We have one that avoided the Vietnam war by way of his daddy and the other one says he "had more important things to do"...What the hell is more important then fighting for your country ??? When 911 began and Bush sent our troops into Afgan I was right there with him for that is where the people were that were responsible for this horrible tradgy...Within a year our troops had the Taliban on the run till finnally they broke their back...Our soldiers accomplished their mission with the exception of capturing or killing Bin Ladin...Iraq was your mission Mr. President...again...Shame...

Who Decides

By Suzanne Freeman

While bombs were still dropping over Baghdad in early April, meetings were being held in Northern Ireland, the U.S., and Russia to discuss the future of Iraq. Each of these meetings was independent of the others and brought up a central and unanswered question: Who will decide the future of this war-torn country?

The U.S. and Great Britain say the coalition that fought the battles should decide, but even they are not in total agreement. While British Prime Minister Tony Blair wants the UN to play a strong role, U.S. President George W. Bush says that UN participation should focus on humanitarian aid. The two leaders met in Northern Ireland on April 6. They issued a joint statement a few days later outlining their joint agreement, which still did not clear up the issue.

Bush and Blair jointly said that Iraq must be lead by Iraqis. It was the politically correct thing to say, but not exactly realistic, at least not in the short term. Who rules in the interim between when the fighting ends and the first free democratic election still must be decided.

The leaders of countries opposed to war with Iraq met in St. Petersburg, Russia, in early April. France, Germany, and Russia want the UN to have the lead in determining Iraq's future.

"We are no longer in an era where one or two countries can control the fate of another country," said French President Jacques Chirac. "Therefore, the political, economic, humanitarian, and administrative reconstruction of Iraq is a matter for the United Nations and for it alone."

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan attended a meeting of the European Union in Athens, Greece, in mid-April. EU leaders resolved to increase pressure for the U.S. to turn over control of Iraq to the UN. France, Germany, and Russia were part of this meeting, too.

Part of the issue is who will have control of Iraq's rich oil resources. The U.S. has asked the UN to lift economic sanctions passed after the first Gulf War in 1991. Once the sanctions are lifted, the oil can be sold on an open market. The money from sales can be used to begin rebuilding Iraq's damaged infrastructure and establishing a democratic government.

The next big battle over who controls Iraq's future could well be played out in the UN as the Security Council meets to discuss lifting the sanctions. Bush said the

"Now that Iraq is liberated, the United Nations should lift economic sanctions on that country," Bush said recently while speaking to workers at a Boeing plant in St. Louis, Missouri.

By Cassandra Nelson

It is 8:00 in the morning and Bibi, a 9-year-old Afghan girl, has been up and working for the past several hours. She is bringing water from the village well to her home.

"My day starts at sunrise. It is best to start work early when it is still cool," says Bibi. "In the afternoon it will be too hot to work in the sun."

Bibi is one of about 18,000 children living in the Khewa district in eastern Afghanistan. Life here is hard for children. Many families have had to leave their homes and live as refugees to escape the last 20 years of war. Din Mohammad, who is 12 years old, spent most of his life in refugee camps, waiting for it to become safe to return home.

"I don't remember living here—we left when I was 3 to escape the fighting and the Taliban," said Din Mohammad after returning to Khewa with his family. "I spent the last nine years living in camps near Peshawar, Pakistan. I guess I am home now, but it doesn't feel like it."

Din Mohammad was fortunate. Many families did not have the money to leave. The children who remained in Afghanistan had a very difficult life under the Taliban. Girls were not allowed to go school, boys could only attend religious schools, and no one could listen to music.

Since the war on terror and the fall of the Taliban, life is slowly improving in Afghanistan. Twelve-year-old Storai is collecting cow dung from the pastures. This is one of her many chores for the day. Later she will stick it on the walls of her home to dry. It will be burned as fuel for the cooking fires.

"I have a lot of work to do," says Storai "I must help my family. But now that the Taliban is gone I am able to do more."

Although most of the schools were damaged in the past two decades of fighting, many boys, and now girls like Storai, are going to school. "We have classes outside and sit on the ground," says Storai, who hopes to one day be a doctor. "I hope they rebuild our school soon, so we can sit inside before the winter comes and it is too cold."

Iraq is experiencing the worst human displacement of its history, with almost 2.2 million persons displaced within its borders and an additional two million who have fled the country to the surrounding region. This mass displacement is fast becoming a regional and ultimately international crisis.

Thousands of Iraqis are going without food and basic supplies as the country's food distribution infrastructure crumbles...

"We are all looking forward for a fast start to rebuilding the country and have a decent free life," he continued. "That can console us that things may work fine, like a ray of light in this darkness."

"At some point, [Iraq] is going to fall apart,What we're trying to do ... is to get people to a point in Iraq where they're going to be able to cope with that point and help it move forward."

Karen Diop

KIDS ASK KIDS...

Question: Have you been affected by America's war with the terrorists? How?

Answer: "Yes. In good ways and bad ways. Before the Americans attacked, we were living in a refugee camp in Pakistan. Now that the Taliban is finished, we have returned to our home. But it is ruined. America promised to help us after the war, but no one has come to help. My father says that America is going to forget us again, like they did before."

-Bibi H. 11, Abdul Khail,Kuz-Kunar Distric,

Are you more scared now or were you more scared before 9/11?

Answer: I am more scared now. Before, under the Taliban, things were very safe here. There was no stealing and no murders. Now, bombs are going off in our city all the time and there is still lots of shooting and firing. We also don't have anywhere to live now. When all the refugees came back to Kabul they kicked us out of our apartment and raised the rent. For now, I am staying with relatives.

—Ashraf H., 8, Kabul

What do you think Americans are like?

Answer: "Americans are lucky. They have so many things we don't have: schools, cable TV, computers…and lots of money

-Tariq R., 14, Kewa

Every nation in every region now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.

 George W. Bush, September 20, 2001

"As you can possibly see, I have an injury myself -- not here at the hospital, but in combat with a cedar. I eventually won. The cedar gave me a little scratch. As a matter of fact, the Colonel asked if I needed first aid when she first saw me. I was able to avoid any major surgical operations here, but thanks for your compassion, Colonel."

George W. Bush, after visiting with wounded veterans from the Amputee Care Center of Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 1, 2006

"My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions."

George W. Bush, The Decider, Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 3, 2007

"I've got God's shoulder to cry on. And I cry a lot. I do a lot of crying in this job. I'll bet I've shed more tears than you can count, as president."

George W. Bush, as quoted by author Robert Draper in Dead Certain

"The question is, who ought to make that decision? The Congress or the commanders? And as you know, my position is clear -- I'm a commander guy."

George W. Bush, who apparently is no longer "The Decider," Washington, D.C., May 2, 2007 (Watch video clip)

Admitting that there is a disaster is not a matter of lack of "patriotism" or failure to "support our boys." The war cannot be won by makebelieve. U.S. soldiers do not lack courage, but the US military apparently lacks the know how and the means to win the war, and the US government seemingly lacks the leadership and will to provide either. I know that some will protest that it is not so. If it is not so, why are the bombs going off every day? Does anyone really believe that another 21,000 US soldiers or even another 50,000 will bring victory? Does anyone really believe that the Iraqi army will be "ready" in 6 months? In a year? In three years? In ten years?