OzKen comments

America is as corrupt as anyone in the world and are in no position to talk from a moral viewpoint. Ridiculous . What's more ridiculous, or should it be described as pitiful, is that many just lap up anything their govt says and believes they are some kind of beacon of light for the more unfortunate. I have little sympathy so I view this kind of delusion as despicable; < http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/us-forces-used-chemical-weapons-during-assault-on-city-of-fallujah-514433.html

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/nov/15/usa.iraq

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/20/iraq-war-anniversary-birth-defects-cancer_n_2917701.html

Off a Russian news site. Hard to argue against;

http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/26-08-2013/125496-syria_questions-0/

Interesting article from the Daily Mail (British Publication) in January which links chemical weapons attack to authorised US false-flag operation. Someone has been censoring this as many sites have taken it down but this one still works;

http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/?p=77999

CIA already has a solid lead where these stockpiles are. Cleaning up the chemical spill after the airstrike is another issue and concern.

Does it? Where is the evidence of this? They don't even have evidence on who is at fault for these chemical attacks. The US could even be responsible for them.

Didn't the CIA also think Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Remember those grainy satellite photos? How embarrassing. That shows you just how effective - or ineffective - CIA intelligence gathering can be.

Look I'll let you in on something here - the US don't care about those chemical weapons. What they care about is the destruction of Assad's military - communication lines, artillery, planes, tanks, supply convoys - things like that. That is what the surgical strikes will be for. Once that objective is acheived they will allow the Islamic fundamentalists to over run government held positions and let them take over. And when they start causing the US a few problems they'll bomb them too - that is unless Iran or other groups who are ideologically opposed to these Syrian rebels don't hit them first.

Well, here we disagree. We will not be sending US boots to Syria, but at least we can begin surgical strikes to remove chemical weapons from the hands of Assad and the Rebels. Neither of them will have no chemical weapons, and we should leave them alone.

How will this be achieved through surgical strikes? What do you think the Syrians have all their arsenal and stockpoli of weapons in one big shed with neon signs on it? Brainwashed and naive...

Complicated? Not at all. Then what do you want US and UN to do? Just sit around and allow these killings by chemical weapons to continue?

Do you feel good about that? If not, what does your moral conscience is telling you to do.

I want the US to do nothing. They have caused enough problems in the region, and especially if they are implicated in this as Russia seems to assert - this chemical attack suspiciously appears to have spread on the internet before it actually happened. This could quite conceivably be another false-flag operation. The US has great expertise at this. As for the UN, they are a useless and irrelevant body. But at least there are a few inspectors on the ground inside Syria now to investigate. Suspiciously again, they have not been seen wearing gas masks or protective suits in the area. Wouldn't there still be high levels of toxicity?

Do I feel good about it? Of course not, but it is a problem that must be solved by the Syrians themselves. As I've said I favour Assad more than I do Islamic Fundamentalists. Islamic Fundamentalists will always come last on a list of any kind of preferences.

I guess I am talking to a bottomless pit mistress with no logics. These people love distortion of the truth. I see........

Actually I have sound logic. Firstly chemical weapons use cannot be attributed to the Assad government.. Until it does what grounds are there for an attack on the Assad Government...

The US doesn't want to play the role of world police, we all know that. It intervenes to gain political advantages. If Assad is removed, the alternatives are frightening. Do yourself afavour and do a little research...

Russia supports Assad because they know he is the lesser of the evils. Toppling him will see the country eneter a period of sectarian violence which has no conclusion in the Muslim world...

The US want to appear to be on a moral high horse to win support for their actions. It has certainly fooled you...

The US are more careless, and only care for themselves. Sectarianism is the root cause of all the suffering in the Middle East. What the US will be doing by toppling Assad is effectively empowering that kind of evil...

Is all this too complicated for you to understand? It is quite understandable considering US politics and the Middle Eastern geopolitical situation is quite complicated.

