America is roughly 7 years into the "war on terror". Bush declared that the "war on terror" will not stop until "every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated." Is America any closer to eliminating every single terrorist organization within global reach? Do the policies of the "war on terror" make us safer or make more enemies? Does America even understand our enemies? Bush was kind enough to give the American people a reason for why the terrorists hate us. In response to this quote I would like to quote Sun Tzu from the Art of War Do our enemies really hate us for our freedoms? President George W. Bush Even if that means diverting troops and resources from the Afghan theatre to Iraq? I thought Osama bin Laden was enemy #1? I thought we blamed Osama and the Taliban for the 9-11-2001 attacks. If Al Qaeda and Osama bin laden were our enemies, then why were was the US giving the Taliban "aid" to fight opium production? Is the "war on terror" a back door way for America to implement it's unilateral military doctrine that Woflowitz wrote back in the H.W. Bush days? President George W. Bush What about Saudi Arabia? Would anybody like to comment on the USA PATRIOT Act? It defends us from terrorists, potential terrorist attacks and hookers.
You have made some compelling points. However, it is true that the islamic extremists do hate the west for their freedoms which they believe are blasphemous to Allah. In addition, many US-commanded operations have gonee on in the middle east without the knowledge of US citizens. 9/11 would be described by an ex-CIA agent as being "blowback". However, rgardless of the war on terror, I believe that the invasion of Iraq was needed. Sadam Hussain's Iraqi regime tortured and killed thousands of its citizens, committed acts of genocide, invaded naibouring countries and used WMD's in the past, all of which break not only the genocide convention that both the US and Britain signed, but every other action described above consitiutes an act of terror, which the UN technically should support an intervention force. I am not conding everything the US has done, far from it, but I do agree that fighting for Iraq is fighting for something.
Hey thanks for sharing your thoughts. Here's what I think on why the "terrorists" hate us. It has very little to do with our "freedoms", which seem to be disappearing fast, and more do to with "blowback" like you mentioned. Our freedoms are not enough alone to justify to a radical Muslim that killing himself will be rewarded in the afterlife as an act of jihad. They angle that Osama bin laden and others are using is the angle that Islam is being "attacked". You know what I'm saying? Since suicide is forbidden in Islam, one of the only ways to justify suicide is to tell the suicide bomber he/she is engaging in an act of holy war. Our freedoms alone are not enough to condone suicide and I don't think it's enough to incite thousands of Muslims around the world to mobilize against the US and the West. The thing about invading Iraq is how the government was selling the case to go to war. The fact that he was a bad guy, which I am definitely not disputing, is not reason enough alone to take out a brutal dictator. You should know that America essentially created the Frankenstein that Saddam was. And when he quit being an asset and became a liability we had to take him out, which led to the first Persian Gulf War. In the 80's and 90's America repeatedly ignored warnings from American agencies that Saddam had a nuke program, a chemical and biological program and that he was exploiting "dual use" technology we were providing to him. We knew he was gassing the Kurds and the Iranians but we ignored that fact. Even when we publicly denounced Saddam's use of chem. weapons we sent Rumsfeld over there to assure him that all was on the up and up. America facilitated in Saddam's WMD program. America tried to sell the fact that Iraq was an immediate threat, capable of striking us within "15 minutes". Of course all of that was bull shit and when we couldn't find any WMD's as we had promised to, the campaign shifted and the invasion became about "spreading democracy" and stopping an evil dictator. Not that he was capable of striking the US or our allies. Did everybody forget about the "no fly zone". We had him contained, he hated the kurds and he couldn't even take them out.
Expand a little more on your views. Is the use of women for suicide bombings a sign that we are winning the overall "war on terror" or just the war in Iraq? The Palestinians have been using female suicide bombings for years. In French Algeria the resistance movement repeatedly used women to circumvent searches and to aid them in placing bombs. I think the assassinations of former al-qaeda allies is more of a sign that they are desperate in Iraq.
Well one would think the fact that the rate of female suicide bombers has risen shows that men are not volunteering anymore. They are praying on emotional grieving women and making them do the bombings. They aren't as stable as they used to be and that is the truth. Less soldiers and citizens are dying and that is also a fact.
I guess the rise of female suicide bombers can be interpreted as a lack of potential male suicide bombers but I disagree that the potential pool of male suicide bombers is lacking. If anything I think the use of females is more of a tactical move than a logistic one. And who is "they" when you referring to them being less stable. Are you talking about the insurgency as a whole or one particular group? And yes it may be a fact that less Iraqis and American soldiers are dying, but what is less? From 100 a day down to 10? The country is nowhere near stable.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq is what I meant by they, because they have been the insurgency and ignited a lot of it. As did Iran but we won't get into that. Well the country seems stable to me now that we are reaching an agreement with Iraq to pull out in 2011 and thats 95% percent of troops gone with 5% staying there to train the Iraqi military.
