Gates arrives in Iraq after attacking Nato - 23 Iraqis killed minutes before his arrival

[malaise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7237778.stm

<snip>
At least 23 people have been killed in a car bomb attack in the Iraqi town of Balad, the Iraqi police force has said.

About 45 people were also injured in the incident, police officials said.

A police spokesman told the BBC that the blast happened near an Iraqi army checkpoint in the market town, which is north of the capital, Baghdad.

The blast was reported as US Defence Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Baghdad for talks with US military leaders and Iraqi government officials.

Nato attack link
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7237237.stm.
<snip>
The European public needs convincing that Nato's mission in Afghanistan is part of a wider fight against global terror, the US defence secretary says.

Robert Gates warned that the future of Nato was at risk if it became a "two-tiered alliance" of countries which fought, and those that did not.

add., edit subject

[PDJane]

1. The two tiers are those who can be convinced

to support US occupations and interventions, no matter how ill-thought, ill-judged or illegal, and those who won't.

I wish Canada were in the latter group.

[malaise]

2. More than that

Some of these governments have to follow their constitutions and parliamentary procedures. The Germans will not fight.
Bush should have thought about all these things before he startedd his cowboy diplomacy.

I'm only sorry for the poor military men and women who are dying or being permanently injured mentally and physically over his clusterfuck.

[applegrove]

3. If more Americans were to go to Afghanistan to fight there..it may convince

Nato a little more to be involved. So when the next President begins to draw down troops in Iraq...the Afghani problem will have its solution.

Go after al Qaeda where it is.