We should have kept our focus in Afghanistan where they were headquartered. I was in favor of staying Iraq after we went in, until recently. I think that now we should only stay as part of an international force lead by NATO, or the UN, or someone that is uncomprimised by their actions. We should still be trying to continue operations in Afhganistan, and helping that country off to as good of a start as possible.
It is hard for other countries to take sides when the prison photos just surfaced. From a third party perspective, it is the same back/forth bickering that we see in Isreal/Palestine. Yes, maybe one side is "less brutal" but we are measuring degrees of evil. How do other nations offer support to either side? "I'll support the rapist but not the murderer!" Huh? Besides, if somebody does speak out publicly against AQ, then they make themselves a target. They become a ****** lover. (to borrow an evil phrase to describe another evil situation). Some of the comments (such as the parking lot and War On Terror = War On Arabs) are 21st century equivalents of the American slavery mentality. It is a dangerous mindset rooted in evil that only serves to perpetuate more evil. If you want to see more American's get beheaded, then continue to support comments about turning Arab nations into golf courses. Talk about disrespect. Sheesh, we'll never learn...it seems.
I regret my post about the turning the ME into a parking lot, but DANG this pisses me off. Truthfully, I want a Rainbow 6 anti terrorist group that goes in and surgically kills any and all terrorists. Being AT WAR with Iraq is not going to help the terrorist situation, and the 2 are not related. The only way to take out terrorists is a multinational coalition that has a small army dedicated to taking out terrorists across the world. ALL terrorists, Islamic, Irish, Timoth McVeigh types...all of them. DD
A cleric and a friggin barber? Are you kidding? What did the butcher the baker and the candlestick maker say? How about a political leader matching the bounty we put on Al Zawhari's (sp?) head???
I think you could argue that this sort of thinking is much more prevalent in the Extremist sect of radical Islam, which would be larger in # than the sect of radical Christians who kill abortion doctors.
Thanks mc, for that article, but it will do little good. I'm not referring to Max or anyone here, but on a larger national scale. After 9/11 many people said why don't moderate Muslims speak out against this more? Why don't they say it's not ok? They did. There were numerous books published by moderate and progressive Muslims, talking about how wrong terrorism was, and the history of Wahabiism, and denouncing that brand of Islam altogether. I even posted some of the book titles. A Muslims Imam was the first to speak at the memorial for 9/11 victims. The list goes on and on. But still we hear the refrain 'Why don't the moderate muslims speak out against it?' The fact of the matter is that then, and probably now, too they have, but other people have to be willing to hear it when they do. I heard one Muslim talking about how frustrated he and other muslims that he knew were about the fact that no matter how much they decried the events of terrorism, and militant Islamic practices, people never seemed to think it counted and continued to say 'If it was a religion of peace why aren't they speaking out against these acts.'
They are in Iraq. There are no leaders except us. And our political leader did in fact put a bounty on his head. ...which of course perpetuates the cycle of violence.
That woud be an Islamic religious leader. That's a pretty good start. Also since you refuse to understand they articles are written, those aren't the only two. But the reporter used them as representative of a larger groups feelings
mcmark -- that is encouraging. i'm hopeful. a cleric talking about ending the cycle of violence is significant...that's a good thing. FB -- i hear ya...i'm just saying that in relation to the outrage we've seen in this nation over these pictures, I'd like to see equal outrage for beheading a man and filming it, shouting "glory to God" the whole time. we have much vested in our nation...and folks who worship Allah have much vested in making sure the world understands that this is not what they're faith is about. i don't see any of this changing until Islam...the larger body...stands up and says, "enough." Americans can't win this...it has to be won by them.
Exactly. One of the things I like about John Kerry is that he wants to fund the intelligence services out the ying yang and then use covert ops to take out terrorist cells when we find them. Personally, if I were a terrorist, I would be much more frightened if I did not know when or where the US military was going to strike.
in the Islamic world??? absolutely. the political leaders in the Arab world are not looked upon well by radical Islam.
DD; I share your sense of frustration and outrage. When I saw that video it first made me want to vomit and then there was part of me that wished I was there in Iraq fighting the insurgents. I've studied some Kendo (Japanese sword fighting) and was thinking that I could show those terrorists a thing or two about beheading with a Katana vs. a machete. Anyway those thoughts are unproductive and aren't going to win the war on terror. When it comes to committing attrocities the terrorists win hands down. We're dealing with a cancer that is festering in the Islamic world and you take out a cancer with a scalpel not a sledgehammer.
http://www.nypost.com/commentary/20669.htm Good editorial I thought from the NY Post... I know why you tied up Nick Berg, leaving him unable to fight back. I know why the odds were 5 to 1. You say your unspeakable act of barbarity was retaliation for what happened in Abu Ghraib prison. What a convenient excuse: A bunch of untrained Americans hazed and humiliated Iraqi detainees. But if that hadn't happened, you'd have found a different justification. Maybe because we captured your fearless leader, Saddam, cowering in a rat hole. Or maybe you'd have just fallen back on that old standby - Israel. I can see right through you. You wore those ski masks for two reasons. Number one, you're afraid you'll be identified by the coalition and forced to answer for your atrocities. And number two, you shamed your fellow countrymen and fellow Muslims - and just maybe, you're also afraid of them. You and your wimpy, terrorist brothers around the world are getting your butts kicked. In Baghdad, you're facing Iraqi soldiers who could beat you with water pistols. So what do you do? You kill an American when his arms are tied. You blow up Iraqi cops with bombs because you can't do anything face-to-face. You mutilate four Americans and hang them from a bridge. I can't even remember what excuse you used for that one. But this country won't forget that stomach-churning outrage against humanity - or this one. Then there was the assassination back in 2002 of Daniel Pearl by some of your brothers in Pakistan. Well, he was a Jew, you said. Any reason is better than the truth: You hate freedom. But there's one piece of good news in all of this. You have as much brains as you do guts - you just pulled the rug out from under soft-headed liberals on Capitol Hill. This will get even them pissed off. But if you think this ultimate act of barbarity will weaken the resolve of the coalition - and the decent people of Iraq - you are wrong. The overwhelming majority of the Muslim world wouldn't waste their spit on your graves. I know why you wear ski masks. It is because you are cowards. But hear this: Ski masks or not, you and your brothers in terror will fall soon enough.
