<p>I just thought I bring up the topic.</p>
<p>No, I think Al Qaeda and the other terrorists are throwing everything they've got at both Iraq and now Europe, which is why everything is chaotic at times. A lot of counter-terrorism experts think that this is "the battle of gettysburg of the war on terror." But I think we will begin to lose the war if we keep losing support on the home front. We are only forfilling one of the terrorists' goals and giving them more motivation if we fight amongst ourselves. Remember how long it took to rebuild and stabilize Germany and Japan? Yet look where they are now. They are world powers again after being completely destroyed.</p>
<p>Although it is reasonable to have hope right now, we must continue to eliminate enemy cells and build Iraqi-based infrastructure. Once Iraq has a self-sufficient, stable, democratic government with a suitable police force, we can declare victory. We are taking the required steps, but they are lengthy, heavy, and sporadic. If we continue as is, it should turn out ok, but at any time something unexpected could happen to turn the tides. As atomicfusion pointed out, if the war loses support in America, all efforts will collapse, and be wasted.</p>
<p>Well it certainly isn't "Mission Accomplished!" as one bright, articulate man onboard an aircraft carrier once said.</p>
<p>LOL wraider2006!!!</p>
<p>Unless we gradually reverse our damaged public opinion in the Middle East soon, terrorist attacks will be an inevitable reality for many years to come. This is going to be like Vietnam times 10,000 otherwise!!!!</p>
<p>man<em>on</em>fire, you are just the kind of person that I'm sure the terrorists are thankful for. The terrorists don't care about politics, don't you get it? They don't care about us infringing on their homeland. True muslims may, but not the radicals. They just twist it and use it as an excuse, but they don't really care. A hatred of freedom is to blame for terrorism, not freedom itself. If the terrorists cared about their own land and people, would they be murdering their own people and destroying land in Iraq and Egypt and Saudi Arabia?</p>
<p>atomicfusion, don't you realize that terrorism needs public support??? If the U.S. revamps their sorrupt foreign policy in the Middle East, then the Muslim people themmselves in the Middle East, will rise up and destroy radical Islam. Even now, terrorist groups get funding from rebel nations and private organizations. But once, the Arabs in the Middle East see there is no reason to hate the U.S. and Israel, terrorism will implode all by itself. With an erosion of alimony from the Islamic people and their respective governments and organizations, terrorism will fade away due to lack of interest to join by young Muslims, resources, funding, etc.</p>
<p>yeah see I never even considered it a "war" persay, considering there is no "army" fighting back</p>
<p>It is a fight for power. An industry of fear generated by the terrorists, they respond so they may be in command -- command of the media, command of the local citizenry -- an invocation of fear that attempts to deter the rule of those who are truly in place: the Iraqi Government. They thrive on attention, and without it, they could easily be vanquished.</p>
<p>That's not to say to turn a blind eye, however. We need moral victories, if anything, to deter the terrorists. We have superior firepower in Iraq, but that won't win this war. To win the hearts and the trust of the Iraqi people placed in their own elected government, and succeeding beyond the initial fear of terror -- that will upset them. </p>
<p>If they succeed in completing their invocation of fear, then they will come to rule Iraq if it shatters into anarchy.</p>
<p>by US in Saudi Arabia and Iran and Syria which sooooo far has not really happened. If SA has a civil war.....we'll be there....to hold their hand.</p>
<p>The way to change the minds of the non-radical arabs is to set up a working democracy in Iraq. Freedom is starting to catch on. It is absolutely essential that we create a free Iraq at whatever costs. We shouldn't be trying to ignore the middle east and asking for forgiveness for crimes we haven't committed and hope they stop hating us, we should be doing what we are doing and setting up a stable government that will serve as an example to all of them that, yes, they can be free and don't have to put up with authoritarians and terrorists.</p>
<p>Amen Tlaktan and atomicfusion.</p>
<p>Actually atomicfusion, the way to improve US image in the Middle East is for the US to stop interfering in Middle Eastern affairs in the corrupt and unethical ways that they have for the last 50 years. </p>
<p>And I am not sure how you figure that democracy is catching on in Iraq? Every day, dozens of Iraqis get killed and this trend is only intensifying. Iraq may bcome a democracy...but it could just as easily collapse into a civil war. </p>
<p>You are incorrect about their motives. Terrorists are not born, they are manufactured. Their purpose is to strike back at those that have wronged them. If you think that those people are driven by some idiological motive fueled by religious differences, you are mistaken. They are driven solely by revenge because they have been reduced to nothing. All their possessions have been stolen and their futures denied by their enemies. They have nothing left to lose and they will stop at nothing.</p>
<p>I absolutely, whole heartedly agree with Alexandre. Those so-called Islamic terrorists aren't killing for the sake of Islam or for jihad. Instead they are killing because their possessions and families have been destroyed. They want revenge and its easier to carry out that revenge under the banner of "Jihad" to avoid enmity from their fellow Muslims.</p>
