chicot

The Kurds are not Arabs and neither are the Turks. It's not a matter of them not seeing themselves as Arabs, as you put it. They simply are not. They have different cultures and language.

True enough, but you can't really blame Ballack on this occasion. 90% of footballers would do the same - it was the ref's job to spot it and he blew the call. Been a great tournament so far - lots of goals with hardly any bad games. Even Croatia - Turkey, which seemed to me to be one of the most boring games ever, came to life right at the end. Can't wait for Holland - Russia tonight

Typical Germany - dominated for most of the game but make the most of their chances and win the game. Blatant push for the third goal as well.

Al-Sadr does not live in Iran and his links to Iran are somewhat less than the so-called Iraqi government.

It says Sunni Arab leaders will support the accord (actually I doubt that) and that the Sunni Arab community has broadly supported guerilla war. There is no contradiction.

Oops! Didn't check the off the wall section.

This seems to me to be taking things a bit far: US chain drops terror scarf ad

Hah! With the reputation of the Russian police, I think it's likely they'll be on their best behaviour

A fair proportion of those 300 million Americans voted for GW, not once but twice, did they not?

Yes, the setting up of the awakening councils has had at least as much to do with the improved security situation in places like Diyala and Anbar as anything else.

The Iraqi and US forces are most definitely not fighting the Badr Brigades - the Iraqi forces are more or less the Badr Brigades.

What the hell are the "Sadr Brigades"?! The Badr Brigades are the armed wing of SCIRI, one of main parties in the so-called Iraqi government. The government forces are heavily drawn from them so it is not entirely incorrect to characterise this as a militia on militia conflict.

You don't find it worrying that McCain should be so apparently clueless about such an important matter?

Can you point me to any quote by an advocate of gun control that states that making guns illegal is going to prevent all gun crime? Career criminals (certainly members of crime syndicates) are always going to have the right connections to get hold of a firearm. However, social misfits that feel like carrying out a massacre may find it substantially harder to do if getting hold of a gun is somewhat more difficult than walking into their local gunshop.

They also stand to make a fair bit of money by selling their stories to the press: UK sailors to sell stories

You've got to work today? Good Friday is a holiday over here

Never said your insults bothered me, just making the observation that that is what many of your posts consist of - little or no substance, but a generous helping of insults. I have said on plenty of occasions that my preferred solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict is a multi-ethnic secular state for both peoples, encompassing the whole of Israel/Palestine. I wouldn't describe that as wanting to "destroy" Israel. Change it definitely, destroy it no.

I never said you were not entitled to your opinion. I attacked your opinion for being based on nothing more than ignorance and racial stereotypes. You have said nothing at all to demonstrate otherwise. On the contrary, you have continued to avoid answering the question, which I will ask again - what exactly are you basing your opinion on? Have you heard that he beats his wife? Have you seen quotes attributed to him in which he makes derogatory remarks about women? Do you believe that his policies indicate that he does not respect women? What exactly is it that leads you to believe that he does not respect any woman?

I'd be quite happy for you to do a search for mine and Eryn's posts. It should be quite obvious to most people who is trying to debate the issues and who is merely hurling insults.

Virtually everything posted on here is someone's opinion. Simply saying "it is my opinion" doesn't make it off-limits to question it. I'll ask the question again - what are you basing your opinion on?

Here's an article about Syria's first lady: Assma al assad Food for thought. Doesn't prove anything but I think it's somewhat more informative that your "I honestly dont think Asshead respects any women" statement. Yes, it's your opinion but what exactly are you basing your opinion on? Couldn't be a tired old racial stereotype, could it?

Nope, that's not the way it works. You made the reference to how he treats women, it is for you to justify your statement. Do you actually have any knowledge of Assad disrespecting women, apart from the racial stereotype of every Arab disrespecting women? Of course I don't know how Assad treats women personally but I do happen to know quite a lot about how women are treated in Syria (here's a hint - it's a damn sight better than how they are treated in that great ally of the US - Saudi Arabia). Do you honestly think that the fact that Pelosi is a woman made any difference whatsoever to how she got on in Syria? Perhaps if the delegation had been led by a man Syria would have made peace with Israel on the spot

Asshead. Tee hee. How long did it take you to think that one up? Yes, that's right. It's all about him not respecting women. Obviously, since Assad is an Arab, there's no way he'd respect any woman. Do you actually know the first thing about how women are treated in Syria or are you completely ignorant about this as well?

What an amazing post. Make a whole bunch of inane assumptions about people you know next to nothing about and then, based on these flimsy foundations, write a Pyrite Gal length essay about them. Remarkable

We don't know that. It's quite possible that some sort of deal was worked out behind the scenes. Just because we haven't heard about it doesn't mean it hasn't happened.