You can rest assured that mercenary fighters are still very much alive in the world. Africa is filled with them - and I recall reading where American soldiers were at times hired by foreign groups to perform a special mission.

Personally, I see no reason at all why we must remain involved in Iraq. Why hire mercenaries - what would be their mission? To keep the present puppet government in place? I am quite certain the democratic government that the US carefully set up is doomed to fail - if for no other reason than no self respecting Iraqi wants to live under the Constitution set up by another country.

I can't understand why people are so adverse to letting the Civil War, which has been festering for a long time, just be allowed to continue its natural course. Yes, there will be bloodshed and fighting, but this is the way nations evolve into modern countries. Perhaps it will mean the partitioning of Iraq, or perhaps one faction will finally "win the war". Regardless of what happens, the pent up frustration that seems to be so pervasive in Iraq will have been exhausted, and peace will return. If the new country expects to participate in the world, it must obey the universal norms that all nations expect of one another.

In short, a Civil War is the only way a final solution can be found.

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Hobo
Charter member of 'Republicans Who Hate Bush" Club