YOU SAID IT BRANDON!!!!! I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!!!!!

Ok since America is being blamed by these hypocritical morons allow me to say something. Who's the first one there when something goes wrong in the world? Who are the first to send relief to people who are in distress? Who bankrupts there own country and bleeds itself white for the goodness of the world? I'm not saying that America is some Christ of the world, because we have the same problems. But then again in some ways maybe the US is like the Christ of the world, simply in the way that everyone wants to blame its problems on us, and everyone wants to kill us even after all we've done for them. We might as well pull out a cross and hang ourselves upon it for them since we've done everything else for them. These countries are being like children trying to blame things they did on someone else. All these problems are not a result of the war in iraq it is because all around the world there are sickly perverted men that find it amusing to do what they do. And the sad part is in this world none of these problems will end, the Earth isn't Heaven and will never be close, therefore it will never be perfect. But if the world feels that the only way to fix their problems is to unite against one common enemy and they need us to be their scapegoat maybe we should just leave everyone alone, see how the world fends without our money, our support, our care. Curl up behind OUR borders and fix OUR problems, then maybe OUR people will be happy and America, truly, the best.

Brandon Pittsburgh, PA age 14 (Sent Jul 10, 2007 5:27:16 PM)

War is a business and the consequences are quite atrocious. The exploitation of women and children isn't unique to the Middle East. Sexual exploitation has no religion. The exploitation of children takes place in our own country as examplified in many TV shows. This is not a political issue but a moral one! Our efforts should be focused on putting a stop to the exploitation of women and children.

To the commentors who ask how to help child prostitutes: As everything has a price, it is possible to buy these children out of prostitution and find rehabilitation centers that won't be culturally jarring to them. If there aren't any such centers nearby and you find the funds and other resources, consider opening a center.

To Practical, just so you know: The Middle East is a very diverse region. A lot of men cover themselves as much as the women (and some of the women are no more covered than Western women). It keeps the the dirt and the insects and the sun off.

Anyway, the cultural habits and social mores of any Middle Eastern country are not reducible to Islam or to U.S. foreign relations issues that can be summarily accounted for on the 6:00 news.

It's easy for us to read an article about child prostitution and be empathetic and want to be proactive about ending it. But these crimes are implicit in a state of war and its aftermath, and they're no less traumatizing to those civilians than anything we haven't read about. There will always be articles about the deplorable conditions in Middle Eastern nations, and we are always welcome to cry about them.

Rather than involve ourselves individually in complex foreign human rights situations, we ought to see to similar travesties IN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES - not because we are selfish, but because well-intentioned philanthropic missions in these regions are usually inadequately informed and usually make things only worse for everyone. And if they don't look as bad in our communities as they do on the International News page of the newspaper, we can't be much better than the foreign communities we're judging.

Mohammed's youngest wife was a 6 year old girl named "Aisha". Since he was a merciful prophet, he waited until she was 9 to consummate the marriage. (This is all completely verifiable by the Hadiths).

Hey Johnny Blade, How many Germans and Italians attacked Pearl Harbor?

To the commentors who ask how to help child prostitutes: As everything has a price, it is possible to buy these children out of prostitution and find rehabilitation centers that won't be culturally jarring to them. If there aren't any such centers nearby and you find the funds and other resources, consider opening a center.

To Practical, just so you know: The Middle East is a very diverse region. A lot of men cover themselves as much as the women (and some of the women are no more covered than Western women). It keeps the the dirt and the insects and the sun off.

Anyway, the cultural habits and social mores of any Middle Eastern country are not reducible to Islam or to U.S. foreign relations issues that can be summarily accounted for on the 6:00 news.

It's easy for us to read an article about child prostitution and be empathetic and want to be proactive about ending it. But these crimes are implicit in a state of war and its aftermath, and they're no less traumatizing to those civilians than anything we haven't read about. There will always be articles about the deplorable conditions in Middle Eastern nations, and we are always welcome to cry about them.

Rather than involve ourselves individually in complex foreign human rights situations, we ought to see to similar travesties IN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES - not because we are selfish, but because well-intentioned philanthropic missions in these regions are usually inadequately informed and usually make things only worse for everyone. And if they don't look as bad in our communities as they do on the International News page of the newspaper, we can't be much better than the foreign communities we're judging.

I wonder what the Koran says about sex with little babies. I'm sure it's silent. Although there are hundreds of pages about how a woman should clean herself. This article is about the rape and abuse of children. Your debates about American foreign policy are out of place.

The issue here is modern Islam and it's complete lack of respect for human dignity and life. While people still put the 'religion' on par with the other world religions there will be no answer. Muslims are monsters and no one is safe from their hatered and disrespect of life, not even their own little girls.

