Snorbs - "Which is why you so often see Al-Q et al attacking democratic nations around the world who have had no involvement in the middle east." Yes, that is exactly what they do.

Jemaah Islamiyah killed 202 people and injured 240 in the Bali bombing - an attack on Westerners and non-Muslim Indonesians which had no connection at all to Afghanistan or Iraq or Middle Eastern power plays. It was heavily targeted at Australians, in particular - 88 of whom were burned alive (in addition to 24 Britons).

It is a fantasy to think that we would be safe if only we hadn't ventured into Middle East politics.

Rockinmum wrote 'I volunteered go to Basrah, not to be a war hero or for the glory, but so that when I am 80 and my grandchildren are learning about the injustices of today, I can tell them that even when we were being protested against and abused on a daily basis, there were thousands of us that did something. Maybe not the right thing but something.'

Why don't you tell that to the thousands on orphaned or maimed Iraqi children then, and the tens of thousands of grieving Iraqi families

the UK and the US are seen as the prime instigators. The US certainly is and for some reason we always do as they say.

Which democratic nations would those be then Snorbs? I can't think of many who are not involved in Afghanistan - certainly all the NATO nations have a connection as the ISAF is a NATO led coalition - and Australia also have troops there.

what snorbs said. You hear young men at the mosque talking this way. Most are just talk but some young men turn to violence like the july 7th bombers. The UK's involvment is fuelling hatred as many people see it as an attack on Islam and muslims.
(and if you knew anything about the Qu'ran, it advocates democracy and women's right. Pity men don't)

"Our actions do not breed hatred of the west PoFaced. The reason the Al-Q and the Islamic Brotherhood hates us is that we are democratic and that we afford equal rights to men and women."

Which is why you so often see Al-Q et al attacking democratic nations around the world who have had no involvement in the middle east.

Bin Laden himself has said that the US's heavy involvement in Israel, its presence in Saudi, it's general interference in middle eastern politics both overt and covert and (in his eyes) its culpability in the deaths of tens of thousands of arabs, is his motivation. The 7/7 bomber's own words said that their prime motivation was the Iraq war. It's not some mythical war against freedom and democracy, it's a war against what they see as heavy-handed and all too often lethal intrusion into middle eastern affairs.

"We have no businmess interfereing in the internal affairs of another country."

So we should have just let Hitler get on with it then?

Pofaced - I think you'll find it was the German contingent who made the mistake in the bombing. It's not just the UK there - there is a lot of different nationalities from the Aussies and Canadians to the Danish.

Madame - I do not want to live under the Taleban as life would not be imo worth living as a woman.

You say we have no business interfering in the internal affairs of another country. We should therefore have stood aside in Bosnia and Kosovo and allowed Karadizc to carry on?

We are involved geopolitically whether we like it or not. We have allowed radical Muslims into the UK such as Abu Hamsa who preached terror and the overthrow of our society. We allow demonstrations on our streets which call for the beheading of those who question Islam...and we let it pass. London is known as Londonistan for a good reason.

I don't know if you have read the Niemoller quote.'First they came.. ' but if we do nothing, then all our children will be in danger of having their legs blown off as collatoral damage on our streets. The Edmund Burke quote is apposite as well: 'It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to prevail'.

The West cannot afford for the Taleban to get it's hands on Pakistan's nuclear weapons. The consequences of that would be appalling. The conflict in Afghanistan is preventing that and hopefully will continue to do so.

I certainly wouldn't like to live under the Taliban regime but would prefer it to my children having their legs blown off as collatoral damage.
We have no businmess interfereing in the internal affairs of another country.

well an Afghan journalist was killed during a rescue operation to free him and his British colleague recently. They had been trying to investigate a bombing by our troops which killed many civilians [and were then captured by the Taliban] so mistakes do happen.