THE EDITOR: What this war in Iraq is really about is a question that time will hopefully provide the answers to. It doesn’t appear to be about weapons of mass destruction (they haven’t found any), it’s not about bin Laden or terrorism (no connections found), and this business about regime change — there may be something here.
Kicking out Saddam Hussein is a very good reason for this war, and I don’t mean the liberation of the Iraqi people. Removing Saddam gets him out of the way so that the US government can get on with the business of milking Iraq of its oil and provide lucrative ‘reconstruction’ contracts to American firms. That is why many countries — like France, for example, want the UN to play the major role in the rebuilding of Iraq — even Britain is advocating the same thing.
I suppose they too are afraid of the rape that may occur if the Americans become too firmly entrenched in the post-war administration of Iraq. Even in the United States there are suspicious minds — senior Democrats have requested an official review of exactly how these contracts are going to be awarded — they have even asked for an investigation into the preferential treatment of the Halliburton Company, once run by Vice President Dick Cheney. Apparently Mr Cheney was CEO of Halliburton from 1995 to 2000. The United States plans to put retired general Jay Garner in charge after the war, and it is said that he has extensive business dealings with the Israelis. Surely a more pro-Arab individual can be found — the last thing the Arab world needs now is more mistrust and hostility.
JEREMY BOYD
Soogrim Street
Gulf View
THE EDITOR: I am a student of Naparima Girls’ High School. I am a Presbyterian. I hold no brief for Saddam Hussein or George Bush. I am totally confused about this war between Iraq and USA and England. I have tried to discuss it with my father and some of my fellow students and I received some explanations for and against this war.
I was told one of the reasons for the present conflict is Saddam possesses weapons of mass destruction. I was trying to fathom what are weapons of mass destruction. As I looked at television news from CNN and BBC I saw mass destruction being done by the US Marines and the British troops. I asked my father, “I thought this war against Iraq was based on Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction. How come the US is using weapons of mass destruction?” My father and I had a serious argument about this mass destruction. He said to me “Weapons of mass destruction will kill everybody in that location both soldiers and civilians, innocent men, women and children.” I said to him “Yes the weapons that the Americans are using are killing only Iraqi soldiers.” I have come to the conclusion that the meaning of weapons of mass destruction carry a US and British definition. Somebody please give me an explanation?
F KHAN
Puzzled student of NGHS
THE EDITOR: Picture this: Seinfeld takes a break from humouring us…commercials come on. I love good commercials so I sit and look on at new movie trailers and at products that are available right here in our stores.
Then suddenly, adrenaline rushes through my entire body, as confusion replaces serenity — a poorly coloured, low production piece comes on the screen at several decibels higher than the norm, pushing my little TV speaker to the limits. I scramble and grab for the remote, frantically searching for the mute button…oh, to at least find the channel up/down to escape the horror! The mute is found, my heart slows its pace…shock slowly subsides to disgust. I realise the source of fear — a local commercial that advertises me to sign up for cable, when I am already a subscriber.
Hmmmmm. The logic escapes me unless repeat business is the focus, but wait a minute! I pay for cable and I choose to see the programmes and commercials that originates from stations from Channel six (CCN) to Channel 61 (Fox News). I have a remote if I choose to look at local programming, which I seldom do. I have this right of choice since I still pay the fee that has been rising consistently. How is this thrust of local advertising benefiting me on the foreign stations at which I choose to look? If it’s not going to subsidise the cost of cable to me, then remove the local ads from the foreign feeds and put it on local TV — that’s your new market — go for it! For now, I will continue to choose “mute” or those elusive but magical channel changer buttons. Do you now realise how effective your advertising dollar is being spent?
RAVI ROOPCHANDSINGH
Arima
THE EDITOR: It appears your country’s population or at least its business folk is living under a state of terror. In a country of such a mere size, what is the government doing? Certainly the end result of this situation will be reduced business, migration/flight of wealth not to mention an ugly racial correlation that needs urgent addressing. Did your government not deploy its army during Carnival? Why is this same situation not ongoing or is it? A country as tiny as Trinidad ought not to have this kidnapping situation continuing. Are people becoming desensitised? What is the media’s role in demanding intervention on this crime wave.