<p>As long as America stays in Iraq terrorism will increase, though you won't hear that from Bush, Blair, or Fox News. </p>
<p>Imagine that, for example, China comes and invades America becuase they believe things are out of whack. They kill thousands of civilians including your family members and even your home is destroyed. Are you going to stand back and wave the peace banner? You're going to want revenge and you'll do anything to get that revenge.</p>
<p>There is an army fighting back, making it a war, but it is not a centralized army.</p>
<p>I think the war on Iraq was meaningless. No matter WHAT anyone says, the war started based on a misunderstanding in the first place! America hasnt taken a big step against terrorism by invading Iraq. Only AFTER the fact that Iraq had no WMD was when Bush changed the reason behind it again and again ;) Funny how the general public actually falls for all his lies.</p>
<p>You weren't paying attention. Nearly all of the reasons the white house uses to justify the war now were mentioned back then. It was the media that focused on WMD. Yes, the President made some comments relating to it, but it was never the only reason given. Additionally, at the time, there could have been WMD. If the terrorists are crafty enough to form sleeper cells and bomb trains unnoticed, they can drive a truck across the border. There's also an enormous desert, where weapons could be buried or destroyed, likely never to be found. I do agree that there is no conclusive evidence of WMD, but that absolutely does not mean that they were (or are) not there.</p>
<p><a href="http://michaelyon.blogspot.com/%5B/url%5D">http://michaelyon.blogspot.com/</a></p>
<p>Check out that blog for REAL reporting from Iraq, an independent journalist who is ex-spec forces and is currently riding around Iraq with the I-24th Infantry Division. Especially check out the raid on the huuuuuge weapons cache the found in Mosul. I haven't really heard anything about that in Big Media, have you guys? The war may not be over anytime soon, but it's definitely going better than most people think.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You are incorrect about their motives. Terrorists are not born, they are manufactured. Their purpose is to strike back at those that have wronged them. If you think that those people are driven by some idiological motive fueled by religious differences, you are mistaken. They are driven solely by revenge because they have been reduced to nothing. All their possessions have been stolen and their futures denied by their enemies. They have nothing left to lose and they will stop at nothing.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This is what I said:
[quote]
They don't care about us infringing on their homeland. True muslims may, but not the radicals. They just twist it and use it as an excuse, but they don't really care. A hatred of freedom is to blame for terrorism, not freedom itself. If the terrorists cared about their own land and people, would they be murdering their own people and destroying land in Iraq and Egypt and Saudi Arabia?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Thank you for supporting my point, Alexandre. Terrorists don't care about the US intervening or the US being mostly christian, they hate the US because they unjustly blame their personal sufferings on it. I don't see how America has affected personally people from say... Pakistan... to the point where they have justification to murder thousands of people. America has affected policy around the arab world as a whole, but not individual arabs to that extent. They blame America because we are a scapegoat and a scapegoat that they despise because we are free and they are not. </p>
<p>
[quote]
And I am not sure how you figure that democracy is catching on in Iraq? Every day, dozens of Iraqis get killed and this trend is only intensifying. Iraq may bcome a democracy...but it could just as easily collapse into a civil war.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>As you should know, there is always a "last stand" in a war. The losing side always becomes desperate and throws everything they've got in a last ditch effort to intimidate the opposition into giving up. As long as we don't abandon Iraq, it will be fine. There has been so much progress over the last two and a half years there. It has turned from USA fighting pro-saddam loyalists now to USA fighting terrorists plain and simple. And I think it is obvious to both sides that freedom in Iraq would destroy terrorism at it's roots. The terrorists see that Iraq is so close to it and thus are doing everything they can to thwart it. It looks like they also realize why a free Iraq is absolutely essential ;).</p>
<p>
[quote]
Imagine that, for example, China comes and invades America becuase they believe things are out of whack. They kill thousands of civilians including your family members and even your home is destroyed. Are you going to stand back and wave the peace banner? You're going to want revenge and you'll do anything to get that revenge.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The only civilians that America has killed in Iraq has been collateral damage. The terrorists themselves have killed far more people than America. Instead of wanting revenge at America, they should want it at the terrorists. Obviously it is more than just revenge then, isn't it? Why do the terrorists attack Spain? Did Spanish soldiers murder families in the arab world? Did they personally ruin lives? No.. they wanted to cut off of Spain from us. They wanted to turn our own allies against us. They wanted to attack a fellow free nation and enstill fear.</p>
<p>I really think "losing" is only spelled with one O...</p>
<p>:)</p>