... call you unAmerican for expressing the opinions in that post, I have failed woefully in my efforts to convey my own opinions on the subject.

I was a registered "declines to state" (DTS) from my first registration in 1966 until I re-registered as a Democrat for the purpose of voting for Wes Clark in the California primary this year. My political beliefs are generally Libertarian. That said:

>> I believe that the President was wonderful in his response
>> to 9/11 including the invasion of Afghanistan.

I agree completely (see my comment to Paul Sax regarding the Israelis).

>> But there was no justification at all for the invasion of Iraq;
>> there was no substantial evidence of WMD, nor any link to Al Quida ...

I agree with this, too, which was the point I was trying to make (apparently without success ) in my post to Paul.

>> ... either he was dreadfully misled by his advisors ...

I think this WAS the case.

>> ... or he decided to out do his "pa pa" and conquer Iraq.

Could have been some of that, too.

>> The Adminstration was properly advised in terms of whether we could
>> successfully invade the country but woefully under advised as to
>> what would happen when we "won" the war.

Actually, that is only partially true. Senior military advisors have been telling Bush since before the war started that we were not committing enough troops. Not for the purpose of defeating Iraq militarily, which was a foregone conclusion. But, for the purpose of securing the country after the end of primary hostilities. OTHER advisors (primarily Rumseld) did convince Bush that we could do this "on the cheap". (See my post to Chuck Tomarchio.) We are now paying the price for that terrible advice.

>> We have lost many allies; and will continue to lose the few that remain with us.

Sadly true.

>> It looks now as if we are in Viet Nam in 1970 with only the option of moving out.

I'm not sure the situation is entirely lost yet and I would hate to see us just "bug out", leaving behind the terrible mess we have created. Avoiding that alternative, however, is going to require some creative thinking in the White House (of which we have seen, to date, precious little).

>> I grieve for the lives of young Americans who have fought so gallantly for an
>> illegal (international) cause. No war is just; but this one is clearly unjust.

I agree -- and I worry, of course, about #3 son Sean, who is currently serving in the Army in Korea. He is now trying to get into Warrant Officer school so that he can become a helicopter pilot. Soon enough, I'm afraid, he'll be directly in harm's way. Sean, BTW, is also a member of the CC>CC.

>> And before you start to respond by calling me unAmerican, bear
>> in mind that I volunteered for a very unpopular war--Korea--and
>> remained until retirement, a member of the Army reserve.

I did not remain in the reserve when my active duty commitment was fulfilled, but as you know I served four years in the Navy, including a year in Vietnam. I apologize to no one regarding my level of patriotic commitment to our county, nor should you. True patriotism does not mean blind acquiescence to whatever line is being fed us by the political party currently in power. "My country, right or wrong" is a dangerous philosophy. "My party, right or wrong" even more so.

>> I love my country but I hate what has happened to us in the latest Viet Nam.

And I fear the worst is yet to come.

----- jim o\-S