SILVAN GAYADEEN
San Juan
THE EDITOR: As a BWIA shareholder, I keep hearing about “low cost” carriers around the world being the target at which BWIA should aim. I am by no means a financial expert, but I know the basics of airline economics and so I decided to check for myself what exactly the BWIA numbers were in respect of employee cost per available seat mile, and how they compare with other airlines.”
I have taken the numbers published in USA Today of April 1, 2003 in respect of a sample of carriers, including the two “low cost” benchmarks Southwest and Jet Blue for the second quarter of 2002. Unfortunately the BWIA annual report does not report in quarters, but the whole year, but we can still get a general idea of how BWIA compares. The BWIA 2002 number is derived from the numbers published in the BWIA 2003 New Business Model (which has at least one apparent error in it, coincidentally in the operating cost table). I derived two charts, one the relative costs of a mix of carriers for 2Q/02, and then another with Southwest, BWIA and Jet Blue for the years 2000, 2001, 2002.
I only found the Jet Blue report for 2002. I could not find Southwest 2002 in a simple check on the internet, and BWIA’s 2002 report will soon be out, but we can accept that the numbers in the New Business Model will probably be reasonably close. The surprising outcome is that BWIA, with all its faults, is, and always was, right in there with the lowest cost carriers in terms of employee costs per ASM. I am sure the accountants out there will be able to pick my simplistic analysis to shreds, so I await their comments with interest. If am proven right, then the search for the causes of BWIA’s losses is going to have to move to new areas.
SIMON KELSHALL
Port-of-Spain
THE EDITOR: I sense desperation in the vitriolic attack made by the Minister of Health on former members of staff of the NWRHA in his response to letters from the public questioning serial resignations from that organisation in a relative short space of time.
It is interesting to note that the Minister is in the middle of an almighty war with medical personnel yet he finds the time to respond publicly to petty matters with former staff in the most detailed manner. Is he trying to say that because of the non-performance of these persons he has been unable to achieve any recognisable successes in the Health Sector?
Surely not, because they are now history and he is still dealing with a total shutdown of institutions and uncooperative medical staff. In other words, the situation continues to deteriorate. This Minister needs to fight his real opponents and not those of his vivid imagination, because while he is fighting battles and tarnishing images he is quickly losing the war to the detriment of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
JANICE SEEMUNGAL
Diego Martin
THE EDITOR: I have been challenged by a Canadian enthusiast (formerly of Trinidad) to select the best touring 16 cricket all-rounders including one or two wicket-keeper batsmen and of course a few who are qualified as specialist opening batsmen.
My own idea of an all-rounder is a player who is equally competent as a batsman and as a bowler, and who is able to earn a place on merit as either batsman or bowler on his national XI. In my view there is nothing like a batting or bowling all-rounder. Of course there are first class batsmen who can bowl, and likewise there are bowlers who can hold an end at the crease. My 16 all-rounders at international level therefore comprise players who are competent enough to merit a place on the XI according to conditions on the particular day and whether the match is at Test or ODI level.
In selecting this touring team of all-rounders in the present setting of international cricket one must provide the captain with adequate alternatives for either version of the game, and the captain must himself be the astute personality capable of making the best selections. Personally, I do not think it necessary to have two different captains for test and ODI versions. Once the right man is at the helm, he would be able to adjust strategies and tactics accordingly.
Here then are my selections: Frank Worrell (WI) Manager/Captain, Wasim Akram (Pakistan), Trevor Bailey (England), Richie Benaud (Aus), Ian Botham (England), Learie Constantine (WI), Kapil Dev (India), Adam Gilchrist (Aus) Wkr/Bat, Gerry Gomez (WI), Richard Hadlee (NZ), Imran Khan (Pakistan), Keith Miller (Aus), Mike Proctor (SA), Bobby Simpson (Aus), Gary Sobers (WI), and Clyde Walcott (WI) Wkr/Bat. Having regard to the criteria set out above one may expect that the selections of Akram and Proctor may be challenged for different reasons, but they are both so special that I see no reason to change.
FYZUL HASSANALI
Author, “Captaincy in Cricket”
THE EDITOR: According to Minister Imbert in response to questions raised about recent resignations from the NWRHA, all employees at the organisation are UNC supporters some without the necessary qualifications for the jobs which were given to them as special favours by the former administration. This response coupled with the fire and brimstone condemnation of recently departed employees was an eye opener which has convinced me that the Health Sector’s problems will never end if the man at the top indulges in petty battles with persons who are unable or afraid to defend themselves.
