[speaker001:] Okay, um.
[speaker002:] Let's talk about the Middle East situation.
[speaker001:] The U S involvement in there, [sigh] then I guess even though.
[speaker002:] Now that's it's all over with, you know.
[speaker001:] Well, it is over but I don't think we're out of there by any means, and uh, I wonder are we going to set up you know peace keeping type forces for long term. You know, is that something we should do or shouldn't do? I don't know.
[speaker002:] I don't know I understand that the U S is talking about leaving more of its planes and things over there. Uh, I guess, they, uh, they're anti U S in that region and now they're, you know, like Syria and Egypt, you know had some pressure against the U S, but now they, now they wouldn't allow us to have a base in that region but now I think they are rethinking that.
[speaker001:] I think that's true because of all the support that came through.
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] The other thing that I think is good for like American businesses are to be involved is the, the reports that I hear back and of course on the news I try to listen and also read between the lines you know [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] But, they said that because the Americans you know took such a proactive stance involvement in the war that like so much of the business and the rebuilding in Kuwait and things like that will go to American businesses where as before they may be dealt with Japanese firms or other people.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] They said even though the Japanese were involved monetarily, uh, they still like the first, first priority ought to go to American businesses, which I guess will be good you know which will be good for our economy.
[speaker002:] Right, right.
[speaker001:] But, I, you know.
[speaker002:] They get so much of our money from oil anyway [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] Boy, don't you know, I mean we don't seem to slow down even when there is a crisis [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] No, no.
[speaker001:] But.
[speaker002:] Yeah, I think that's a nice gesture, on the Kuwaiti government part to do that, and a few people I guess will make a few people pretty wealthy in construction and so forth.
[speaker001:] I imagine. Your oil companies, they may see,
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] probably the first big rise in business they have seen in years.
[speaker002:] Go over there and rebuild all those.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] I think it's such a shame that the Iraqis had to just go destroy everything. I just.
[speaker001:] I do too.
[speaker002:] I mean, what's, what good is that? If I can't have it, you can't have it, you know that sounds like something a little kid would do. You know.
[speaker001:] Yeah, but look at their war, that was his whole war is, is I'm not satisfied with what Iraq has, I want what everybody has.
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] And, and you're right, it's like you see two little pre-school kids fighting over a toy, you know.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] I, I am a little concerned about you know, I know they are putting President Bush right now in an awkward position concerning the,
[speaker002:] The,
[speaker001:] The treaty over there right now. You know what am I trying to say?
[speaker002:] The deal with the uh, supporting the Kurds.
[speaker001:] Well supporting the Kurds but, uh, you know the cease-fire,
[speaker002:] Right, right, the cease-fire.
[speaker001:] I'm trying to say another, because he yeah.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] You know because he, he wants them to uphold their end of the deal as far as the cease-fire but at the same time, he's not wanting to go in and say, Okay, I'm going to fight your war for you, which, which I think is right. *should be 2 slash-units, with final clause getting sv code
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] You know if it's an internal thing, I don't think we can walk in and say, Gee, I think you're right, and you're wrong, you know we're not the judge and jury.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] Uh, but I know that that's causing him a little bit of unpopularity with the people over there because they feel like, Gee, you told us,
[speaker002:] Yeah, to help out.
[speaker001:] to stand up against him, but you're not helping.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] So I think he's in a pretty awkward position now and I, I think we ought to help, you know.
[speaker002:] Maybe supply some arms or something.
[speaker001:] Yeah, supply arms and support them if they need help but I don't think we ought to be over there fighting it for them, and and, so I think he's done good on that stance.
[speaker002:] Yeah, I think Bush handled, has handled this whole situation quite well. He stood up to, to the bully and,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] didn't back down and uh, and uh, Saddam Hussein miscalculated all along,
[speaker001:] Boy, I would say.
[speaker002:] thinking that he wouldn't commit U S lives and, and forces and, and monies to, just to liberate a little country.
[speaker001:] That's right.
[speaker002:] And, uh, then he underestimated his ability to, to wage a war with us. I mean, one thing when we all came over there and said, Okay, here we are, get out, and he said, No, I can, I can win a war with you guys.
[speaker001:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker002:] And that was a horrible miscalculation.
[speaker001:] I agree, you know they'd advertised and said in the news and said he had the fifth largest army. Well, he may have but you,
[speaker002:] Not any more [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] Well not any more but, you have to have loyalty, you have to have people who believe in your cause.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] You know, I know they tried to turn it into a holy war, because to them that is what's honorable. You know,
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] if you die in a holy cause, but I think they are smart enough,
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] to see there's nothing holy about it. We just want to go in and took it.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] You know.
[speaker002:] Saddam Hussein is not a religious person, but he uses it.
[speaker001:] Sure.
[speaker002:] When he sees it to his advantage.
[speaker001:] Sure.
[speaker002:] And, uh, and I think the people were smart enough to realize that, and I think they're afraid of him. Is what they are.