Hey Cali, Much respect on openly claiming what you believe. I view the war on terror much like: War on Drugs, Cold War, etc. They are mechanics of oppression through fear. They are all instances which can not be 'Won', at least in the way it is being done at the moment. Yet, there is no acknowledgment of the problems that are undermining the efforts of the specific war, and they continue on. Lets use the war on drugs as an example, as it is current and relevant to this community. It is a War that has been running now for over thirty-five years. There has been evidence of Governmental involvement (Read: Contra Scandal). The majority of victims are non-offensive marijuana users. We're talking millions of people. Thus, governments contract jobs to create and run the facilities, it must be staffed and a community of workers grows into larger communities over time. This generates billions of dollars that flood back into the Economy. Even states like california, which have set up state laws for medical marijuana, are in conflict ion with federal drug policies. Theres a reason there is no change, because its in America's interest to continue on like it is. The war on terror is stemmed from the same vein. A war that will take an indeterminate amount of time, on invisible enemies. America manipulates the situations to to bend to their agendas, and get the general public to be afraid and beg the government for protection -- which then can be offered but it might cost you some liberties -- but most will gladly take the offer. Right now things are getting into full swing, and they are pressing their interests hard over seas. This war wont end anytime soon; too much to lose now.
Just to be clear what is your definition of the Iraq insurgency? Who's exactly involved? Just Al qaeda and the Iranians? And seriously bro, because the US and Iraq are working on a draft pullout agreement, which is far from finalized, that's suppose to show that Iraq is stable? You don't think this is a "hand over of sovereignty" facade like earlier in the war now that Bush's admin. is coming to a close? Another suicide bombing reported, about 35 killed. Stable eh?
Hey Dr. Snuggles, how's it been man? Thanks for posting and sharing your thoughts bro. I'm no conspiracy theorist but 9/11 was the catalyst for the neo-conservatives to press their agenda for unilateral military action against those who are against America's interest. Paul Wolfowitz wrote a military doctrine, while he was in the H.W. Bush Admin., that expressed that America should act unilaterally to take out brutal dictators even at the expense of traditional Euro/American alliances. That doctrine made it out to the press and under serious pressure, Cheney, was forced to order the re-write of the doctrine. If you notice these are all the same players today who were in forefront of the invasion of Iraq.
It's sad and frightening what people believe. Quit perpetuating what you know NOTHING about. The war on "Terror" is fake, and from the looks of it, working VERY well. I'm not asking you to think before you lend an opinion, because obviously the Bush administration does that for you. I'm asking you to man the fuck up. How do I know this this war is blasphemous and mythical? Well, because I manned the fuck up: Although, I understand how easy it is to just believe everything you hear and spew it back as if it were fact. Keep up the easy work guys, and keep supporting a war you know ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about. - SPC C
My dad is a civilian working with soldiers every day who have been to Iraq and are going to Iraq. He has also been to Kuwait and talked with the many soldiers there he has also seen the blown up Humvees . He teaches Hazmat. I'm pretty sure he has an idea of whats going on.
A civilian contractor? No way. You mean the guys making 100,000-500,000$ dollars a year? You mean the SOLE reason we're still over there? If anyone is enjoying this war, it's your father. I now know what side of the fence you're getting your story from. That must've been hard for him to see blown up humvees. And Kuwait, what a hardship. I was there for 25 days before rolling into Baghdad. We used to call it "little hollywood". Some are known to describe it as a Country Club. It's a good thing there's soldiers (or ex-soldiers like me) to get blown up so your dad can get fat and rich like that. There's nothing like getting shot at and hit with PP/VBIEDS so some random civilian contractors can afford a third summer home!
haha wow. Did I ever say he was a contractor? I said he teaches Hazmat he is a supervisor and was an ammo guy before that. He has been working for the DoD for over 30 years. Get your shit straight. You accused that I know nothing about what was going on and I told you I did know since my father talks to soldiers everyday and I ask him about what they say.
I did accuse you of not knowing anything! This "I know someone who knew someone who went" shit doesn't fly with me dude. I. Have. Fought. This. War. How hard is that to comprehend? I fought for fifteen months. I had a long long time to think. Oh and I thought hard. This war is fucking wrong. Our occupation is unjustified. PERIOD. Once again, you're just a clueless bystander. You've lost NOTHING to this war. Try picking the hamburger meat out of humvees coming back from patrol. Try putting a silhouette center mass in your front sight post and pulling the trigger. Try ducking under a trailer when the mortar claxon alarm sounds. Try pulling 72 hours of duty before going on a patrol. You wont. You'll just sit at your computer playing armchair commando spreading fallacious hearsay.
lol, An Obama voter yes. More like an "anybody but McCain" voter. Am I wearing Obama pins? Putting up Obama signs? Praising him in general conversation? No. He's a politician. Not the messiah. And right now voting for him is the only thing I can do to hurt McCain's chances of winning.
Obama hasn't faught in the war either, so using your logic, wouldn't he just be "spreading fallacious hearsay" as well?