The War Against Terrorism Has Begun
Sunday, October 7, 2001 by Larry Kuperman | Discussion: WinCustomize News
By 3 PM, the Pentagon reported that 50 Tomahawk missiles had been fired, joined by 40 bomber and fighter aircraft that targeted sites around several Afghan cities. The targets were essentially strategic sites, chosen to cripple the Taliban's airpower.
Many US allies, including Israel, defended the United States actions. British Prime Minister Tony Blair told his nation that the Taliban had been “given the choice of siding with justice or siding with terror, and they chose to side with terror.”
The Taliban called the US action a "terrorist" act. My personal opinion is that, due to language differences, the Taliban may not be clear on the meaning of terrorism. Terrorism is usually defined as attacking non-combatants without warning and is different than striking military targets after weeks of warning. They may, however, learn.
Many US allies, including Israel, defended the United States actions. British Prime Minister Tony Blair told his nation that the Taliban had been “given the choice of siding with justice or siding with terror, and they chose to side with terror.”
The Taliban called the US action a "terrorist" act. My personal opinion is that, due to language differences, the Taliban may not be clear on the meaning of terrorism. Terrorism is usually defined as attacking non-combatants without warning and is different than striking military targets after weeks of warning. They may, however, learn.
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Fix
Reply #22 Wednesday, October 10, 2001 4:59 PM
Reply #22 Wednesday, October 10, 2001 4:59 PM
I personnally didn't say that I disagreed with US policy : I just say the contrary, that is to say that we hadn't let the US policy do his job in good conditions. I just hope I wasn't included in the "THOSE who disagree with US policy" 
craeonics
Reply #23 Wednesday, October 10, 2001 8:23 PM
Reply #23 Wednesday, October 10, 2001 8:23 PM
Military force is effective against a distiguishable target. Eliminate that target and the problem is solved. Unfortunately, this is not a one on one situation. Eliminate the target and you give rise to other threats all across the globe who see this elimination as a threat to themselves. This means you'll keep fighting and fighting and it will never really stop. It will just knock out the current threat for now.
paxx
Reply #24 Wednesday, October 10, 2001 8:36 PM
Reply #24 Wednesday, October 10, 2001 8:36 PM
Kill Ben Ladden in action and he will be even more dangerous dead than he was alive. He will be raised to the staus of hero of war.
Bring him to justice, show him in the face of the World with cuffs at the wrists and ankles, lock him up in a cell on death row for a few years. Show the World the criminal he really is, not a great courageous general. Because, right now, a lot of people are seeing him as a David who has the courage to oppose the Goliath that the US are.
Let's not make him a hero, but this war might just do that...
Bring him to justice, show him in the face of the World with cuffs at the wrists and ankles, lock him up in a cell on death row for a few years. Show the World the criminal he really is, not a great courageous general. Because, right now, a lot of people are seeing him as a David who has the courage to oppose the Goliath that the US are.
Let's not make him a hero, but this war might just do that...
Frogboy
Reply #25 Wednesday, October 10, 2001 9:03 PM
Reply #25 Wednesday, October 10, 2001 9:03 PM
There are lots of people who hate in the world. But you can take away their means to carry out their hate.
paxx
Reply #26 Wednesday, October 10, 2001 10:32 PM
Reply #26 Wednesday, October 10, 2001 10:32 PM
But you can't take away their means, that's the problem... There are just too many way they can be carried.
Tarkus
Reply #27 Thursday, October 11, 2001 12:53 PM
Reply #27 Thursday, October 11, 2001 12:53 PM
So what's your suggestion, paxx? Just throw our hands in the air and not do anything at all?
paxx
Reply #28 Thursday, October 11, 2001 1:17 PM
Reply #28 Thursday, October 11, 2001 1:17 PM
No, I didn't say that.
I think there two issues here and they they get thrown into the same basket.
First, the Ben Ladden case and his accomplisses. I think that they should be arrested and trialed as criminals. I explained that issue in my above posts.
Second, the Taliban case. They quite obviously are an ennemy to their own people and deserve to be taken down. But that is such a delicate matter that I don't know what the solution is, really. There are a lot of other countries with leaders who deserve just as much to be overthrown.
