nfgo3, the infois all available on the BBC.

You are right about the original purpose, but you are wrong that there are no such weapons. Let’s face it, it is unlikely that the CIA made such a mistake. Obviously Al Qaeda moved the weapons out of there in time.

Obviously the price in human life is unmeasurable, that is not my point. What i was pointing out is that i once saw an editorial who critisizig the invasion claiming that it has only made things much much worse for the iraqi people, and i am pointing out that unbeleivably – despite losing close to 100,000 in the invasion and related violence, the population has grown at an unbeleivable rate.

ROB, the things you mention are not new chumras, they are simply the way we keep old ones. Eating insects has always been forbidden.

The mechaber clearly forbids drying one’s hands without wringing them offf first. The sevoro of derch lichluch is a tur, and is negged most rishoinim, additinally it may no longer apply as our water is sanitized and clean.

Concerning the pictures – producing a 2d picture remains ossur according to numerous rishoinim, so it amazes me that all those who are makpid on other basic things like Rabbeinu tam z’man etc.. are not makpid on this.

All three cases i gave are cases where MOST peole are simple not aware of the halacha.