It has begun

Elsewhere

First Saudi Arabia got a taste of terrorism the other day, and started to shut down the terrorist groups

Recently Pakistan has started shutting down the offices of many terrorist organizations.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/south/11/15/pakistan.crackdown/index.html

This is how the war on terrorism will be won. You can't stop terrorism with war or force... you have to change the hearts and minds of the public and leadership. Terrorists can only exist in a population that accepts them and grants them the resources to operate (Freedom to meet, offices, money, transportation, weapons, etc...) Without these resources terrorist organizations cannot function, simply because they do not create resources, they only use them.

For decades the Arab countries have turned a blind eye to (and in many cases supported) the terrorist activities. Now that the terrorists have started to bite the hands that fed them, they are going to go down.

That is the irony of the dictator-like governments in the Arab world... the leaders will not tolerate decent... now that the terrorists have started to attack them, they will turn on the terrorists.

Country Girl

I hope that is true, Else. I think the United States made a BIG mistake when they went over there and thought they were gonna stop terrorism dead in it's track where it lives. It lives everywhere. If they don't get us by bombing us with planes, they'll get us one little bit at a time by bombing our boys. War is not the same as it was 60 years ago. They don't fight like that. They fight dirty and they fight like cowards. For us, and them, it's different. For them, it's an HONOR to die in defending their religion by suicide blast. For us, it's an HONOR to die in hand to hand combat. You can't fight two different ways, it doesn't work. If you can't see the enemy, you can't fight fair.

I hope that democracy has reached at least a few of the Middle Eastern countries, or at least made them think. Al Quaeda is against all democracy and westernization. It is also against the West becaue of it's support of Isreal. However, democracy has already TOUCHED these countries, and the little taste they got, I think they like it. I believe that they will eventually be against this fanatic Islamic force because it stifles their countries, and because they LIKE it, they will be targets of Al Queda.

This is where these countries get into trouble. You can't SUPPORT this terroristic force, and at the same time tell the allies that you are against it, not in all truth. You have to stifle it. I like that.. that they wll be pulling the shades down on Al Quaeda.

CG

Elsewhere

Your comments about the suiside bombers reminded me of a quote:

"Men, it is not your duty to die for your country; it is to make the other son-of-a-bitch die for his." --- General George S. Patton.

SixofNine

Wow, you should write for the bible, David!

I know the editor if you need his e-mail.

Country Girl

I was thinking about this further. I have been thinking about this for 18 months now. All of the time.

We're never going to win there. Their whole lifestyle and culture is based in religion, and here we are firing a Supreme Court Justice because he refuses to take a statue of the ten commandments down out of his building. Defying a Court order.

It's never going to work, with us and them. Their law is shariah and hadiths, which are based in the sayings of the Koran and the sayings of the Prophet. Their whole justice system is built around the Koran, which is the basis of their religion. Sure, our justice system is built around Christianity, as much as we'd not LIKE it to be, but our government is SO different from theirs. They can't deal with democracy, because Shariah and hadith law IS the law. Their religion IS their law. There's no room for democracy, because if you defy shariah, you are defying the law, and you are bringing reproach on Islam.

Doesn't matter if the West comes in and enforces Freedom of Speech and all that stuff... the are still going to have their tribal councils, and their laws. Democracy is good.. but only for us. We can't force this on these people who have lived thousands of years with Shariah.

CGirl

Simon

Imagine if the same tactics used to fight terrorism in Afghanistan or Iraq were used at home. Imagine after the Oklahoma city bomb that a big attacked was launched on the city where the perpetrators were thought to live? (sorry, "the city harbouring the terrorists")

What would the result be? Would there be fewer, or a greater number of seriously pissed off people who would then carry out acts of their own?

It won't work. Never has, never will.

Suffering and injustice breeds terrorism and what is needed to fight it is fair trade and support. Funny thing ... this is cheaper as well ut of course there is not as much money in it for the middle-men and guys making weapons is there?

foreword

Religious fanatics and terrorists set aside, the whole problem lies in the fact that as long as you have a certain group taking advantage of the other you will have people who will be pissed off and ready to fight for equality. Take for example what happened this summer in Cancun, poor countries slashed at the US for it's subsidies programs to farmers, telling them that their farmers can't compete as long as the US goverment gives free money to it's farmers, bringing down prices.

What did the democratic US representatives do? They simply shrugged it off, ending the talks. Don't you think that there is a whole lot of farmers in poor countries that are pissed off right now cause they can't bring their products to the market at prices that will allow them to make a decent living. This is the root of terrorism. Capitalistic, or should I say democratic societies (in disguise), will be faced with the prospect of terrorism as long as they want to keep the wealth and not share it.

The top 20% controlling the wealth of this world have enough to feed, clothe, buy everyone a decent house and car, and have enough left over to still travel in their private jet or yacht. Why don't they do it? Go figure I can't read their mind or analyse their motives, but it seems to me that they are only interested in getting wealthier and forget about everyone else.

And that's democracy for you.

czarofmischief

Sorry, but farm subsidies, besides being obviously popular, keep large areas of farmland undeveloped, therefore in case of a national emergency where our food supplies are cut off, we can still feed ourselves. If the farmers want to compete, they'll have to find another way.

If Britain, for instance, had to undergo another Blitz / Battle of Britain, style of thing, they'd starve to death before they got through it because so much of their farmland has been built over.

CZAR

foreword

If the farmers want to compete, they'll have to find another way.

Exactly the type of reasoning that fuels terrorism.

dawn27

If the goal was really to "free" the people, all they need to do is hold national elections and get the troups out of there. Sadam is not in power. Bush and Cheyney want to get their hands on some of that oil money under the assumption of "rebuilding" the country, when they're the ones that bombed it in the first place. We don't even know if schools or social security will be funded ten years from now and their priority is spending billions to change the form of government of a country in the middle east? By all means, lets free them to pay taxes and slave away every day for a corporation. Maybe they will even set up some of those cameras to catch them speeding through intersections so they can pay a "driving tax" on their way to work. Real freedom would be living off the land on an island with no governments or corporations to nickel and dime you to death. What happened to the days when you could make a living farming your own land and have dinner with your family every night?

It has begun

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