Tim Blair

Well here is the long list of examples of Saddam's bad side: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/06/iraq/20030603-7.html

INVANSHIN?!? FUCKLIE!!!!!

“How anyone - even at the ABC - can describe suicide bombers as ‘Palestinians killed in the conflict with Israel’ with a straight face is beyond me.”

The Palestinians manage it somehow. When submitting their (generally accepted to be grossly inflated) casualty figures for the current intifada they routinely list suicide bombers as "casualties" alongside civilians who have been killed by the IDF.

Cheeky buggers.

I like Jim but he needs to give credit to Jeff K, who is the prototype of 'Puce' unless I'm mistaken and Jim has never heard of him. Jeff would be all for blowing up Saddam though.

Never heard of him, but thanks for leaving me an out.

Dear, oh dear, Tim. Anthony C points out the obvious (from his own perspective) that you managed to miss - most of the casualties are inflicted by Israeli soldiers on Palestinian civilians. Suicide bombers are a small part of the death toll.

Anthony C, "generally accepted to be grossly inflated"? Accepted by whom?

And think of this - the Palestinians are under occupation. They are fighting the occupiers. Suicide bombing (the logical conclusion of overwhelming military force arrayed against sheer desperation) is an abhorrent way of fighting(since it targets civilians mostly) but in the context of the struggle for freedom, suicide bombers are, in effect, killed by Israel.

"Anthony C points out the obvious (from his own perspective) that you managed to miss - most of the casualties are inflicted by Israeli soldiers on Palestinian civilians. Suicide bombers are a small part of the death toll." (Bolds added to emphasize the idiocy of this statement.

Dear oh dear fathead, go fuck yourself with a rusty hacksaw sideways. And while you are doing so, repeat to yourself "Andrew C pointed out no such thing. Andrew C only pointed out that Palestinians release grossly inflated casualty lists that include the names of suicide bombers alongside the names of civilians killed by the IDF. I am a stupid fathead who can't read simple English, or at least I am so stupid I think that I can make as if no one else here can."

Looks like a good time to trot out the actual casualty report, broken down into combatants and non-combatants killed.

Notice anything about the Palestinian side? THE MAJORITY OF THOSE KILLED WERE COMBATANTS.

Notice anything about the Israeli side? THE MAJORITY OF THOSE KILLED WERE NON-COMBATANTS.

Accepted by whom?

Me, for one. Nice use of "whom," though. So few people really know how, these days.

The Palestinians are in "occupied" territories cause their buddies the Arabs tried to wipe Israel off the face of the earth several times and continually got routed. Of course, the Israelis in an effort to have a more peaceful existence have several times given away land to try to get peace. Has it worked? No, why is that? Because the Palestinians and their supporters want to see all the Jews killed and Israel obliterated...no more and no less.

Lets face it, suicide bombers are cowards. The Palestinians don't have the courage to take on the army so they spend their time attacking "soft" targets. Their reasoning? All Israelis are zionists and deserve to die.

Saddam did sponsor suicide bombers (who like it or not were killed in the conflict, even if by their own hands). Those suicide bombers had a hell of a lot more courage than Saddam did when the US Army came knocking. Armed with a pistol, did he attempt to take as many soldiers with him as possible on his way out? Not a one. The families of those he encouraged to bomb themselves and others to oblivion should be asking searching questions - why was it acceptable for their children to sacrifice themselves in the name of war and not their great sponsor?

> the strongman sent millions of dollars to Palestinians killed in the conflict with Israel.

What good does that do, they're already dead.