[speaker001:] Uh.
[speaker002:] The population is afraid to speak out against him and I don't think he's going to be there too much longer.
[speaker001:] Well, I hope that's true.
[speaker002:] Someone is going to assassinate him, you know.
[speaker001:] I would think so, I would think that, you know, I guess in the back of my mind I think like maybe the Israeli Massad probably has ideas of going in and, huh.
[speaker002:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker001:] You know, I thought they, uh, showed a tremendous restraint in their reactions towards everything,
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] but I don't believe for a minute that that means that they don't have ideas and plans of their own [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] But I do agree with you,
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] I think President Bush handled it all politically very smart, you know, giving the support of, of the other Arabs and other nations in the world and I think, that's how you have to go into something like that.
[speaker002:] Right, right. I've heard reports that President Bush was staking his future on this, uh, this war and that setting a precedent saying that this League of Nations will always combine against bullies and to stop this kind of stuff in the world. Any would be bully would think twice if he knew that, you know, there's this United Nations or world government or whatever they keep talking about that the whole world will deal with you.
[speaker001:] And don't you feel? *listen
[speaker002:] And you can't, you just can't do it and get away with it, you know, hoping that you know,
[speaker001:] That's right.
[speaker002:] because it's a world thing and the nations will combine against you and you can't, you know, you can't just do this.
[speaker001:] And don't you think that long term that's been a big boost for the United Nations.
[speaker002:] Oh, yeah.
[speaker001:] I mean the United Nations been there for years, but all of a sudden.
[speaker002:] Had no, had no teeth.
[speaker001:] Yeah there are some teeth behind it and the fact that when they have sanctions and we support things like this, it means something.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] And I think that's good for the strength of the United Nations.
[speaker002:] People, I guess, I feel sorry for just the average, you know, Iraqi,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] who has had to go through all of this and the suffering. I'm sure with no water,
[speaker001:] And rebuild from nothing.
[speaker002:] No electricity, no sanitation,
[speaker001:] Yes.
[speaker002:] must be terrible, living conditions must be terrible.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] and it's not getting any better, the sanctions are still on.
[speaker001:] That's true.
[speaker002:] You know, except for a few medical supplies they are allowing through now and then powdered milk, I guess, for babies and things and until they, I guess, yesterday they came out with this, these rules I guess or whatever.
[speaker001:] Right. They supported it.
[speaker002:] For a permanent, permanent cease-fire and the Kuwaitis said, We don't want to have to repay Israel for all the bombing that we did that was in there, you know.
[speaker001:] That is right,
[speaker002:] But that's only fair.
[speaker001:] Yeah, they did ask that they build up Israel and Kuwait.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] And I think they should have to.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] They lost [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] It's going to be really tough for them to swallow, but we don't want a Kuwait there that's also, you know, just has no power at all, and that, that you know, because Iran still isn't too friendly with them.
[speaker001:] Well, that's true.
[speaker002:] And we don't want, you know, to be stabilized to the point where Iran will say, Now is our chance, you know, to go in and wipe them out and,
[speaker001:] Well I don't think Iran is under the same type of madman type leadership,
[speaker002:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker001:] but there's always the possibility, I guess.
[speaker002:] Yeah, yeah since Khomeini died over there, things have gotten a little more normalized.
[speaker001:] I think so.
[speaker002:] Not quite as radical a stance, more moderates are in power now.
[speaker001:] I think the person who really may be at this time has a hard road to tow is Jordan's King Hussein because he really kind of,
[speaker002:] Yeah. Put in the middle.
[speaker001:] really tried to kind of straddle the fence. You know, he wasn't necessarily for Iraq but at the same time, he didn't feel like everybody ought to be going against Iraq.
[speaker002:] And yet so many of the citizens are the uh, the Lebanese.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Who were hoping this would evolve into a war against Israel.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] And uh, trying to connect with Israel all that time and there really was no connection at all.
[speaker001:] No.
[speaker002:] And, uh, but boy those Lebanese in Jordan, they were saying you know, this whole war is Israel's fault because Israel told the United States to attack Iran it was like, it was like you know Israel controls our government.
[speaker001:] I know, isn't that amazing the way that they will find their cause no matter what situation they see they're going to find their cause whether it truly exists or not.
[speaker002:] Right, but one thing I did learn was how deep the the hatred runs toward Israel by a lot of countries.
[speaker001:] I know.
[speaker002:] They just hate, I mean, anyway they can, you know, they can see to connect into something and hate it more, I mean, they just, I understand most of the land is now Israelis, they bought,
[speaker001:] That's true.
[speaker002:] and actually purchased it and then, and then moved in and started a country.
[speaker001:] But, see you are also getting back to the ages old problem of Arab-Israeli conflict,
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] as far as personalties and who is the selected one of God and theirs tie so much to their religion.
[speaker002:] Yeah, right, right and they both have holy sanctions.
[speaker001:] So, very different things than what we face.