A few Post-911 War questions ...

[funketeer]

Originally posted by sobeton

our terrorism problem goes well beyond Muslim fundamentalist... we are not getting any wiser as country, and IMO this is at the core of our problems..

The world has been at war since the begining of time...as technology advances, the capacity to inflict dammage on others increases in equivalence.

I agree with Sobeton on this one...we are not getting wiser as a country, but this is mainly because we are not getting any wiser as individuals either...peace is a condition exclusive toi intelligent human beings...a higher military force will not make us better than any other country...education and mutual respect on the other hand might lead onto a peaceful more secure future...

until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned...there will be always war.

~Robert Nesta Marley

[obby]

1) Do we know the difference between a guerilla and a terrorist?

guerilla- a person who engages in irregular warfare especially as a member of an independent unit carrying out harassment and sabotage

terrorist- the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion

2) What is more fanatic and deep inside their own roots ... fanatism for political/ideological thought or religious thought?

Religious. The cause of the most deaths in history is due to religion. Muslims, Christians and Jews all originated from that tiny piece of land known as Israel. It's no wonder that region has remained so violent.

3) Does military force defeat terrorists?

Sure, If applied correctly. Truth is, the war on terror is NEW TERRITORY. We know appeasing and ignoring does not work. It only emboldens them to commit more terror.

4) Are there more anti-US terrorists now than before 3/20/03? ...

Can we say we are safer?

No, more light has been cast upon terrorist, but to assume there are more now than before is incorrect. NOTE: I question the logic of this question. It's the same as saying "If you wouldn't have walked down that street, you would have never been mugged." To imply if we wouldn't have fought back against terrorism, they might like us more is absurd and naive at best.

5) Does the Dept. of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act make us safer? ... had we had this in place prior to 911, could the damage been minimized?

ABSOLUTELY! NO DOUBT! Box cutters would have never been allowed on board the plane. Our CIA & FBI would not be working as close as they are, etc..etc..etc.....The answer is YES! YES! YES!

6) Why does Al-Qaeda/Bin Laden hate the US?

Who cares? If I had to guess, it's the westernization of the world. They hate what we stand for. They hate the success we have become. These people come from poor, 3rd world countries. Many of which should not be poor given the massive reservoirs of petroleum that they sit on top of. The hatred of America is convenient to the leaders of these oppressed countries because it deflects attention away from their oppressive regimes.

7) Does the French experience of the 1960's and Algerian terrorism teach us something?

Don't know enough about it. Have to get back to you on this one.

8) Does the Israeli-Palestinian conflict teach us anything we can use in our own anti-terrorism war?

YES, appeasing and compromising w/ terrorism ONLY leads to more terrorism. One side has to lose and lose decisively before any REAL progress can be made. Israel could have defeated the PLO long ago, but has not because America keeps their hands tied.

9) Does the Camerouge and Cambodia teach us something?

I'm sure there is some knowledge to be gained from it.

10) Did the Shining Path experience and Peru teach us something?

I'm sure there is some knowledge to be gained from it.

11) Does ETA and Spain teach us something?

I'm sure there is some knowledge to be gained from it.

12) Does the IRA and the Republic of Ireland teach us something?

I'm sure there is some knowledge to be gained from it.

13) Do you defeat terrorism with an army or with intelligence and local support?

ALL OF THE ABOVE. You never rule out military force as an option. NEVER!

14) In the best case scenario ... when will we win the war on terrorism?

Best case scenario? Tomorrow! If terrorist and Muslim nations come to accept the fact that terrorist will only prolong their suffering. America either fights them now or fights them later, but make no mistake,,,,WE'VE GOT TO FIGHT. They're not interested in striking deals w/ us. They want us dead.

[marcodavalos]

A few observations:

- As opposed to guerilla’s, terrorists have no face … their main objective is to achieve chaos in society thru terror.

- Guerillas seek control of power.

- Terrorists seek destabilization of current power … not necessarily control of power.

- All foreign conflicts the US has embarked in the past have been of political/ideological nature.

- Al-Qaeda is the first terrorist conflict the US faces directly.

- Military force is the determinant force to combat and defeat guerillas.

- 1917, during WWI, the Balfour Declaration (Balfour- British Foreign Minister) initiates the Zionist dream of establishing “a home for the Jewish people in Palestine, secured by public lawâ€.

- 1937, two years before WWII, Britain suggests the division of Palestine into 2 states. In 1948, three years after WWII, the State of Israel is formed. Arab nations don’t recognize then the State of Israel. In 1948, the Palestine population is 31% Jew, 69 % Arab.

- 1954-1958, Algeria causes the French 4th Republic collapse, and the start of the 5th Republic. Algerians use terrorism as their means to achieve their objective. France realizes there is no need for more deaths and chaos in their society. This happens only a decade after WWII. Algerians get what they were looking for, freedom … no more occupation of their lands … no more political and cultural impositions. Result: Algerian Independence in 1958. Start of French 5th Republic, policy away from colonialism and “westernization†of Africa.

- 1980's, Bin Laden fights the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. US & Saudi money is used to finance Bin Laden's operations. Soviet's Glasnost allows discussion and criticism of past, analysis and anger of present, including the thousands of Soviet deaths in Afghanistan. Human and financial cost of Afghan war becomes one of main reasons for the Soviet Union to fragment. The fall of an empire.

- 1980's, Palestinians start using suicide attacks against Israel.

- 1989, Al-Qaeda (which means "the base") is formed by Bin Laden in Afghanistan.

- 1990, Saudi Arabia authorizes the US to use its grounds for base to fight Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

- 1991, Bin Laden declares war on US and hostility to Saudi governement. Bin Laden denounces American presence in Arab land.

- Spetember 2001, the US is not prepared domestically to stop terrorism. Since then, positive steps are taken, and awareness at all levels of society are introduced … from government to media to population.

- 2001-present, international legitimacy in the Arab world is obtained when a coalition of countries attack the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

- March 20, 2003, we go to Iraq without some key historic allies, without the conscent of the UN. The war in Iraq brings US image in the Arab world to a historic low.

- 2004, Arab terrorists from different nations converge in Iraq to fight against what they call "the occupation of Iraq". US casualties in Iraq rise.

I believe the above are critical moments to consider when analyzing the War on Terror. Obviously, those are not the only ones. But in an attempt to understand why, and how best to proceed, all this elements are “krucial†(sorry Koky ).