Oh FINE----Venezuela

[JOHN THURSTON]

Well, it is not as though we don't have enough to handle right now without another egomanical psyco popping up and telling US that we plan a war on HIM.

Chavez has put himself on our hit list, and I am not sure we have one.

But, Citgo (Venezuelan owned and nationalized) runs a partnership with Joseph Kennedy (Bobbie's Son) to provide cheap oil to people in the US who need it?

Chavez knows we are tied up beyond all belief and, well, after all there is nothing as good as a good old Bogeyman U.S.A. to fire up the locals.

As if we want another war.

Now OBL did, in effect, declare War on every us citizens and stated he will not make any difference between civilians and Military in his was.

Once before, when Napolean returned from Elba for the famous 100 days, the Great European Powers decalred war on Napoleon----not on France.

Why it is so difficult to have isseud our own 'civil fatwa' declaring WAR on Al Queada (the base) and its affiliates.

This is right to the point and certainly would not have included Saddam.

Although it seemed silly to down Saddam when it was clear who our real enemy was (OBL and Saudi Money) but, Iraq is a dandy place to which to draw foreign fighters. They have their hands full of US and we surely have our hands full with "the insurgents and foreign figthers". We can also test all kinds of new weapons. Too Cool!!!(sic)

Despite the fact that most Moslem Clerics denied that OBL had any religious authority, it remains clear his money and fighters will continue to fight and resist any secularization in the Islamic world.

Like the founders of the Iranian Revolution, he wishes NO separation between 'church and state'.

Surely our own experience of religious power having a civil arm is not good.

It is well that napoleon crushed the "Sancta Casa" (the Holy Inquisition) in Spain, but it remained alive and well until the Italian State seized the "Papal State".

The Italian State concluded a "Lateran Treaty" with the Papacy leaving the Church with Vatican City and the Swiss Guards.

The italian state also had brought the Blank Hand under control and made the trains run on time.

Mussolini's worst move was to join the Axis and seek to reestablish the Roman Empire in Africa. But, although givwen a really 'bum rap' the Italian Army and Navy fought bravely-----but in the end it turned out that the Italians were not Romans.

If M had not Joined the Axis, The US probably would have left him alone until the main threat was dealt with.

In the papers at the time it was said "Italy Stabs France in the Back" and Italian aircraft (Reggio Aeranautica) actually joined the Luftwaffe in the battle of Britain.

It's all very confusing.