I liked your comments. Its unfortunate that America is acting like a big bully. But we should also not forget that most Americans are not for any kind of war, which has been proved during the recent war on Iraq. It is the result of cold war politics, and quest for domination and power that made America a nation that involved in the affairs of almost all countriues worldwide.

It is for the Americans to realise the cost of war, and the huge investments America makes into weaponry and defence. If it were to pool up the money it spent on the Iraq war alone, the health insurance needs of a majority of the population would have been met.

Apart fromt his, I agree with what you say about America's dual standards. Asking india to talk to Pakistan is like asking Bush to talk to Osama.Instead it should set a proper precedent by bringing about a bloodless agreement between the two countries, empty talks don't lead anywhere.

The U.S isnt a bad nation. it is a land of dreams for many. In fact, the U.S is nothing but a mix of the peoples of many nations who had been there and settled down.

The original americans are today in a way a minority !!

This should make us realise that geographical boundarioes isnt what counts, because its a one world. We should strive for that in spirit, not just to achieve domination and supremacy over each other.

good article but i fail to understand as to why you drag Pakistan in every muslim discussion that u undertake?

Every nation looks out for its own narrow interests Uppalapati. China looks out for China first and America looks out for America first...that's not criminal, it's merely human nature. /// Moreover, America has greatly reduced its nuclear stockpile over the past two decades, but the rest of the world keeps calling on America to intervene - from Kuwait, to Somalia, to Kosovo, America has been used as "peace keepers" in numerous conflicts that do not directly involve us. OK, we would not let Kuwait fall into the hands of Iraq because of our legitimate oil intersts, but most of the other conflicts had no real consequence for us. /// The Middle East is a complex problem. The Arab world had been alligned with the Nazis during World War II. Iran, Iraq had been part of Turkey and both "Palestine" and Israel were part of Jordan before the Second World War. After that war Germany was divided and the Arab world was carved up by Britain and America, creating new nations like Iran, Iraq and, of course, Israel. It was American and British (overwhelmingly American) companies that drilled for oil in the Mid-East. In fact, it was the Western (northern European) mind that gave oil its current value. Without German, Fritz Wankel's invention of the rotary wankel engine (the first internal combustion engine) and Irish-Americans Frank & Charles Duryea's invention (the first automobile) oil would have no value today. In short, the Western mind made the Arab world rich, so yes, the West wants a certain amount of control over the product and market it created. Thus Israel serves a dual purpose - (1) a refuge and homeland for the Jewish people and (2) the West's sattelite in the Mid-East. That's why America has been so quick to defend Israel, they are our sattelite in that region. /// As far as America's "terrorism," even now, America has used restraint against the nations that have harbored al qaeda. It used disaffected Afghanis to overthrow the Taliban and now seeks to bolster the Kurds and other anti-Saddam forces in Iraq. It has dealt diplomatically with Pakistan, even though that nation has had a history of supporting terror. The current government there has been willing to negotiate and like the Saudis, at least on paper, distances itself from the terrorists. /// This current war on terror is only just beginning and it will continue on many fronts. One of those fronts will be economic. The U.S. knows that the Mid-East has financed the current wave of terror via the oil money that comes into it from us ($30 billion/month to Iraq alone). It also knows that that must stop. America has been slowly re-alligning its oil business from the Mid-East to Russia. Eventually (over the next couple of decades) America will probably move toward ethanol based fuels taken from a corn source that it can grow itself. The idea is that without the oil money, terrorism will starve. In fact, much of the Middle East will, but the people there haven't shared in the oil largesse anyway, so that's hardly inhumane on our part. Besides, we have to look out for ourselves first. /// Look, the al qaeda made a critical mistake, they thought America would run from casualties and carnage. That's like people thinking the 19th Century British were soft. Both were the most bloodthirsty nations on earth at the times and always more than willing to go to the gun or the sword. America's view is that "we didn't start this," and "Israel belongs were it is because we say so...and that's that." Those who want to fight over that will have that fight. Here in the U.S. we're expecting another major attack. I think that attack will quiet any dissent for massive (very possibly nuclear) retaliation. One military official here has said, "...With Russia's huge oil reserves, we don't need the Middle East...and besides, we can drill for oil within ten years in a area that has been irradiated." /// Personally, I think diplomacy is the way to go. Not with the terrorists, there is no dialoguing with people like that. The existance of Israel is a given, but America also favors the creation of a Palestinian state. The control of the oil market is a moot point. When we move to an alternative fuel source (ethanol) than we'll let those nations have complete control over the oil in their region. /// Fine writing, though we disagree on some key points.