More refugees please

[Moscow Mule]

I'm still in favour of the excommunication / flooding of London though.

Just make sure all of your money is off-shore beforehand, or in HBOS/RBS.

[TheFaQQer]

hurray, watford gap could be a huge moat around Laandan.. the world would be a far better off place, we could set up a 2nd government in manchester or maybe join with the scots, the know how to throw a decent Hogmanay. I'm up for it, who will join me? freeeeeeeeeeeeedoooom

Watford Gap is nowhere near London - it's in Northamptonshire, I believe.

I'm still in favour of the excommunication / flooding of London though.

[chef]

I think that the way forward would be to partition the country.

It's worked so well in Ireland, Palestine, Cyprus...

hurray, watford gap could be a huge moat around Laandan.. the world would be a far better off place, we could set up a 2nd government in manchester or maybe join with the scots, the know how to throw a decent Hogmanay. I'm up for it, who will join me? freeeeeeeeeeeeedoooom

[The Lone Gunman]

To be fair UK along with USA totally screwed up Iraq so they both bear substantial responsibility for the mess there - from all the refugees in the world these guys probably have more right to settle here.

Of course all of them can't get place here, but UK at the very least should give permanent residency to all Iraqies that were helping it - interpreters etc, because next time people won't work for the UK knowing that they will be abandoned there.

Nonsense. We freed them from a tyranical despot.
It is the Muslim insurgents that have screwed the place up.

[TheFaQQer]

Nonsense.

We Brits have been abandoning people here there & everywhere for centuries.

I think that the way forward would be to partition the country.

It's worked so well in Ireland, Palestine, Cyprus...

[AtW]

To be fair UK along with USA totally screwed up Iraq so they both bear substantial responsibility for the mess there - from all the refugees in the world these guys probably have more right to settle here.

Of course all of them can't get place here, but UK at the very least should give permanent residency to all Iraqies that were helping it - interpreters etc, because next time people won't work for the UK knowing that they will be abandoned there.

[Rantor]

I don't approve of dictatorships in any shape or form but I do notice that two of the countries who lived under them for a long time certainly suffered when the inhabitants lost them.
Currently it is Iraq who suffers, mainly due to the intervention of western democracies. Certainly, parts of the country suffered under SH's regime but aren't they suffering now?...and it is arguable whether or not today's suffering is any less than that under their dictator.
The first region to suffer was Yugoslavia when the dictator Tito died. I remember that Yugoslavia was a very popular tourist destinaation and there was little trouble coming from that part of the world. Yet, practically as soon as Tito's influence was removed the various factions were at each other's throats (almost literally) and the current peace there is very tenuous indeed.
Yet I can think of one country who made the transition from dictatorship to democracy quite painlessly - Spain. It was one of the most ruthless dictatorships in the world and they managed the transition after Franco died with little fuss noticeable in the outside world.

OK...thats enough of philosophy for one day!

Greece, Portugal, Chile all managed this transition - not to mention Germany. I suppose Brazil & Argentina might count as well.

In the component bits of Yugoslavia, a lot of people had been living side by side for centuries in relative peace. Both ends of the 20th century saw a strong upswing in nationalism. Rebranding and revisionism go a long way to explaining the murderous cretins down there. We're doing ourselves no favours by thinking that sort fo thing can't happen in our part of the world.

[KathyWoolfe]

I don't approve of dictatorships in any shape or form but I do notice that two of the countries who lived under them for a long time certainly suffered when the inhabitants lost them.
Currently it is Iraq who suffers, mainly due to the intervention of western democracies. Certainly, parts of the country suffered under SH's regime but aren't they suffering now?...and it is arguable whether or not today's suffering is any less than that under their dictator.
The first region to suffer was Yugoslavia when the dictator Tito died. I remember that Yugoslavia was a very popular tourist destinaation and there was little trouble coming from that part of the world. Yet, practically as soon as Tito's influence was removed the various factions were at each other's throats (almost literally) and the current peace there is very tenuous indeed.
Yet I can think of one country who made the transition from dictatorship to democracy quite painlessly - Spain. It was one of the most ruthless dictatorships in the world and they managed the transition after Franco died with little fuss noticeable in the outside world.

OK...thats enough of philosophy for one day!

[sunnysan]

Iraqis

Cause and effect really,

The war created this mess , and the people, who in good faith have helped the UK occupying forces should be looked after and granted political asylum, as there can be no doubt that their lives will be in danger once the occupying forces leave.

So yes, its not really a win situation for them either

a) Have your home and community destroyed
b) Live in constant fear of reprisal from extremist elements
c) Uproot your whole family and move to the UK
d) Get some sh1tty highrise flat in the midlands
e) Be victimized and discriminated against.

Not a nice situation really.

[DBA_bloke]

It is a little ironic.
I suspect that had they given the money (total cost of the war) to the people in the first place then there would have been no need for war.

True. But how'd we get our hands on the oil?

Once the troops are back home, Iraq will descend into a bloodbath. Then we can say "Look. Iraq's a manace again. These Iraqis are just a bunch of bloodthirsty terrorists. A student has written a damning report - in 45 seconds they could nuke us! We need to save western democracy". Then march back in and take over for good. Drain their oil forever. Easy, when you know how.

[The Lone Gunman]

We certainly don't need more 'dependents' coming over and being given benefits never having contributed. But we did invade their country on flawed evidence so it balances out.

Every time the US launches a missile attack on an insurgent stronghold it costs over a million dollars. If you were in a village 'accidentally' destroyed by such costly weaponry, wouldn't you want to present yourself there for refuge?

It is a little ironic.
I suspect that had they given the money (total cost of the war) to the people in the first place then there would have been no need for war.

[larry]

Hmmmm

We certainly don't need more 'dependents' coming over and being given benefits never having contributed. But we did invade their country on flawed evidence so it balances out.

Every time the US launches a missile attack on an insurgent stronghold it costs over a million dollars. If you were in a village 'accidentally' destroyed by such costly weaponry, wouldn't you want to present yourself there for refuge?

[DimPrawn]

Yes, more in please. We have house prices to worry about.

[Ruprect]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2191594,00.html

Anyone disagree with this?