Found this article while surfing the web:
Russia has put three warships on standby to go to the Persian Gulf within the next month to protect its "national interests" in the event of an American invasion of Iraq.
Russia's Pacific fleet has been ordered by the central command to prepare two cruisers and a fuel tanker for immediate deployment to the Gulf.

The move will heighten tension between Moscow and Washington, who both have interests in Iraq's oilfields...

...The ships - armed with missiles and reconnaissance equipment - have been ordered to be ready for deployment between late this month and early February.

Lukoil, Russia's biggest oil firm, had a Ј13bn contract with Baghdad to develop the West Qurna oilfield cancelled last month, reportedly after the Iraqi regime discovered Russia had been negotiating with Iraq's opposition.
Russian warships on standby to sail to Gulf (http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,2763,872020,00.html)

Not likely. Russia is no longer a superpower.

Iraq will be a pushover for the combined UN if they march to war. 10 war ships with missiles isn't going to stop them in any way.

What's more concerning is whether US troops are going to be fighting inside Baghdag. If they do, they'll likely create civil chaos along the lines of Black Hawk Down.

If USA makes themselves any more unpopular down there, they might have to start deporting the citizens by force. It's looking grim.

:disaprove

Makes me sad, all this war business......makes me very very sad :(

Originally posted by Cjais
If USA makes themselves any more unpopular down there, they might have to start deporting the citizens by force. It's looking grim.

The US hasn't necessarily made itself unpopular. We're unpopular over there because we're Western. A lot of the militant Iraqis are also militant Muslims who want to destroy everyone who doesn't worship Allah (though I wish to know how that will boost their conversion rates). We need to politic, but we need to do what is necessary, too. If we don't, everyone will think that they can push us around, and we'll never hear the end of it.

First of all, i will note that you are from Colorado Springs....I am from Colorado as well....beautiful state, great hockey team, etc. ;)


But i'm also going to guess you haven't had that many history classes that cover America and what it's done in other countries...because we HAVE made ourselves unpopular, because we have tried to force our Western beliefs onto others. Taft's foreign policy involved us trying to force our economy down the throats of latin american and middle eastern countries, which they resented. We've also overthrown numerous leaders of other countries who were actually trying to help their people.