And I don't think the Japanese should withdraw their troops. To sacrifice a few people to save many is cold logic imho

[Master Jmd]

@Emperor Oli - what if it was a member of your family that was captured, how would you feel about it then?

[Emperor Oli]

Oooh a real hypothetical Catch-22 here! If on the one hand I say oh no my family comes first, then you will ravage my earlier post about the "greater good". However if I say no, they must die for the preservation of the regime, then you would most probably call me a heartless b*%#>rd. And no sane person in my family would ever visit Iraq in its current state

[Half Penny Jon]

In my opinion, it is Americas war that Bush chose, just like Vietnam we were asked to join the war but then we refused. However this time we have got ourselves into a very long, tiring, and totally unnecessary slog.