The Four Reasons


The Four Reasons
News Archives
2004
2003


Cost of the War in Iraq
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"Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars"  - MLK Jr
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“From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce a new product in August,”   
White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card told The New York Times about why the Bush administration was waiting on its PR offensive about the possibility of war until after Labor Day - 2002
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We're currently uh, one of the first teams that was deployed to support the city of New York for this disaster. We arrived on, uh, late Monday night and went into action on Tuesday morning. And not until today did we get a full opportunity to work, uh, the entire site . . .
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"Trying to eliminate Saddam, extending the ground war into an occupation of Iraq, would have violated our guideline about not changing objectives in midstream, engaging in "mission creep," and would have incurred incalculable human and political costs. Apprehending him was probably impossible. We had been unable to find Noriega in Panama, which we knew intimately. We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq. The coalition would instantly have collapsed, the Arabs deserting it in anger and other allies pulling out as well. Under the circumstances, there was no viable "exit strategy" we could see, violating another of our principles. Furthermore, we had been self-consciously trying to set a pattern for handling aggression in the post-Cold War world. Going in and occupying Iraq, thus unilaterally exceeding the United Nations' mandate, would have destroyed the precedent of international response to aggression that we hoped to establish. Had we gone the invasion route, the United States could conceivably still be an occupying power in a bitterly hostile land. It would have been a dramatically different — and perhaps barren — outcome."
George H.W. Bush: A World Transformed (1998)
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"Even today I am willing to volunteer to do the dirty work for Israel, to kill as many Arabs as necessary, to deport them, to expel and burn them, to have everyone hate us, to pull the rug from underneath the feet of the Diaspora Jews, so that they will be forced to run to us crying. Even if it means blowing up one or two synagogues here and there, I don't care. And I don't mind if after the job is done you put me in front of a Nuremberg Trial and then jail me for life. Hang me if you want, as a war criminal..."             From an Interview with Ariel Sharon published in the Israeli daily Davar Dec. 17, 1982
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"What kind of victory is it when someone is left defeated? What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy. What is a war criminal? Was not war itself a crime against God and humanity, and, therefore, were not all those who sanctioned, engineered and conducted wars, war criminals? The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Non-cooperation with evil is a sacred duty." -Gandhi


Europe
5/26

EU Close to Breakthrough on Syria Accord: Diplomats

Group agrees to tighten missile controls

France decries EU constitution references

Euro 2004 security plan unveiled

Turkey: No difference between actions of Israel, terrorists

TURKEY SEEKS TO MAINTAIN U.S. PLATFORMS IN IRAQ

48% Of French People See Israel In Bad Light

Turkey and Spain commemorate dead peacekeepers

Iraqi government to have full control: Blair

Blair: Iraqis to have 'veto' over troops

Portugal reimposes border checks

Spain counts the cost of the Iraq war

Spanish Security Agencies To Enlist Arabs

Georgia offers peace to regions

Slovakia defends nuclear power plan despite fuelling Austrian opposition

Europe Archive

5/25

African Union says security body's success hinges on cash

Move towards African peace force

Zim will allow extradition to SA

African countries vow to join Pakistan in war on terror

Egypt snubs G8 invitation

U.K. group calls on Egypt to release 11 Palestinians

'No alternative to quiet diplomacy in Zim'

