Jayb, you make the fundamental error of confusing a dislike of a particular government's policies with being "anti Yank, Israel" etc. It is rather tiresome when one attempts to have a rational discussion on policies to have some anonymous person (to use a neutral term) hang a label on them as if that is a rational answer to anything.

I don't pretend to have a solution to an enormously complex problem, but I do think that some changes in policy would be a start. For example, you call the UN toothless, but why is that so? Part of the explanation is that the governments of some member states do not take it seriously and ignore their obligations under the Charter. Israel for example has ignored countless UN General Assembly resolutions condemning its behaviour, as well as a World Court ruling. It carries on regardless, and does so because it has the unqualified backing of the US. The latter country is the greatest purveyor of violence in the postwar world, yet can you cite a single example of its leaders being held accountable? Read Nick Turse's latest book "Kill Anything that Moves" (2013) for just one example of sustained criminality (in that case Vietnam) for which the perpetrators have not been held accountable.

Try reading something other than the News corp or Fairfax media for an insight into what is going on in the world. I could offer you a veritable library of resources (many of them American) that offer a different perspective than the narrowly xenophobic one you cling to. Try www.informationclearinghouse.com which daily publishes a wide range of opinion.

If you live in the southeast Queensland area I would be happy to debate these issues outside the narrow confines of OLO's comment's section.

JayB,

James O'Neill's version of history is completely fabricated to his own political ends.

Graham, while I might have got the initial start of the battle wrong, the point I was trying to make is that while the Iranian army started in a far stronger position with regards material, the continuous erosion together with US sanctions and resupply of the Iraqis left them in 1988 with a fraction of the air force and mechanised arms they started with. To quote:

"The United States actively supported the Iraqi war effort by supplying the Iraqis with billions of dollars of credits, by providing U.S. military intelligence and advice to the Iraqis, and by closely monitoring third country arms sales to Iraq to make sure that Iraq had the military weaponry required. The United States also provided strategic operational advice to the Iraqis to better use their assets in combat... The CIA, including both CIA Director Casey and Deputy Director Gates, knew of, approved of, and assisted in the sale of non-U.S. origin military weapons, ammunition and vehicles to Iraq."

By 1988 Iran had been bleed of manpower and materiel, and was starting to lose the war. The cost of the ceasefire was to hand back all of the territory it had captured. The final result was casualties estimated at 1m for Iran and about 300k for Iraq. Iran from being the preeminent middle east power in the late 70s was effectively neutered.

The point I was trying to make was a comparison with Iran's and Hezbollah's involvement in Syria. Hezbollah has already lost 141 fighters, and tying the Iranian army into an endless guerilla conflict whilst enduring sanctions has the potential to weaken it further, and draw resources from its nuclear program.

Leslie: Don't you understand that the US, Russia, China, France, England, Turkey, Qatar, S. Arabia and other Gulf states, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the Moslem Brotherhood, jihadists of all persuasions and others, believing vital interests are at stake, are already intervening.

Yes I do. What I am saying is that the US, Russia, China, France, England, Turkey & Israel should stay out of the whole mess. Let the Middle East Nations sort it out themselves. It's none of the Wests business. The Muslims just want the West to intervene so they have someone to Jihad with. Let's not give them an excuse.

With any luck there will be a last man standing & he can be taken on a one way fishing trip. Do I have any respect for any of these people? None what-so-ever they're Muzzies anyway. One step away from the tree & an Medieval religion that wants to see us all dead or living back in the 8th. century.

James, I do live in SE Qld. Scenic Rim. I have had a cursory glance at the site you gave me. I'll have a closer inspection later.

J O"N: for just one example of sustained criminality (in that case Vietnam) for which the perpetrators have not been held accountable.

The NVA is never going to be held accountable for the things I have seen them commit. The reporters were prevented from reporting the Communist atrocities. Men, Women & children hacked to death because they had Hershey Bars & American cigarettes. Or is it only American atrocities that concern you.

If you really want to know how disgusting the Banking Military Industrial Complex is, see Oliver Stone's. 'The untold History of the USA' that is currently on pay TV.

Our Western Oligarchs are totally out of control and are using Climate Change,environmentalism and threat of a nuclear holocaust as the excuse to impose their fascist 'New World Order'.

The UN's Agenda 21 was instigated back in 1968.This global imperialist take over,has been planned for a long time.

J. O’Neill
Your frustration is understandable, but you must persist with your rational arguments. Beyond the geriatric few who dominate all the “debates” in On Line (with their predictable prejudices) there are people more open minded and not blinded by the propaganda and ignorance that distorts debate about Syria. It’s clear how the peaceful, democratic protests against an abominable regime escalated when Qatar began arming jihadists, and Mrs Clinton insisted from the outset that there could be no political settlement (“Assad must go “), and how this has become a proxy international conflict. More difficult to explain , because difficult historical concepts are involved, is how this is not a local conflict, but about the restructuring of the Middle East and control of energy resources.
And at another level, the original Gambill article , revealed in horrifying clarity the total disregard of realpolitic for the terrible cost in human suffering.

The real issues we should be debating are those raised by Pepe Escobar:
"The key (unstated) reason for Qatar to be so obsessed by regime change in Syria is to kill the $10 billion Iran-Iraq-Syria [natural gas] pipeline, which was agreed upon in July 2011. The same applies to Turkey, because this pipeline would bypass Ankara, which always bills itself as the key energy crossroads between East and West.

It's crucial to remember that the Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline is … anathema to Washington…. The difference is that Washington in this case can count on its allies Qatar and Turkey to sabotage the whole deal."