Marvin Radding wrote:
At the time, Iraq seemed more dangerous than Iran. Now that the Iraq
threat has been dealt, Iran is definitely looking like it needs to be
dealt with. Who's watch will that be on?
This is definitely a major point in the Middle East problem we're in.
After Iraq, Iran? Then Syria? How long before Pakistan? Libya?
The problem in Iraq is now far worse than it was. We have _no_ way out
short of simply pulling out... at which point it'll collapse into
internal warfare just as it's been for I don't know how long. And
expanding the war into other countries would be a horrible mistake.
We're right on the verge of actual religious war. If we get caught into
a real religious war, we'll lose. They outnumber us and they're far more
motivated. They're far more willing to die. They're far more willing to
kill. We can conquer each individual country, sure. But then?
We can't even find bin Laden and we've had Afghanistan for... hmmm...
coming up on three years now. And this is a guy who may be ill enough to
require dialysis. Nor do we have the slightest reason to think other
more disastrous attacks than the WTC can't happen at any moment.
Further, we're giving even more reason for such attacks.
The "terrorists" we're encountering in Iraq now have little relationship
to 'Al Queda'. They may have been recruited and started along
organizational paths by Al Queda, but that's no longer important. What's
important is that it is becoming a self-sustaining and determined
resistance.
As long as we keep ourselves in the stance of being foreign (infidel)
invaders and maintain an occupation military force, we will be targets
from simple acts of freedom from foreign domination. Al Queda might
indeed be damaged beyond repair, but it was done stupidly and
short-sightedly. It was done purely for vengeance with no workable plan
for what would come after -- which was blatantly obvious to perhaps all
of us. It was done out of ego -- "We stomp them and bring them to
justice." But it hasn't worked and has gone on too long to ever work now
unless we kill essentially all of them, at least all of them with belief
in their faith.
Bin Laden might've been "The" leader back then. I suspect there are now
more than just one and they're working independently. I suspect now the
others would benefit greatly from his martyrdom.
What I fear is that they'll eventually figure out the right way to
launch their attacks.
Tom Liotta