New Malawi rival rejects results

Moroccan, Turkish Parliaments to speed up Free Trade Agreement ratification

'Breakthrough' at Sudan talks

Arab League offers $2 bln pledges for south Sudan

Somali warlord freed from jail

Somali elected Govt soon

Kenya: Khartoum, rebels sign key peace protocols

Darfour rebels announce the killing of 45 at the hands of Janjweid

Egypt, China cooperate in manufacturing building materials, gas, petrochemicals

Ivorian ex-rebels disregard Gbagbo

UN troops buy sex from teenage refugees in Congo camp

Africa Archive

5/23

Horst Koehler, Former IMF Head, Is Elected German President

UK memo criticises US tactics in Iraq

Muslim Tory MEP slams 'racist' party

UK insists it will boycott trial if Saddam faces death penalty

Unions in new threat to Blair

Blair tried to 'calm Campbell down' during row with BBC

EU's Prodi, at political rally, slams torture in Iraq

Abuse is 'systematic' at asylum detention centres

German Killed in Saudi Arabia; 7th Westerner to Die

EU offers backing for Russian WTO entry, gets Kyoto pledge

Spanish supreme court bans Basque separatists from EU vote

Turkey Cancels an Israeli Visit, Malaysia Condemns IOF Aggression

Six Killed at Paris CDG Airport as Roof Collapses

Jewish leaders slam reemergence of anti-Semitism in Europe

IMF sees "gradual" strengthening in euro zone

Weddings for gays divide France

Erdogan's Condemnation of Israel Pleases Palestinians

Turkey gears up for one-billion-dollar loan from World Bank

Shunning Muslim Turkey would mean "bankruptcy" of EU ideal: Gul

'Alemdaroglu like a Dictator'

Europe Archive

5/21

Last Spanish Troops Leave Iraq

'Absolutely awful' Iraq pictures play into terrorists' hands: EU official

'Italy will remain in Iraq,' he tells opponents

Blunkett loses appeal on asylum seekers

Nazi row overshadows German presidential vote

Turkey may head Afghan force, but no plans for Iraq role: Erdogan

Several EU countries want Christianity mention in EU constitution

Blair: Criticising US would hurt British troops in Iraq

France expels mosque leader

Russia on verge of winning EU approval for entering WTO

Russia-EU summit opens in Moscow

Turkey: Defense Strategy Prioritizes Local Production

European Jewish leaders hopeful EU can stem rising anti-Semitism

Thousands in UK may unknowingly have meat-linked brain disease

Europe Archive

5/20

Powder missiles hit Blair, spark security scare

Bomb found outside Rome McDonald's

EU should press Russia on rights: Human Rights Watch

French journalists arrested in Iraq

Blair will lead Labour to third win despite Iraq crisis, say analysts

Britain Opens National Stem-Cell Bank

Britain's Blair talks EU and Iraq with Germany's Schroeder

Greek Cypriots worry over "Taiwan solution" prospect for Turkish north

Annan and Greek Prime Minister discuss regional issues, including Cyprus

Berlusconi in US for Iraq talks

Amnesty Urges Spain To Halt Arms Sale To Israel

Spain Says 3 Algerians Linked to Iraq Attacks

Tough bargaining on WTO membership at upcoming EU-Russia summit

Probe closed of police officers connected to deadly shootings in Kosovo

Bulgaria to Contribute More Troops to NATO Force in Afghanistan

Bulgarian Socialist Leader Seeks Russia’s Support for Death-sentenced Bulgarian Nurses in Libya

Europe Archive

5/14

French FM blasts Iraqi occupation

Paris Wont Send Troops

France wants time limit on foreign troops in Iraq

Danish Medics Reported Seeing Tortured Iraqis

Britons tell Bush of 'US abuse'

Blair urged to loosen ties with US

Blair: 'I will remain shoulder to shoulder with George Bush'

Blair won't go before election, says Clarke

British abuse photos judged to be fakes (?)

Blair Government in disarray after abject retreats

Hutton defends narrow focus of his Kelly inquiry

Amnesty slams "dangerously ineffective" EU arms export rules

EU Playing Political Games in Chechnya

Attackers abduct Chechen pupils

Spain urges EU to sign constitution in Rome

Greek group warns 'wealthy Western tourists'

Italy general backs abuse claims

Berlusconi wins confidence vote on pensions

Irish PM rejects calls for EU corporate tax harmonization

Polish MPs to vote on new cabinet

Polish PM designate asks for a year to show benefits of EU

Turkey: ITF Representative Assassinated

Europe Archive

5/13

Bern faces pressure to act over abuses in Iraq

Chirac, Schroeder meet for talks on Iraq, EU

'Bush Link' Hurting Blair on Home Front

U.S. Issues Terrorism Alert Over Euro 2004 Soccer

Germany Cuts Tax Forecasts, Threatening Budget Goals

Nuclear workers protest to keep Bulgaria's power plant reactors going

Europeans Battle Domestic Uproar

Greek Group Claims Athens Blasts, Points to Olympics

U.S. Will Accept Germany on UN Security Council, Leipziger Says

Military inquiry to confirm that Mirror pictures are fakes

EU plans new neighbourhood partnership after expansion to 25

Europe Archive

5/12

Guantanamo Frenchmen 'going home'

