Just read this about the victims of the massive truck bombs yesterday from Wikipedia;

"The reason for the Yazidis reputation of being devil worshipers, is connected to the other name of Melek Taus, Shaytan, the same name as the Koran's for Satan.
However, according to the Kurdish linguist Jamal Nebez, the word Taus is most probably derived from the Greek and is related to the words Zeus and Theos, alluding to the meaning of God. "

"Some Muslims regard them as devil-worshippers.... " BBC News.

Have a long think about every aspect of these two paragraphs.

OK, now hand on heart does anyone REALLY believe that we can ever bring a peaceful, liberal and modern democracy to Iraq?

I don't.

JW, Leeds,

I see those vested in defeatism are always shaping their arguments in a way that will invariably attempt to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. And there is a significant number of people on the defeatist side of the aisle who are hellbent on having Congress, the White House and the military follow their prescription of turning Iraq into a Vietnam - that is, once American troops vacate the battefield and Congress cuts off all war funding the bad guys start erecting their re-education camps and slaughtering those who won't bend their knee to Communism (in the case of South Vietnam) or to radical Islamic sharia (as would happen in Iraq). What shamelessness. And remember these are the same people who predicted that desposing Saddam's regime would result in 10,000 to 20,000 dead American soldiers, all of Iraq's oils wells would go up in flames polluting the Earth, there would be millions of Iraqis in border refugee camps dying of starvation, blah, blah, blah ...

Hank Seiter, Urbana, IL

Roger, Colorado Please re-read the article from " US officials charge" ... to "by foreign fighters ...."

A Salmon, Damascus, Syria

If we don't win in Iraq al-quida will come with strength and courage to the USA. You don't have to be smart to understand.

mike byrd, Deltona, Florida

There is no doubt from both sides on the issue that the surge is working, The Dems don't have a plan if the General pronounces that it is working and spells out the proof. Inagine their response? "Well, we don't believe you" or "Yes but at what cost?" or some other tap dance. It is really sad that our representatives on the left actually are scared that we might be winning. They smile whenever CBS or ABC anounces another roadside bombing. They are a disgrace and the Republicans should come right out and question their patriotism loudly. Murtha should be charged for declaring the Marines in Haditha were liars and murderers. Other Dem leaders like Polosi
should be repremanded for interfering with Presidential powers (meeting with Syrians). The Republicans need to get on the Petraes surfboard and start getting aggressive. Thats what people want.

Ralph Crossen, Sandwich, Mass.

A Salmon, I believe your report. Are you saying that your border posts are allowing the attacks?

Roger, Colorado,

Let's address the root cause of this issue. Now that the incompetent war mongers have been removed from positions of power in the US government (Donald Rumsfeld and his cohorts), leaving only one incompetent war monger in a position of power (Vice-President Dick Cheney), President Bush is now more responsive to sound advise and that includes sound advise from his father President Bush (Senior). Also, please be advised that President 'W' Bush is currently susceptible to sound advise because there is something at stake. What's at stake? His Legacy.

Niwa Sofola, Atlanta, GA. USA

Bush will withdraw troops only if he can do so without losing face. It is this blind obduracy on the part of the neo-cons abetted by Blair that has prolonged the agony.

No good blaming it all on Al Qaida. They were not in Iraq before our disastrous invasion.

Peter Berman, Wiveliscombe, UK

Much of the Syrian/Iraqi border is desert. The Syrians have border posts at regular intervals, and increased these as far as is practicable following the US intervention in Iraq. Apparently there are NO border posts on the Iraqi side for a large number of miles. Just keep your reporting fair, even if the US officials quoted are not.

A Salmon, Damascus, Syria

seems like the best thing to do is follow the generals advice. anything else would lose the hard fought gains by our troops.

thicke, n hollywood/los angeles,

Hopefully we will learn the lesson of not being overconfident. If we had sent 300,000 men in the first palce as required by the generals, we wouldn't be in this situation. If we had spent 200 instead of 80 billion a year, that would have helped also. If we understood the world better adn our children left highschool knowing where Iraq was, that would have helped also.

Alex Ramirez, Miami, FL

So, all this belittling of UK forces because they're withdrawing...and guess what it was all part of the strategy in the first place. If 160, 000 yanks can't make a difference..what can 8,000 Brits do.

kirk, Rotherham, UK

The bloodbath will be if we leave Iraq!

Darlene Littlejohn, Dimondale, MI

The question is whether the General's recommendations will be presented as his or will something else appear before the Congress in September as the report from the White House. In such a state it will continue to reflect the President's current vision. General Petraeus may find (as did Colin Powell) that his surge and integrity are a side show or ruse for a strategy that stays the course in all events.

Bill Keller, BASKING RIDGE, New Jersey

What's new? It's been said over and over that the surge will end sometime around Spring of next year. The question is not when will the surge-troops return; but when will the rest of the troops be brought back. The reduction of next Spring will only put troop numbers back to where they were in December of '06.

Peterpaul, Dallas, USA/ Texas

The big Protestant wealth of the USA and Europe is losing to the bad RC as in history they punished Amerindians badly and were the main Southern Slavers who lost in the civil war. India has gone Vatican as well after all the GB interest and letting Indians settle all over the world and grow with the false wealth theory of big Anti-Semitic families which are a big rat race and with China etc heap up the pollution, waste and false worship. Sense must get through before it is too late but the Mafia, Chrysler, GM,Southern and Democrats are growing large against a bigger Protestant which seems moribund.

Dr MI Barton MA. MBA.PhD, Oxcford, UK

Next summer? Another YEAR of bloodbath? Not nearly soon enough!

JimBob, Los Angeles,CA, USA

Troop draw down by Summer 2008? Errrr...can you say Presidential Election calendar?
General Petraeus has been given his reporting orders from The White House...under advisement from the Republican National committee.

Jack Tabor, Santa Monica, CA,