[tomder55]

Piracy is something that all nations are free to take action against and maybe terrorism should be in the same category as action against individual perpetrators but dumping on a nation because a few individuals are out of line smacks of big brother

If a nation provides haven and financing for piracy then a nation defending themselves against that piracy has the right to consider the nation supporting the pirates as being at war against them and to act accordingly.

[galveston]

Tom, you said it all better than I could have!

[paraclete]

I guess in the moral relativist world defending ourself is a crime.

Don't be niaive, Tom, defending yourself is one thing and attacking others to extract revenge is another. I don't condone Putin's acts anymore than I condone Bush's and the Israeli action in Gaza was over the top. Phosphorus shells should not be used on a civilian population. I don't condone the actions of Muslim extremists, their cause has no more legitimacy than does Bus's attack on Iraq. I don't agree with Bush's doctrine of premption otherwise I could kill my neighbour on the assumption they were going to attack me, however when the judiciary of a nation cannot act to try the acts of a national leader then someoneelse who can be a little more impartial should.

But tell me who is you think you are defending yourselves against in Afghanistan after eight years of an inconclusive battle? Are you defending yourself against Osama bin Laden, that lone, rag tag figure who may or may not exist? Are you defending yourself against a people who just want you to leave their land? When will you invade Yemen on the assumption Al Qaeda will attack the US? Are you defending yourself against the bogey man?