US passes tax bill to calm EU row

EU to lift US sanctions once tax law repealed

Romania hosts international conference on regional security and cooperative perspective

EU presses Serbia on war crimes

UK: Iraq families get legal go-ahead

UK: Blast survivor search continues

Oil of $333 Million Lies Underneath Bulgaria

Brussels gives green light to US banking tie-up

Ministers to renew attempt to unlock global trade talks in Paris

UN demands Kosovo dialogue

Recent violence in Kosovo shook UN mission 'to its core', Security Council told

Ahern's EU marathon turns south

Caucasus foes to discuss Karabakh

France isolated as EU states back farm aid offer

Romania and Bulgaria will join the EU in 2007, Gunther Verheugen reasserts

Europe Archive

5/11

Blair: I will quit if I become electoral liability

Kennedy sets out election stall

Chechen PM steps in as president

Dutch government rocked by first military death in Iraq

Turkish leaders braced against military

France arrests radical Iraqi imam

EU Commission proposes farm subsidy cut

Europe Archive

5/9

Blair faces call for resignation

Danish Leaders Beset on War Data

Hoon faces Iraq grilling from MPs

Five arrested in Italy anti-terror swoop

Students grill Blair and Chirac

Muslims Inaugurate New Mosque In Spain

UAE eyes better trade with Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chechen president killed by bomb

14 killed in Chechnya blast

AhmadKadyrov… Kremlin's Man In Chechnya

Turkey Courts E.U. With More Constitutional Amendments

Kilroy predicts EU disintegration

Europe Archive

5/8

Polish soldier killed in Iraq

UK forces taught torture methods

European security body willing to help UN in Iraq and Afghanistan - chairman

Iran, Spain ink seven agreements

British Answer for Africa Raises Questions

UK: Fourth Soldier Tells of Iraqi Prisoner 'Abuse'

Italian hostages still held

Five dead in huge Ukraine arms depot blaze

Turkish Education Law Sparks Controversy

Former Croatian minister detained

Europe Archive

5/7

Across party lines, Europe is anti-Bush

British Soldier Alleges Prison Abuse

Spain is firm: Troops won't return

Syria's interventions at Dublin's meeting by al-Shara

Test Glide of European Shuttle Delayed

U.N. War Tribunal Cites Serbia-Montenegro

Vandals desecrate Jewish war memorial in France

Britain acts to head off inflation

MI6 appointment reignites Iraq row

Europe condemns execution sentences in the AIDS case in Libya: Six Bulgarians, one Palestinian

Bush supports three more nations for EU: Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey

Europe Archive

5/6

German Delegation Concludes Talks

British NGOs Dedicate a Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

Britain to send Royal Marines back to Iraq: report

France condemns Iraq prisoner abuse

Notorious terrorist Carlos The Jackal on hunger strike in French prison

UK names new spy agency boss

Sweden Implicated in Egypt’s Abuse of Suspected Militant

Patten: President Bush’s Support to Sharon’s Plan Bears Bad Signals

EU tries to push forward Mideast peace

Kosovo UN troops 'fuel sex trade'

