Beagle, Pontius et al,
Without getting myself a reputation for grovelling. I have more respect for yourselves and most of the other contributors to PPRUNE, than I would ever have for "Stoneface" Kerry. Barely 24 hours ago he's "shoving it to the Brits" on our failure to support American policy. Today Paddy Obama decides to duck the issue and throw it at Congress. If they reflect, as did our parliament, the American people's opinion, they will be stopped dead in their tracks. His close cousin Paddy Ashdown, with his shame for being British also begs some believing. Meanwhile a little research reveals;
"Agent Orange is the combination of the code names for Herbicide Orange (HO) and Agent LNX, one of the herbicides and defoliants used by the U.S. military as part of its chemical warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. Vietnam estimates 400,000 people were killed or maimed, and 500,000 children born with birth defects as a result of its use" From Wikipedia.
A little research by Mr Kerry of his own countries' history might make him a little less critical of a real democratic decision, and of his own hypocrisy on the matter. Ashdown might care to reflect on his disrespect for the democratic principle. There's a lot of political waffle going on at the moment, but I honestly believe that the decision that our parliament took on Thursday was the right one.
Smudge