[jambutty]

It is wrong to kill someone for personal gain or pleasure KIPPAX.

It is right to kill someone in self defence.

It is right to kill someone in retribution for someone killing for personal gain or pleasure. It is payback or revenge if you like but it does act as a deterrent to most people. Although there will always be some who won’t give a damn and kill anyway. Well if they do they will only be able to do it until they are caught and punished. Dead men cannot kill again.

However, what I was pointing out is that is always the conquered who stand acused of war crimes, never the victors, no matter what atrocities were carried out to achieve that victory.

No quite right garinda. Many American soldiers have been brought to trial for atrocities committed during both World Wars, as have English and other allied troops, in Korea, Vietnam, Palestine and now Iraq. None of the senior generals though! And I guess that is what you mean – the generals.

By the way the west was asked by Kuwait to remove the Iraqi forces. We didn’t go in uninvited. And we won’t tackle other despots because as you point out, there is nothing in it for us – oil and gas that is.