Iraqi families take case to London court

Britons killed in Afghanistan had refused armed escort, police say

Armenia: Investigate Abuses in Political Crackdown

Europe Archive

5/5

Blasts rattle Athens 100 days before Olympics

After expansion party, EU faces constitution headache

An Al Qaeda 'Chemist' and the Quest for Ricin

Blair confident on Iraq handover date

Shalom to meet U.K.'s Straw to discuss post-referendum plans

EU newcomers urge end to worker restrictions

Rato, newly named IMF head, seen as guiding spirit in Spanish recovery

Head of Italian state TV board steps down

Belgium Jewish museum moves into ex-Nazi quarters

212 European NGOs Demand EU Action Against Israel’s Apartheid Wall

German terror fight hits political impasse

Middle East set to dominate talks between EU, Mediterranean states

ECB chief Trichet calls for further banking consolidation in Europe

U.N. war tribunal cites Serbia-Montenegro

Europe Archive

5/4

War Crimes Trial Sought for Blair Over Iraq

Germany on Alert at Air Bases After Attack Warning

Oil prices may squash Europe's economic recovery

Turkey arrests 16 Islamists ''planning attack'' at upcoming NATO summit

British Soldiers say pictures are 'tip of the iceberg'

Hamas Addresses E.U. To Change Position

Blair to send as many as 4,ooo troops to Najaf and Kut to fill Spanish void

Blair Peppered by Questions at Event

UK: Interest rates to rise this week

Georgia Provoking Conflict, AFP Reports, Citing Ajaria's Leader

Europe Archive

5/3

Spain Will Not Send Troops to Iraq Under UN Force

Kharrazi holds talks with Prodi

24 Bulgarian Soldiers Return From Iraq

NATO meeting to go ahead despite foiled bomb plot

UK troops 'swapped abuse photos'

'Heavy consequences' for British 'No' on EU constitution: Prodi

UK to deploy 4000 extra troops

Turkish police detain 16 people suspected of planning attack

Chief suspect in Serbian leader's assassination surrenders to police

Premier Wen visits German state of Bavaria

Europe Archive

5/2

Polish Prime Minister Miller Resigns Day After EU Enlargement

May Day Demonstrations Draw Protest and Violence in Germany

Germany Says Protection of U.S. Bases to End

Norwegian envoy meets Kumaratunga

Twenty-nine charged after EU enlargement protest in Dublin

May 1, a day of celebration in the New Europe as it joins EU

U.K. to Send 4,000 Extra Soldiers to Iraq, Telegraph Reports

'Heavy consequences' for British 'No' on EU constitution: Prodi

Paris police detain mosque director

France admits anti-Semitism on the rise after graves desecrated

Islam Presented At E.U. Enlargement Ceremony

Europe Archive

5/1

Spain's new leader bonds with Chirac and Schröder

British daily publishes shocking pictures of how troops tortured Iraqi captive

British troops in torture scandal

E.U. Enlargement Politically Motivated: European Experts

 Brown allies plan campaign

Britons may be among dead in Saudi attack

Shalom: EU expansion will promote sympathetic stance toward Israel

Switzerland set to tighten immigration rules

MI5 chief goes online to detail terror threat

Italy's media curbs likened to Albania

Old and new Europe unites with a bang

Ireland pays for safe release of three republicans in Colombia

Erdogan: E.U. is not the 'Only' Option

France wrestles with radical Islam

Blair chilled out as joint lit up

Solana: You Don't Have a Cyprus Issue Anymore

More Al Qaeda links seen in Madrid blasts

Europe Archive

4/30

Europe and the right of return

Zapatero: spain will help reach a broad agreement over Sahara issue

EU asylum seekers lose support

Blair Colleagues Nix Resignation Rumors

Northern Ireland police raid bomb-making factory

Denmark to keep troops in Iraq: PM

Spain suspects 'were informants'