There are reasons we are at war with Iran. There are reasons we will eventually be at war with Iran and then Syria after that. They are not popular reasons to say in polite conversation. But what the administration knows, that most of us chose not to acknowledge is that the world is not safe as long as there are Muslim countries dominating world policy. Peace and Islam can not co exist.

Of the 26 world conflicts, 24 involve Muslim people.

This is simply my opinion yes, but I also happen to be a woman born into a muslim family, but lucky enough to live in the US and able to see the truth.

Yet another example (based on some of the comments I've read) of some people's inability to view the world from another man's, woman's, or , for that matter, child's eyes. Some people make some of the most horridly biased and ignorant statements because they lack this ability... Can you imagine how much death and destruction would be avoided and the improvements in foreign policy that would result if we followed one of the most revolutionary, yet inherently simple ideas, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"? Sad, sad, sad...

Oh for god's sake people - what ever god you believe in - and for pity's sake if you believe in none - these are children. Think of your own daughters, or sisters. Let's leave the politics aside and sort that out later - is there some way we can help?

religion has killed more people than all other wars put together... oil is becomming a top contender. so who doesn't like a little sex now and again?.. it is the oldest profession and who better to ply it than woman? the us army is running brothels in iraq as we speak as in both world wars... the world is not 'christian' by any means.. just try and get out of a catholic parking lot on sunday....lmao.

Wow! The media illuminates an atrocity with a flashbulb and we Americans weep, get angry, point fingers and ask "what can I do to help?", and then after a day or so we refocus on our portfolios and drop it. Few of us really even try to understand why we're in this war that can trace it's roots to the carving up of the Ottoman Empire after WWI (by the Brits.) European imperialism in Africa has left us with Somalia, Sudan, Congo, etc problems, and we Americans wring our hands about Darfur, which I'm sure is somehow Bush's fault. Who else remembers bin Laden's comments after Clinton ran us out of Somalia? He said "America is a paper tiger with no stomach for a fight." and the attacks began. And as we examined our portfolios in the '90s, the terrorism grew in size and boldness, culminating for the US on 9-11. Now these little girls are engaged in what all should agree is a horrible situation, and the responsibility lies with the consumer of their product,their parents and the Syrian government. Yes, this goes on all over the world and it's frustrating but it is no more our fault than it is anywhere else. That's not say we should accept it as inevitable. Now, which genius out there has a solution? Invade Damascus? Then Nogales, then pick a Thai city? Quit the handwringing and go back to what most Americans do. Sub-contract out our moral responsibilities to our government via taxes and count our money. God forbid actually trying to understand what we're whining about and do something.

Bush claims he brought democracy to Iraq but all we hear is how much people are suffering even more now. Nothing has changed.. maybe saddam was a tyrant but what name would u have for bush? I think he is know better than milosavich yugoslavias tyrant who killed many people there and thought he was cleansing the earth .... Bush has brought nothing but more grief and with saddam u didnt have all these suicide bombers and open borders.. so who would u say is the tyrant in this situation?

What would Saddam have done? This would not happen under the "bad" man Saddam.

I am very afraid for my country when I read these comments. I don't think 95% of the people who posted have ever had an informed and orgininal thinking thought. Obviously they have never talked to any of our soldiers who have been to Iraq or they would know how grateful the average Iraqi is to us. I agree with the post that said "don't just stand there an bleed." I don't see anyone trying to get out of the USA, only trying to get in.

What?? Now the American president is at fault because some disgusting individuals are involved in prostitution? Ahh, I see, it is never the fault of anyone except the US. Maybe some of these countries should consider accepting the blame for their own citizens.
War for oil.. Probably, but so what? War has been fought for thousands of years for economics. The fact is most wars are fought over it. Lets shut off oil for a couple of months and see how willing we would all go to war over it.
Fact is: The Mideastern countries need to SELL oil as much as the US needs to BUY it. There is little in the way of exportable items in any other category that has such worth.
Predominately Muslim countries are just as guilty of war, terror, greed, and population control as anyone else.

If these Mideastern countries were so noble (while the US was not) why is it that their oil wealth has only barely improved the standard of living of the poor the last 40 years?
The US is no better or worse than any other country with the exception that we do tend to aid other countries to a far greater extent than they aid others.
After Hurricane Katrina, how many billions did the Iranians send? How about the Palestinians? The Saudis?

The US has been helping many of these countries. When there were earthquakes in Iran, the FIRST responders were....Americans. The Palestinians would not have nearly the monetary support they have without the US, and the Saudi's would have fallen a looong time ago. Funny how in each of these examples the regimes in charge have plundered their own countries, held down the populace and destroyed much of the economy and freedoms..yet, it is the fault of the US. (!!?)

