Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site cepu.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!sdcsvax!bmcg!cepu!scw
From: scw@cepu.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.misc
Subject: A International subject
Message-ID: <263@cepu.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-May-84 19:23:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: cepu.263
Posted: Tue May 22 19:23:22 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 23-May-84 19:49:00 EDT
References: <410@erix.UUCP>
Organization: VA Wadsworth Med. Center; LA CA
Lines: 40

In the referenced note Mitzi Morris complains that too much US internal
politics gets into Europe.  (Too true!) Here is an internation question
tht may (Real soon now) become *VERY* important to most of us.

Given that the War in the Persian Gulf (Iran/Iraq) is heating up and expanding.
There are only 1/8 of the normal numbers of tankers in the Gulf (100 vs 800),
insurance rates have tripled, there have been 7 attacks on tankers in the Gulf.

What actions would be reasonable/prudent for the world to take?
Who should take the actions?
Actually this is a moot point as there are only 4 countries with the
ability to intervene [USA, GB, France, and the USSR].  France's ability
is limited, only the US and GB have the ability to really project their
power into the region (The USSR is in the region).  The Soviet Union is
unlikley to intervene to stop the fighting as it is to their benefit
that it continue (actually our discomfort).

The options as I see them:

(1) Do nothing.
	Doesn't hurt the US much but I can see Japan and Western Europe getting
	into a real bind here.

(2) Intervene (on either side).
	This is as case of damned if you do and damned if you don't. Neither
	party is exactly what one would call savory.

(3) Quash them both.
	How? Destroy their ability to wage war? Or perhaps just both Airforces
	then they can only continue to grind away at each other without the 
	ability to bother anyone else.
(4) Nuc 'em back to the stone age-:).
	Rather tacky don't you think?
(5) ????????
	How about it Europe, you have the most to loose, (of the people who 
	are on the Net anyway, too bad Japan isn't here). Any ideas?
-- 
Stephen C. Woods (VA Wadsworth Med Ctr./UCLA Dept. of Neurology)
uucp:	{ {ihnp4, uiucdcs}!bradley, hao, trwrb, sdcsvax!bmcg}!cepu!scw
ARPA: cepu!scw@ucla-locus       location: N 34 06'37" W 118 25'43"