Italians rally for hostages in Iraq

Italy stresses Iran's regional role

Italy passes disputed media law

Britain mulls bigger role in Iraq as US errors raise the stakes

U.K. spy agency MI5 uses Web to help tackle terror

Chirac demands full Iraq handover

French climber dies in record bid

Europe Archive

4/29

Rockets found in Afghan raid

China to host new talks on NKorea nuclear issue on May 12

Chinese premier optimistic EU will lift arms sales embargo

China welcomes UN arms resolution

China confirms two new SARS cases

Seoul to Airlift Relief Goods to N. Korea

JF-17’s to be delivered to PAF in mid-2006

Thailand sends in troops after day of carnage

Thai forces kill 107 after 'Islamists' attack police bases

Govt has right to deport Shahbaz, insists Faisal

Two Afghan officials killed in mine blast

Poor Security Hurts Afghan Election Plans

Kremlin Looks for the Next Luzhkov

North Korea agrees to talks - reports

Indian aims to be world's worst politician

Bashir's release to be short-lived

NK Expert Highlights Long-term Medical Assistance for North

Int'l efforts on to extend peace initiative to Siachen

Asia Archive

4/27

Call to Jihad rising on Europe's streets

Pressure on Army to send troops into Iraq's danger areas

EU, Russia Sign Deal on Political, Economic Ties

Former Dutch PM wants Iraq pull-out

Spanish premier promises constructive and positive stance on Sahara issue

Bulgarian President Karbala Visit "Praiseworthy"

More Madrid Blast Warrants Issued

EU, Russia have to settle auto, aerospace, drink issues: Lamy

From Soviet Union to EU, 15 years of economic upheaval for eastern Europe

Lockheed Martin Awards Kalekalip

Diplomats Attack Blair

Threat to kill Italian hostages

52 former U.K. envoys and officials assail lack of progress in Mideast

European Union approves large National Financing Plan for Syria

Cyprus Split Permanently Asunder

EU farm ministers stall on genetically engineered corn

EU to reward Turkish Cypriots

45 nations to discuss economic impact of EU enlargement

Denktas' About-Face

4/26

UK considers Iraq troops boost

Muslim Militants in Europe Openly Call for Holy War, NYT Says

Spanish PM criticizes Israel threats

Three in four Spanish support troop pull-out from Iraq

Bulgarian president attacked

Fast track for ID cards

EU wants early readmission pact with Islamabad

Protesters pelt Le Pen car with garbage

No Iraq Stability Without Iran: German MP

Italian government urged to withdraw troops from Iraq

UK, Georgia to send more troops to Iraq

Haider's favourite loses Austrian presidential race

Socialist wins Austrian presidency

Italy Expels Algerian Over ‘Yassin Prayers’

4/25

Blair 'questioning referendum decision'

Military chiefs ignored warnings over Deepcut

Greeks Separate Cyprus

Zapatero's visit to Morocco, 'reunion between two nations

France ready to train Iraqi soldiers after handover of power

Gov’t May Mull Fewer Troops in Iraq in June

'China not a Threat, but an Opportunity'

Vanunu asks Archbishop of Canterbury for sanctuary

U.N. plan to reunite Cyprus fails in split vote despite U.S. pressure

Europeans for financing projects in Syria

'No' vote will force Britain out of EU, says Patten

Bulgarian Socialists Urge for Karbala Troops Pullout

Bulgarian, Portuguese defence ministers want bigger UN, NATO role in Iraq

NATO Chief Says “Totally Disappointed” with Kosovo Leaders

4/19

Spanish PM orders troops home from Iraq

Blair sees worse to come in Iraq

Israeli killing of Hamas chief 'illegal and irresponsible': Prodi

Arabs, Muslims are not behind European anti-Semitism

EU rebuffs China over arms ban

'Europeans For Turkey's E.U. Membership Support Erdogan; Those Against Support Baykal'

Turkey: 'Economy Tops Military's Agenda Too'

EU`s Patten warns of US `damage` to Mideast peace drive

Serbia Looks Forward To Links With Russia Says Vuk Drasvovic

EU poll unlikely before general election

Albania May Send More Troops to Iraq

British Police Arrest 10 in Anti-Terror Raids

Iraq withdrawal from won't damage ties with U.S.: Spain

Prodi welcomes Spanish withdrawal from Iraq

EU favors greater UN role in Iraq, says Prodi

Three UN Police Die In Kosovo Shootout

Abant Platform Convenes in Washington

Isolation Threat may Elicit 'Yes' From Greeks

Straw to make statement on EU constitution

Blair to make U-turn on EU constitution referendum

Italians honour executed hostage as Berlusconi faces more pressure

4/17

British-US tie loosens over Iraq

Bush, Blair unified on Israeli plan, Iraq

Britons See Bush Snub of Blair on Mideast

Quartet Committee Convenes over Sharon’s Plan

Bosnian Suspect Held in Madrid Bombings

Turkey rejects Minister Olmert's request to visit

 

