[Romantic Old Bird]

I think this is one of those moral arguments where everyone becomes so emotional that it is hard to rationalise anything.

In general terms I agree that the US has a less than enviable record in places like Nicaragua, and there is far more that goes on between al the so called 'great nations' in this world than we will ever know.

The Afghanistan War ended up being waged against the very people the western powers had introduced.

However, and this is a big one, September 11th 2001 was an attack on every nation in the world. I know innocent people are killed in every war, but this was so symbolic in terms of breaching the geographical advantage the americans always felt insulated by (albeit falsely for some considerable time).

No matter what, we must remember it and redress our efforts to promote understanding and prevent war whenever possible.

I am not happy about Iraq, but it does not lessen my sadness for the thousands who died last year in New York, or this year in Kabul or Baghdad.

It is a sick, unstable and scary world.