As far as terrorism in general is concerned, it will unfortunately always be a threat. The only defense against it is strong intelligence services. And to try not to get too many people to hate you and choose you as a target. Tat's why I said the second issue above was a delicate one, and that is alos why I think Ben Ladden should be shown as the criminal that he is, not as a war hero and martyr. Oh, and if he is tried, it is imperative that the trial be held in another country hat the US, perhaps in Afganistan once the Taliban have been dealt with...
I think there two issues here and they they get thrown into the same basket.
First, the Ben Ladden case and his accomplisses. I think that they should be arrested and trialed as criminals. I explained that issue in my above posts.
Second, the Taliban case. They quite obviously are an ennemy to their own people and deserve to be taken down. But that is such a delicate matter that I don't know what the solution is, really. There are a lot of other countries with leaders who deserve just as much to be overthrown.
As far as terrorism in general is concerned, it will unfortunately always be a threat. The only defense against it is strong intelligence services. And to try not to get too many people to hate you and choose you as a target. Tat's why I said the second issue above was a delicate one, and that is alos why I think Ben Ladden should be shown as the criminal that he is, not as a war hero and martyr. Oh, and if he is tried, it is imperative that the trial be held in another country hat the US, perhaps in Afganistan once the Taliban have been dealt with...
hpjet
Reply #29 Thursday, October 11, 2001 4:10 PM
Reply #29 Thursday, October 11, 2001 4:10 PM
Personally, the whole world was just waiting for the French to be outraged (we all knew they would be eventually). There's a lot of symbolic posturing in France--it's too bad it's not backed up with rockets. The only reason France and its citizens maintain their typical air of outrage about American retaliation is that they are not picking their cheese-eating-surrender-monkey asses out of the rubble of the Eiffel Tower. If that had been hit, they would be dropping their wine and cheese quickly enough and asking for help (which they usually get from other countries, like the US, but don't deserve). France should just shut the f*ck up, sit back, and leave the fighting to the people who know how to kick ass.
hpjet
Reply #32 Friday, October 12, 2001 9:10 AM
Reply #32 Friday, October 12, 2001 9:10 AM
Thanks, paxx and Fix. Although, judging by your previous posts loaded with useless rhetoric and simplistic plans that would only work in a fairy tale, impressing the two of you doesn't take much. But still, I'm grateful that you were impressed by my grasp of reality.
paxx
Reply #33 Friday, October 12, 2001 9:38 AM
Reply #33 Friday, October 12, 2001 9:38 AM
Oh, but reverting to stereotypes about the French people isn't simplistic? Your obvious racism towards French people is appalling. Unfortunately, it's comments like yours who give the Americans a bad name. I am glad I know that your kind represent only a small minority and that the Americans are actually a very good people.
Fishbone
Reply #34 Saturday, October 13, 2001 9:43 PM
Reply #34 Saturday, October 13, 2001 9:43 PM
Interesting comments may I say.All you dear people,with your contradicting points of view are a true example of the glory of Democracy.But some people on this planet can't afford this luxury.They can't express what they believe.They cant afford health care,education or even a slice of bread.We talk about evil and good,black and white,justice and punishment,but in the end it all makes perfect sense,expressed in dollars and cents,pounds,shillings and pense.Mankind really does have a way in creating ideologies and theories about things,but the essence always seems to escape from us.It is power,prestige,oil,gold versus poverty,starvation,death.And guess who wins all the time.
It is not about who sends more troops,more bombs or whatever.After thousands of years of evolution humans should be able to solve their problems in a different way.It is obvious that something went wrong allong our way.We are geneticaly closer to pigs.But pigs dont make war.That makes us even lower.
It is not about who sends more troops,more bombs or whatever.After thousands of years of evolution humans should be able to solve their problems in a different way.It is obvious that something went wrong allong our way.We are geneticaly closer to pigs.But pigs dont make war.That makes us even lower.
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Reply #21 Wednesday, October 10, 2001 4:12 PM
And I don't think I need to be shot at in order to have an opinion on the matter. Our military, btw, is a volunteer force. If a person comes in and kills my family, I think it okay for me to demand that the policy do what is necessary to bring the murders and their associates to justice without me having ever been a police officer.
If someone has a better solution than what the US is pursuing, then go ahead, present it. But there better be good reason to think it will be effective.
History has shown that military force IS effective. Give us an alternative.