So let's begin with a serious discussion. Why has the Assad government allowed UN inspectors into the country to follow up on these chemical weapons claims by the US? If I were Assad and I was responsible for such heinous crimes I certainly wouldn't allow a third party to enter into the country to verify it.

You have been aware that the chemical weapon use is a clear violation of International rules. And many years of ongoing genocide in Syria has to stop.

This US administration does not want to get involved, but this terrible situation does not give them a choice. US does not want to play a role of police in the world, but who else will do that? Russia, China? These countries do not have a moral compass. They are careless. They only care about themselves.

Some supporters go from point A to point Z missing all other steps or necessary logic between them. That is what I have mentioned above. I do not appreciate these lazy and simple answers. You can do better than this. Thanks.

I cannot wait for these incompetent idiots to be kicked out of office - Saturday week!

This situation is a set-up

Yep. Has the CIA's dirty little fingerprints all over it.

I am on Russia's side in this. The US can't be trusted to correct the region's problems. Have we all forgotten the Iraq war predicated by a blatant lie that it had ties with Al Qaeda. Complete rubbish that most Americans took as fact. And have a look at Iraq now - it is much worse off than when under Saddam Hussein. With the Syria issue, the US/Britain/France are backing Islamic Fundamentalists.If these crazies ever gain control in Syria they will be the cause of much more grief than what has been seen under Assad. I'm suspicious about who organised and funded these chemical attacks to begin with. Could it be the smoking gun America needs to justify itself intervening and convince its people of its actions to come?

and there you have it.... this paragraph sums it all up - it is simply an issue raised by both the major parties to keep the fear cranked up and show they are 'tough' on this issue.....if they both spent as much effort on the economy and the real issues facing Australia everyone would be better off....

Rubbish. This is a major talking issue. And whist you might be unaware, the Progressives have been in power for 6 years with the aid of the far-left wacko's called the Greens along with a few independents who couldn't run a brothel, who the Progressives agreed to be in alliance with. They will all disappear in a few weeks and the Conservatives will gain power. And they will run the country like a business and get it back into the black

Ridiculous headline for this article. This policy of the Coalition Party is not harsh at all, unless you are a Green and who would open the borders to anyone and everyone and not know how that could possibly be paid for. The majority of the 50,000 people that have entered into Australia over the last few years are in fact economic refugees - that is people who arrive wearing designer jeans and tops and throw away their passports and expect to become citizens and become eligible for social security payments and then send for their family members to do the same.

These illegal and illegitimate arrivals prevent genuine asylum seekers - those who are genuinely in need of assistance and who are fleeing persecution and violence - from obtaining citizenship. The Progressive Party who will soon be annihilated in the coming election created this whole mess in the first place, and their solution - an attempt to fix up the mess they have caused in the first place - is flawed just like the rest of their policies.

How did Kakitani play last night?

Rupert Murdoch is entitled to his opinions, after all he is an Australian citizen. His feelings on Kevin Rudd can be considered the general consensus of the feelings of a vast majority of Australians. Rudd and his party have introduced failed policies, has flip-flopped on many others, has nearly bankrupted the country with huge debt, and has attempted to stifle free press. The country is really just one huge mess because of his Party.

OzKen Some of those so called mid table and lower teams have got better youth set ups than the top teams of the EPL, and have produced good players that have gone on to bigger clubs.To say England are pathetic did they not draw against Brazil and beat them this year,can't be that bad of a team.As an Everton fan i'm sorry to see David Moyes go but they have got one of the best coaches in the game(started his coaching badges at 22 and was still playing at nearly 40) in my view.First season and Kagawa wins a premier league medal and more medals and silverware to come i think. Damn that crappy EPL and english leagues you will not win anything there.

What players? Where are they? If there are any out there they get picked up by the bigger clubs and get stuck behind a quagmire of foreign talent and never amount to anything. I'm sorry but I disagree with you, and the evidence is in the results of the national teams in proper competition, not some meaningless friendly where 8 changes are allowed at halftime.

