[Danny]

Ok, call me paranoid, but I am even more scared having read that second report. The second report is pure military propaganda. In what way are we meant to feel comforted by the fact that the US makes reports like that every six years?

I am considerably worried, especially in light of the recent war against Afghanistan. The US attack one of the poorest nations in the world, totally unprovoked, and then discover that nobody dares to stand up and tell them that what they're doing is wrong (least of all Tony Blair, that smarmy wanker - it says something about the state of British Politics that Tony Blair is the lesser of two evils). Then Bush goes and makes his stupid "Axis of Evil" speech, which I think clearly shows that the US has learned from the Afghanistan attack that it can do whatever the **** it likes...

Now I agree that Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and North Korea may not have the most favourable governments in the world, but since when has that justified carpet bombing? Calling it "collateral damage" does not make it any less of an atrocity. Also, the US is far from innocent in matters of both dubious government and in the harbouring of terrorists. As one of the few parts of the Bible I agree with says, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone"... I think it was the Bible anyway... But anyway, I'm not going to get into this debate again, since we had it just a few months ago...

What makes this whole affair slightly more disturbing is that Bush clearly weilds no actual power in the US government. The day after the Axis of Evil statement, Colin Powell came out and almost literally told the press that (the press, in this case, being the Financial Times, which is not known for its sensationalism...). I think his exact words were "What President Bush says does not alter US Policy, nor should it ever be assumed that it does", or something along those lines.

This revelation begs the question: If Bush's power is just symbolic, why did Colin and the other real power-weilders allow the "Axis of Evil" statement to filter through, only to deny that it had any effect on US policy the next day? I put it to you that that statement was designed specifically to anger those particular nations, and make their people hate the US more, so that the US will feel justified when they finally decide to blow the shit out of them in an unprovoked manner. Hell, a few more statements like that, and the other countries might even attack first! Perfect! But, of course, the US can't have its "Allies" (read: Countries who are afraid of the US) thinking that it is so unreasonable and warlike, so they blame it on a stupid president, and deny it the next day...

I may be being paranoid, and all this may be bollocks. I hope to god that it is...