I read his condemnation of staff at the NWRHA in disbelief, because what is clear is the goodly Minister’s own shortcomings. And by the way, where does he find the time to personally respond to every letter which criticises his performance. The Health Sector is worse than it has ever been, as patients are unable to access health care on a regular basis. His obviously angry reaction to mundane matters makes you wonder to what extent he is responsible for the irreconcilable positions which his staff continue to adopt to the detriment of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
JALIF ALI
Valsayn
THE EDITOR: No single nation must possess the power or authority to determine the direction or way of life for any other country and its people.
Just as America guards its democracy to function as a free and sovereign nation, so do we all in different ways, and we feel constrained when they try to impose on us their veiled and sometimes threatening manner of politics as a means of controlling us for their own interest. If America were to take the route of Adolph Hitler in trying to conquer the world, who will be able to stop them? In a subtle way this is what they have in mind, albeit not in the open manner that Hitler did it. We keep hearing about weapons of mass destruction of the Iraqis and smart bombs by the Americans, the fact is that they all are used by ‘dumb people’ and do not kill selectively but collectively whomsoever they come into contact with.
The immoral, wicked and callous disregard of the rule of law by America against the United Nations has now rendered it obsolete, impotent and above all ‘without substance.’ Kofi Annan has been shot down by a ‘dumb bomb’ or by an ‘American Patriot missile’ and left with shrapnels of a ‘world peace plan’ scattered in the dust of American imperialism and dictatorship. He was once considered as window dressing and as an ‘Uncle Tom’ for the Americans, now he is being seen as an ‘Uncle Sam’ since he was powerless in stopping the invasion of Iraq, but is now talking about reform in Iraq.
There is only one super power and he is the Almighty God and he is real, not ‘God W Bush’ the false prophet of doom and gloom. The history of America was fought in the blood of the ‘Native American Indians’ when the European settlers came and colonised the lands, now they continue to thrive in the blood of the weak and defenceless around the world. The only true-blooded Americans are really the American Indians who have since been relegated to fourth class status. You think about it!
LESLIE CRAIGWELL
Carenage
THE EDITOR: As this sickening advantageous invasion of Iraq continues several things become apparent to the world of intelligent and caring people.
The so-called coalition has found no weapons of mass destruction. As a matter of fact the only weapons of mass destruction being used are by Bush and Blair’s storm troopers with the attendant slaughter and horrendous maiming of innocent Iraqi civilians especially women and lots and lots of children. As a matter of fact these rabid American soldiers shoot or bomb everything in sight including British soldiers, American soldiers, Kurdish soldiers and journalists.
The billion dollar contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq have already been awarded to American companies, many of whom are in bed with Bush, Cheney and their Jewish co-conspirators like Rumsfeld Wolfowitz. As I write, the American’s plan is to colonise Iraq and to place American governors etc, to run Iraq with sufficient time to control and make sweetheart deals with American oil interests. There is more than sufficient talk going around the world via internet and news media (not American) that Bush will reintroduce the “Monroe Doctrine” to invade and overthrow other mid-East sovereign states so that the US’ fellow fascist state becomes dominant in the Middle East. Even the Judas/prostitute States like Israel, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia should be concerned. Right now Bush and Blair are meeting or would have met for a crucial discussion in Northern Ireland possibly dressed in Batman and Robin suits with the Swastika boldly emblazoned on the heartless chests and asking each other “How many Iraqi children did your soldiers kill today?
It seems that what Adolf Hitler failed to accomplish nearly sixty years ago George Bush and his accomplice, Tony Blair, are set on achieving in 2003 and beyond. Trinis couldn’t care less what is happening out there in Iraq and the Middle East (conflict). Their reasons are as follows: I need my 30 day US Visa; I have relatives in Fascist USA; Protesting will surely prevent me from even getting a green card and the most stupid reason was supplied by Patrick Manning (as was reported in the media) that the price of oil will go up. This is the society that wants to achieve First World status by 2020. Unfortunately, this so called 2020 vision is severely defective and beset with ‘cataracts’ and other ‘ocular impediments’. Quo Vadis Trinidad and Tobago?
M HOTIN
St James