Look, the EPL is great to watch but it clearly lags behind Germany and Spain. Man Utd have shown they aren't even on the same level the way they have been destroyed in the Champions League the last few years. And private and foreign ownership is destroying the fabric of the game over there, has done for years. Have a look at sorry West Ham for instance - once a production line of talent to the national team now specialist hoof ball merchants. Fascinating subject and I could go on...

This must not mean much though, since after all, the current #10 plays for one of those inferior English teams, as you put it...

Kagawa developed his raw talent in Germany at Dortmund though. His schooling has pretty much finished and playing regular Champions League football with Manchester Utd who are a good club and develop players the right way isn't a bad thing, but with David Moyes taking over - who knows where they'll go from here.

My criticisms of the EPL are more directed at the mid-table and lower-table teams whose training methods and coaching are inferior to that on continental Europe. It is not a place to seek schooling as a 17 or 18 year old. The development of young English players says a lot about the EPL. Have you watched their national side play the last 12 years? They are pathetic.

OzKen Didn't Mark Bosnich and Paul Okon both play in England where supposedly the quality of football is inferior? And the less said of Bosnich the better

Mark Bosnich was a goalkeeper. Technique and tactics are less important if you are a goalkeeper as opposed to a field player. The fact he went off the rails during his career (he has recovered and lives a clean life now) doesn't take away from the fact he knows and reads the game well.

As for Paul Okon - he had his best years as a footballer when he played in Belgium and Italy. Then he sustained a career threatening injury which plagued him for the rest of his career and it was from here (the downward slide) that he moved to the EPL and then back to Australia. But his career was defined in Belgium and then the Serie A, another highly technical (but boring to watch) league.

My point is that if you are a kid seeking development as a player you should go to Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Netherlands, Belgium or Portugal. England (and the entire British Isles) would and should be last. If you can prove yourself in these leagues and develop into a good player than moving to the EPL for the money is not a bad career move.

Who's the casual observer?

That would be you.

And playing in the Bundesliga where the emphasis is on technique and tactics, regardless of how big or small the club they play for, is better than playing in say somewhere like England where the quality of football is inferior.

The development of Japanese football is clearly on a constant upwards curve and has been for 20 years. They have a production line of number 10's that they export to Europe now, the next step is for them to develop a really good goal poacher. South Korea are able to so there's no reason why Japan can't - and when they do they'll be a genuine world force in the sport as agreed upon by many who know the game well.

Incase you didn't know, J2 is the second tier of the J League, where 2 two teams, go up to the creme of J soccer , J 1. A few more geriatric goals like this and Kazu could be kicking it off with the best domestic Japan has to offer,

Don't be petulant, ofcourse I am aware. The second division is the second division - more than half the teams in J2 are nothing more than amateur sides who will never get a chance of playing in J1, the standard is poor hence why Kazu can still score goals in that division.

Oh not this old chestnut again, especially after the debacle of the confed cup. Japan was, is and will always be a pretty mediocre team on the world stage, and the main reason for this is the mediocre standard and demands of the domestic league which allows Kazu to continue playing.

That's not just me saying it, Mark Bosnich and Paul Okon (they are ex Australian national players who have played the game at the highest level) say it as well - I mean better taking in what they say than a casual observer who doesn't even know that most of those players in the national team play in Europe. The confed cup wasn't a debacle - Brazil were just too good who beat Spain with the same score as they did Japan, the Italy game could have gone either way and by the time the Mexico fixture came along there was nothing to play for. I think I have put things into much better context than you have there. Your knowledge and understanding of the game is clearly lacking.

Have people read the article correctly? Rhetorical question - Kazu scored his goal in the second division otherwise known as J2. If only the Samurai Blue could have a 25 year old Kazu now in their team - I would go out on a limb and say they'd be a top 10 side in the world. But back to reality - congratulations to Kazu for his service to the world game. An excellent career.

