[Seanus]

We should also consider the actual aggressor Vs the perceived aggressor. Serbia was the perceived aggressor in the Balkans but that was only half of the truth.

The problem is that soldiers are afforded a wide latitude to shoot or not to shoot. Many soldiers have not been under an imminent threat to their lives but have shot and pled self defence. A civilian would probably never get away with that.

Descaling the nukes would be a token gesture that the Cold War is well and truly behind us but other things will flare up, like Russian subs and Georgia revisited. If Obama can prove that he wants to move away from the objectives of the PNAC then we will move forward. He is sensible enough to advise caution against an attack on Iran. He must use his nose in dialogue to test the water, that he isn't making too many concessions and coming across as weak.