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| Down Under | ||
| Peace rally marks end of Solomons gun amnesty | ||
| 2003-08-22 | ||
A peace rally has marked the end of a national gun amnesty in Solomon Islands. A crowd of about 7,000 people gathered at opposite ends of town and marched through the streets before congregating for the peace rally at the national soccer stadium.
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| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #7 hello! My grandfather fought in that Guadalcanal campaign, and frightening it was, too! Yep, we can't have any more failed states and we must also show to those around us that we are now taking a proactive stance against potential threats. This ensures other nations have an incentive to clean up their acts, and keep the neighbourhood safe. |
| Posted by: Anon1 2003-8-23 4:02:50 AM |
| #6 I'm not worried about pirates. They have these little fishing boats that can be run over by huge cargo ships. Give the crew guns and just have them shoot down the side of the ship. Problem solved. |
| Posted by: Charles 2003-8-22 4:11:58 PM |
| #5 Why does this matter to us again? The Solomons are an island chain that stretches along the northern coast of Papua New Guinea and out into the Coral Sea. They stand across the shipping lane between the United States and Australia. Their importance was first discovered when the Japanese occupied them in 1942. Suddenly, there was a major threat to shipping between the US and Australia. The Guadalcanal campaign was fought primarily to halt this threat. Today, it's more likely the threat would come from pirates who would be free to operate from Solomons bases if there wasn't a government capable of dealing with them. The collapse of the Solomon Islands government was a very real possibility until the Australians intervened. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-8-22 3:30:14 PM |
| #4 How could they have peace without the involvement of Hollywood actors? I have heard nothing from Sean Penn concerning the Solomons. |
| Posted by: Steve D 2003-8-22 3:19:14 PM |
| #3 What the Aussies are staving off was laid out on the table months ago: A failed state provides an ideal ecology for militant terrorism needing a safe refuge. Do you want to retake the Solomons from common criminals who value their lives highly and have enough sense to surrender to save their hides, or from suicide bombers who value a virgin filled afterlife? |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-8-22 12:37:40 PM |
| #2 why it matters - aussies are nervous about the possibility of a failed state that close, and have intervened in the Solomon Islands. Important new assertive Aussie approach, and anything impacting Aussie security is important to the US, given that they're one of our closest allies now. Even if theres no Islamic connection. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-8-22 9:10:43 AM |
| #1 I forgot the Solomons were even a nation. Hell, I never did know that they had a PM. Why does this matter to us again? |
| Posted by: Charles 2003-8-22 2:10:26 AM |