@Wakarimasen what does "Do they do doping tests@wimbledon" have any relevence to the article.?????

Inferring that Serena William's muscular body is due to performance enhancing drugs perhaps?

and no one wants to talk about it but....the reason the DPRK can run its mouth is because it has a signed defense pact with China. And if the North is ever attacked or invaded the chinese would assist them. This agreement was made after the first korean war and to my knowledge has never been nullified. The koreans know this, and the US know this so basically nobody wants to make the first move.

No they wouldn't. Times and circumstances have changed. China will let NK talk but won't allow them to take any action. China realises that NK would capitulate if it chose a path of hostility and a pro-US state on its border is something they wouldn't want. Never mind the refugees that would flee across into China - we are talking millions that China would have to look after. China's priority is China in the 21st Century - its ever expanding economy, not some little unimportant hermit kingdom with little-man syndrome.

Are Japan top 20? Of course they are. But who cares about what FIFA puts out, they are as corrupt as they come and no one takes them seriously.

People still debating this I see. The simple fact of the matter is Japan is a better team. The way they played in the first half would have made any soccer fan proud. The Koreans showed a lot of guts though and finished the game stronger, but I suspect Japan's Italian coach ordered his team to be more cautious and sit back, and it paid off in the end. Japan have been on the end of some ridiculous refereeing decisions in this tournament and have found an answer to all of them. That shows their character, this current Japan team is impressive and will continue to develop and be a major player in Brazil 2014 I suspect. Japanese football has come a long way in 20 years!

Would you mind checking the website of the Premier League and search for the link "Top 10 Goalkeepers", which was updated yesterday at 11am? Then maybe you understand who's uninitiated here.

Why would I bother on stats alone, like you do? I've watched the Premier League closely for over two decades, I don't need some ridiculous updated link to tell me who are the class goalkeepers in that league. You must be one of those people who believes everything FIFA says and the world rankings, jeez, you must follow them like they are god's written word also. In all seriousness, I judge players over two to three years, not on stats that relate to a third of one season. Mark Schwarzer is in the top three. The end.

OzKen - I dunno, I still think it is a 3-horse race between Aus, SK and Japan. Schwarzer is the world-class keeper of this tournament - and Neill was brilliant against the Koreans - and they are 38 and 34 I think! Would like to see a match up of Japan and Australia at some stage...

Injuries have just about killed any hopes in my opinion. But then again, with extra-time and penalty shootouts never say never I guess.

Maybe. Maybe not. But I DO have the ability to see that a goal keeper is NOT world class if he never made it to the Top 10 of best goal keepers in the world. It also shows that I not only judge his qualities by the standing of his club.

Yes, maybe not. That is, maybe you do not follow the game closely enough to understand it well enough. But that's alright, no need to feel embarrassed, I've read much sillier comments. Schwarzer is in the top three goalkeepers in the EPL. That's the Premier League to the uninitiated like yourself. Arsenal have tried desperately to sign him, and it's only his good character which has prevented him from doing so. He could have whinged and sooked his way out of Fulham, but his professionalism prevented him from doing so which is why he still plays for them under Mark Hughes.

I expect Japan to go on and win the tournament from here. They've improved with every game and yesterday's training match will put them in good stead against nearest rivals SK for supremacy in Asia. I don't see any other team getting close, and sadly that includes Australia who are now too slow and old.

And that is exactly why many in Japan are always surprised when the team don't do well, and this applies to many other sports. The Japanese media is always predicting (or shall I say 'expecting') great things from their players that people never seem to understand why there's a nasty shock when things don't go their way. And now we have the coach doing his bit.

It happens everywhere. The English media are the worst by my experiences. They (England) severely lack class to be a serious contender yet the drums of victory beat every time and when they fail, they blame everything and everyone besides the players who aren't good enough. Japan will do well to not come last in their group. They have some good players and will be attractive to watch but Okada is a bad coach, and appointing him was a severely backwards step by the JFA.