If you look close you will see that it is standard MO for any regime to continually blame "the other guy" because it takes the pressure off themselves and there is less risk of a popular uprising.

Those perverts were going to have little girls ANYWAY!! Does anyone actually think they care where the girls come from ? Every despot on the planet is telling their people that their problems are all due to us. It's how they divert their people's wrath away from themselves for looting their own countries. Just another drive by media stooge trying to make us feel guilty. Again.

If we'd stayed the course and kept after them in Afghanistan then there'd be no problems like this and we'd have the people who planned 9/11.
Yes the Bush/Cheney administration caused this, not the American people. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 and we shouldn't be there.

Maybe the girls could stay at NBC, CBS, or CNN headquarters, and the crack staff can take care of them...being that they are so inclusive and friendly, and they aren't doing anything otherwise.

btw, why is "donna Mcleod (Sent Jul 10, 2007 7:27:04 PM)" allowed to post racist comments??? Oh wait it's not racist when it's directed against "white people"

I love the last sentence/last thought of this article...I wonder if the media someday could report the news without their bias and spin?????

Dear Richard,
Why didn't you ask the club owner which one was his daughter? Or which of the men in the club was a relative or a good friend of his? We all would have liked to hear his answer.

Hey Charlie buddy..in case you forgot to read the article completely, "Syria, which struggles to provide enough jobs for its own citizens". are you stupid enough to think any country can afford to help foreigners when there aren't enough jobs even to help the country's own people survive? and in case you haven't the logic and the brains to realize what's right in front you..the reason these women are refugees is because Bush, not only Saddam, has forced them out of their own country by having made Iraq a place that is no longer safe enough to live in..So how bout you think before you speak..you're wasting your breath and our time

For it is written

The white Americans stole land from Indians? I see you have read that history book from cover to cover. I think you may want to read it again.
America made third world countries? Anyone that believes this is a moron.That would have more to do with the import/export business and corrupt government of said third world country.If you know how the dollar is valued, then why would you still think America is the cause of third world countries being poor.And why is the dollars' worth falling? America nor it's president is to blame for prostitution in the middle east. I'm certain it was there long before the war.Is America to blame for prostitution all over the world? Even in America? You people make no sense.I find it astonishing that Americans are always more than willing to bash thier country, yet still stay there.I think the First Ammendment was the worst thing that ever happened to America because of these very people. The media bringing every negative report to light and rarely mentioning the good can also be attributed to this.Why do you people allow yourselves to be lead like sheep by the media? Which often doesn't even back up it's claim with actual facts. New groups are biased.They are not non-partisan like some would like you to believe,yet people listen to opinions of the hosts like it's fact and then turn on thier own country. And then change thier position once a new president comes into power.Other countries have real problems. They don't have the luxury of sitting on thier respective butts complaining about a president and why gas is so expensive as they sit on thier big couch, in a air conditioned house,watching thier big screen HD television,going on the internet and chatting away on thier cell phones as they drive down the street in thier BMW while playing the role of victim of your own society,yet you know deep down, you're not willing to give up any one of those luxuries.For all of those complaining about America has done you and others wrong and how it would be different if you had a say, do you volunteer to do anything? Exactly.You people are hippocrites!

All troops worldwide brought home = wonderful display of peace throughout the world. I cant wait to watch the news of total distruction. Just sit back and laugh.

One question, how many of you have been to Iraq? Until you see what it was like before and what it will be like again, or worse, you cannot image the suffering that went on. Pull out all of the troops and you will see it again. Did everyone forget about the numerous times Saddam refused to let inspectors in after the war? Democrats & Republicans supported the war based not only on weapons of mass destruction but because of 9/11. Bush stated that any country that allowed terrorist to hold up and train in their country were also terrorist and the United States would deal with them swiftly. The majority of the American people agreed and supported this. Bush stated that this would not be a fast win and that it would take alot from our country to do this. The Iraqi people were in a lot worse condition then they are now. How about the reason Saddam was executed? He was responsible for the killing of thousands of people because they opposed him. Why are there refugees because they are people who want to escape the terrible life they are having to go through. The terrorist, extemist, finatics use these people as a sheild. The last I heard there were alot more Iraqi people killed in car bombs in shopping centers and elsewhere than Americans. The next time you buy groceries at the store stop and think that if you were an Iraqi you could be killed at anytime by terrorist. The next time you vote remember that you dont have to look over your shoulder for someone that is going to try to disrupt the voting process and that you have this right. Remember this, all of us who have responded here would have been tracked down and killed because of our beliefs if we lived in Iraq un Suddam.