Martin…these are not “a few lunatics”. A great amount of people in the Arab world SUPPORT terrorism. How can anyone miss this? DO all of them support this? Of course not. Interesting how so many Arab countries support these groups as well. They could not possibly conduct these operations without political and economic support. I suppose you could call Hitler and his henchmen a “few lunatics” if you were determined to do so but they had the support of practically the entire nation. And frankly many “ordinary soldiers” even in the Wehrmacht.
Secondly, “jihad” has been in force since Islam’s inception. This is not something new or in a remote dark corner of a country. This is a staple of Islam since it’s creation by Muhammed as the original conquests from 632-750AD were to spread Islam via the sword and most arab countries (if not all) support this kind of cowardice.
In relation to 9/11 the Arabs plainly observed that if they cannot defeat us (Persian Gulf War) in a stand-up military battle they would result to terroristic-jihad.
Sure would be so much better for everyone if they could live with Israel’s existance and not insist on destroying her.
Interestingly neough in some ways terrorists seem even more determined to cause death and destruction to get what they wish and at any cost more than even Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin did.
The Arabs are more united now than they have been since Genghis Khan’s grandson Hulegu completely destroyed Bagdad; destroying the relegious seat of Islamic power. The Mongol conquests of the 13th century were so vicious and devestating it is said that that area has never been the same to this day. Though it seems the Arab world is bounded together by a common cause now; strengthening their position: to completely destroy Israel and kill anyone standing in their way. The Arab world is even against us invading Iraq and this comming from the same people who pleaded with us to stop his desire for conquest. My how things change quickly.
You mentioned “missing” things. I’d like you and everyone else’s thoughts on something: one of our greatest “friends” in the Middle East appear now to be even greater supporters of terroism than Iran and Iraq…I’m speaking of Saudia Arabia…(Bin Laden and most of the 9/11 hijackers appear to have been Saudi).
Now…I realize that the Saudi’s have an ENOURMOUS balancing act to pull off with the Muslim/Arab world when it comes to the U.S. because of the presence of Mecca and Medina. So…in your opinion…are they a)“passive” supporters? (i.e. simply turn a blind eye and don’t SUPPORT the terrorist (at least in direct ways), but just don’t stop their activities either 2) Are as active a supporter as Iran and Iraq or 3) All of the above, while they sit on their oil drenched fences, in the middle of an air-conditioned oasis, drinking “Pepsi” while they praise Allah? (Needless to say, I have a cynicism about the Saudis…)
Hey all, I’m in the Navy and I was out in the middle of the ocean when Sep 11 came around and I saw the Trade Center go down live on CNN. Seeing something like that made me feel sick to my stomach. The fact that I have to worry about my family being in more danger than I is asinine. I’m the one serving my country not them. I’m going to have to agree with killing the bastards. Not so much genocide. It’s impossible to eliminate terrorism, but we can make it costly to the SOBs. Why is it that other countries were able to do it like the soviets did back in 85, and we have to set the example of what not to do and suffer from it, F*** that!!! They deserve to die!
Considering the somewhat subdued reaction to 9/11 by the US it makes me think back to World War II. I have a feeling that citizens who lived through Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 would feel about today’s America. And to think that this time it was not an island far off the coast that recieved a vicious attack but actually in the heart of NY City; in a seat of US economic power. At Pearl Harbor we made Japan pay very dearly for the sneak attack on a military base and Japan has never dared to challange us (or anyone come to think of it) again. General Douglas MacArthur changed the Japanese system into one of democracy and even causing the country to flourish economically afterwards.
Now, almost 60 years after Pearl Harbor, here we are trying to negotiate with terror supporting countries. If this were 1941 again I can almost gaurantee that George Patton, Omar Bradley and the brave men and women of the US armed forces would be over there at this moment actually destroying terrorism.
How can one negotiate with someone who is perfectly willing to splatter his own guts all over an area in an attempt to kill men, women, and even little children simply due to an intense hatred of Israel? Did we not retaliate and destory the forces of Japan and also Germany to defend ourselves? Should we now instead insist on using the military to patrol our free streets and live under military rule instead of destroying the evil that insists on American blood? What must it take to make us realize that pascifism (or at even negotiation) is unrealistic? Europe attempted this by appeasing Hitler and soon after World War II began. Ultimately killing a grand total of over 61 million people.
In an errie parallel of anti-semetic hatred Adolph Hitler blamed the Jews for starting WWII, spreading communism, and trying to undermine and destroy Germany; thus giving him the ‘excuse’ to attack and destory all Jewish blood in Europe. Now the Arabs accuse Israel of “holocaust-like massacres”. It simply does not get any lower than this. Add to this the largest explosion of anti-semetic behavior in Europe since WWII (Didn’t Europe learn the last time they acted like this?).
Cloakmaner, there is more than one side to this conflict. I can give you fifty reasons why your comparisons are wrong, but I’m not going to bother. I will say this: We have a right to defends ourselves. But so do they. Step outside the box and think about it.
I have thought about it. For a long time. If you refer to defense through terror I cannot agree with that. Incidently there was not even this problem until the Arab nations around Israel declared war in 1967; invading and interestingly enough causing the “occupation” to begin. Third Israel is not attacking for any reason other than retaliation for terrorstic attacks upon herself (if one expects ISrael to simply “take it” and do nothing that makes it even easier for the bombings to continue. But we all know thats what the PLO wants). As “defense” is not what the PLO are up to; but the complete destruction of Israel.
Suicide bombings are not my idea of “defense”.
Lastly I personally thought those comparisons were pretty accurate myself.
In answer to Mufasa’s original post, no I don’t think can stop the terror. Why? Because being civilised nations we will not do what we have to do to achieve this. And if we did, half of our own people would turn against us for being inhumane. What a lot of people don’t realise is that it has come to an ‘us or them’ scenario. They won’t stop until Israel and the US are destroyed, so peace and diplomacy are NOT an option.
And, to use some logic borrowed from Random Weights, any one who says otherwise is ANTISEMETIC! Nah, just kidding.