I'm not a pacifist but I would prefer peace to war - that just makes me sane!

I have no doubt that Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved lives by hastening the end of the war, but it also cost huge number of innocent lives at a time when the war was arguably ending already. Its a moral catch 22 that history and philosophy students will debate forever. I don't presume to know the answer but am human enough to see both sides.

On the subject of bombing in the current theatres of Iraq and Afghanistan, regardless of whether it was right or wrong to invade, I can't see how it helps protect the western way of life to bomb innocents, most of whom have no objection to it and in fact aspire to many asects of it. I know lots of people in (and also from) Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, the Gulf States, Iran and Iraq, and the vast majority have no argument against the west. I can't see how bombing the people that like us gets us anywhere, not least becasue it breeds resentment, reduces their number and increases the proportion of fanatics as a share of total population.

Bramble - not sure what you have against journalists! If its just Al Jazeera, you may have the wrong impression of their impartiality. Just because they broadcast in Arabic doesn't mean they are biased and in cahoots with the fanatics. I don't suppose that every article they write is posted in English at http://english.aljazeera.net/English but what is there seems pretty neutral and certainly more so than much of what you get on www.foxnews.com