Petraeus works to halt foreign fighters.

Mr. Littlejeans said
Seriously, though Adder, the toughest thing seems to be getting conservatives to look objectively at these situations. It's like we should just ignore the HUGE part that the U.S., Britain, and Israel have played in worsening, and sometimes creating, the conditions that help foment terrorism and aggression. Unless of course you believe that Arabs are just genetically defective and born with a desire to kill. Or that Islam is by definition a call to destroy the rest of the world. I'm not naive enough to think that diplomacy without military force will solve the problems, or that the Iranian government is a bunch of peace-loving persaycats, but it seems that we are SO willing to see the world in oversimplified terms of GOOD GUYS (us) vs. BAD GUYS (muslims.)

Someone asking me why I "hate America" in 5,4,3,2........

Excessive mea culpas are a non-starter. There is research that suggests people are hard wired to have a polticial viewpoint to the right or left. In other words, no matter what the facts, a large part of the U.S. electorate can not acknowlege or internalize American mistakes or failures.

It's not their fault completely because it's just their brain chemistry:

http://forums.military.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/409192893/m/2040014541001

DD seems to be wired this way. Certain words or phrases short circuit the synapses and processing of logic is derailed. So, the "my country right or wrong" set just may not be capable of seeing it any other way.

I recall at one point in the 90s Bill Clinton issued an apology for all the destruction wreaked on Central America by the CIA funded wars to restore the United Fruit Company set to power.

http://www.allbusiness.com/central-america/163471-1.html

That did not play well with the right.

Actually, I'm not interested in fulsome mea culpas. It's in the past. Learn from it and move on. That's all I'm asking for.

Actions speak louder than words. Skip the words of regret, the finger pointing and teeth gnashing and move forward with new actions.

Until we can do that, it's hard for me to accurately gauge exactly what the Iranian intent is, since if I was an Iranian and I saw three aircraft carriers off my coast and an army on my border, I have to assume hostile intent and act accordingly.

Likewise if I watch other countries in the region reject the NPT and develop nuclear power and weapons (and attach said nuked to cruise missles placed on submarines patrolling my coast) yet I am told I have to relinquish my rights under the NPT, I see a double standard and my bottom gets chapped.