another iraq question (but not 'so should we going in or what?')

[darth vader]

It's pretty clear that Germany and France don't want to go into Iraq - the reason being that they are the only foreign countries left, with Petrochemical processing plants in Iraq at present - but why has Belgium taken a stance against war?

[rekstout]

If you were a teeny country dependant upon external trading partners - you'd probably want to keep on the good side of your linguistic and geographical neighbours - my guess.

[darth vader]

That would explain why we're blindly following the Yanks....

[rekstout]

Well I wasn't talking about Belgium! ;-)

[froggequene]

By rekstout's logic then Ireland and Canada should fall in with Great Britain and the US as well but apparently Canada have chosen to follow their own path and Irish Bureaucracy much like British government has forgotten that they are the elected representatives of the people. I think it will be interesting come the next round of elections in both countries.

[woodpam]

Would it be naive to think that the Belgians may really think that war would be wrong? I.e. that killing thousands of Iraqi people may not be the best way of saving them from Saddam Hussein?