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>>For example, the US did assume that once they got rid of saddam, the citizens would see the americans as heros and iraq would be the first true islamic democratic nation in the middle east. How can you assume that, given a population that is used to one strong leader, does not know the concept of democracy, lowly educated with lots of potential military/religous leaders that want control over regions or the whole country, deeply religous would be willing to live under a secular democratic regime spearheaded by cristian americans, who btw, did beat them up a decade earlier and was doctrined by saddam to be the evil enemy. Of course scandals of turture and killing innocent civilians do not help either in these cases.
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>Walter, with all due respect you do appear to have it in for the US - it just comes across like that lately (or is it just me :)

No, it's not just you and it's not just lately.