4/16

Blair Turns Blind Eye to Differences with Bush

Blair: Mideast roadmap still on track

Zapatero takes reins as Spanish PM

No dialogue with criminals: Germany

UN has Key Role to Play in Iraq Transition - Blair

Chirac denounces terrorism

E.U. Reforms Change Human Rights Associations As Well

E.U. Piles Pressure on Greeks

Austria set to host European counter-terrorism talks

Italians honour executed hostage as Berlusconi faces more pressure

Seven E. European and Balkan countries in uneven race for EU

Solana urges more efforts to restore peace in Iraq

U.S. Assures TRNC

Denktas Speaks to Turkish Parliament

Six Madrid bombing suspects freed

Zapatero makes Morocco visit a priority

US kept Polish forces in dark over Al Sadr

Poland ready for 'wise and fair compromise' on EU constitution

Croatia optimistic over EU assessment of bid to join bloc

Gay marriage rights lead Spanish PM's drive for sexual equality

Kidnapped French reporter freed

 

4/15

'Bin Laden' offers truce with Europe

EU's Prodi says "no possibility" of accepting 'Bin Laden' offer

EU reaffirms opposition to unilateral change to Mideast borders

Video reveals full horror of Italian hostage's execution

British overtures to Iran set allies at odds

New Spanish PM to work to ensure EU constitution adopted in June

Madrid bombings planned before Iraq war: Aznar

EU against unilateral change to pre-1967 Mideast borders

Blair heads for crucial talks as Italian hostage is killed

Italy to stay in Iraq despite hostage death

The French connection

EU, Russia vow to work for deal over enlargement

Despite reports, Blair still opposing British vote on EU constitution

Don't fall for EU carrot, says Turkish Cypriot leader

4/13

No 10 defends Iraq military strategy

Hungary foils plot to kill Katsav, blow up Holocaust museum

Welcome to the EU, we're taking you to court

Moroccan charged in Madrid bombings

Spain: 'No direct Al Qaida link in blasts'

No 10 adviser attacks green record

New EU states will have long wait to join the euro

Eight killed in Chechen violence

Four Italian Civilians Missing in Iraq

Madrid arrests three more suspects in train attacks

EU-led forces could intervene in Darfur

French and German citizens advised to leave Iraq

Swiss citizens worry about security in Iraq

Poland rules out more Iraq troops

 

4/7

Convicted 9/11 suspect ordered released

France discusses Iraq situation with Britain, Italy

Lithuania's eccentric President impeached as EU accession nears

Bulgaria embarrassed by its firearm problem as it enters NATO

Blair insists June deadline for handover of power will stand

'Chemical bomb plot foiled in UK'

West presses for Uzbek reform

 

4/6

Blair: we must hold firm in Iraq

No 10 aims to control immigration row

Al-Qaeda Threatens to Turn Spain into Hell

Bosnian Croats surrender for UN trial

Turkey admits 'risk' of no EU guarantees over Cyprus deal

Terrorists shift focus to Europe, experts say

Chechnya and war through the camera

Lithuanian president forced out

Madrid seeks bomb fugitives

Intelligence agents claim they foiled terrorist attack in Britain

Italy to keep troops in Iraq: defence minister

EU adds Colombia's ELN to terrorist list

Blair faces rebellion over lost pensions

13 terror suspects held after raids near Paris

4/5

Terror Group Warns Spain on U.S. Support

Spain steps up hunt for bombers

Bosnian Croats surrender to trial

Blair seeks compulsory drug tests

Hostages held in Spain bank siege

France detains 15 in terror suspect sweep

Ex-PM in Slovakia poll surprise

Al-Qaeda sends new warning to Spain

 

4/4

Blast Rocks Madrid Suburb

Government told truth - Aznar

Blair told US was targeting Saddam 'just days after 9/11'

Denktas Opposed to Annan Plan

Insults against Turks Increase in Germany

French far-right leader to visit UK

4/3
UN seeks probe into Sudan fighting
3/21
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