[Vision2020] The Saga Begins to Unfold
Tom Hansen
thansen@moscow.com
Wed, 7 Apr 2004 12:27:18 -0700
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<sarcasm> One thing that King George has accomplished that a thousand years
has never seen in the Mideast. He has managed to unite the Suunis and the
Shiites in a common cause.</sarcasm>
Unfortunately this accomplishment has cost, and may continue to cost,
American lives. You can candy-coat reasons for us to remain there all you
want as long as you keep loading the truck with body bags.
Take care,
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime." --Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.
-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On
Behalf Of Joan Opyr
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2004 11:47 AM
To: Vision2020 Moscow
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] The Saga Begins to Unfold
Tom writes:
>-- AP: Witnesses say U.S. helicopter fire hits mosque in Fallujah, Iraq.
>Fatalities reported.
>I realize that the mosque may have been a "safe haven" for Shiite
>revolutionaries. But, I believe that bombing a religious building will
only
>serve to fuel their fire.
>I heard on this morning's news (NBC's Today Show) that more and more
Shiites
>are banding together with more and more Suunis to fight against the US.
>Couple this with funding by Al Queda (this just started recently).
What is the strategic purpose of terrorism? To provoke dramatic and
indiscriminate reprisals. The larger Shiite population, and the bulk of
Sunnis as well, are not affiliated with any terrorist or guerrilla group,
just like you and I are not affiliated with the Montana Freemen. By blowing
up mosques and inadvertantly whacking civilians, even though we're not
directly targeting non-combatants, we do just what the terrorists want us to
do. We make ourselves look large, clumsy, careless and dangerous, and we
drive ordinary people into the arms of radicals.
Yes, the mosque was a "safe haven" for some very bad people, but why do we
think they chose to hide out there rather than at the local falafel stand?
Because it would look bad when we blew it up. Conventional warfare is about
attrition; men fight and die on both sides until one force is considerably
weaker than the other. Then, the weaker force is either wiped out
completely or it negotiates a surrender. Terrorists are already weaker than
their opponent. They know this, and so what they try to do is turn their
enemy's strength against him. We're not fighting a conventional war in
Iraq; we're fighting terrorists and guerrillas. If we insist on using
conventional tactics, then even when we win, we lose.
Wait . . . my psychic powers have allowed me to anticipate Pat Kraut's
question: do you think we should just sit back and do nothing?! The answer,
Pat, is no. We shouldn't sit back and do nothing, though nothing would be
preferable to doing exactly what Osama bin Laden and al Sadr hoped we would.
The war against terror is about shutting off Al Qaeda's funding, closing
their safe havens, and stemming the flow of new recruits. The war in Iraq
is about winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people and about offering
them a viable and constructive alternative to joining the guerrillas. The
former is primarily police work which, Law & Order aside, is not glamorous;
the latter is about a long campaign of building trust, creating safety, and
generating jobs, also not glamorous.
Though idiots like Kathleen Parker have suggested nuking the Sunni
Triangle, the truth is that there is no quick fix. We cannot bomb the Arab
world into democracy -- certainly not while maintaining a steady oil supply.
Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
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<DIV><SPAN class=3D973521919-07042004><FONT =
face=3Dverdana><sarcasm> One thing=20
that King George has accomplished that a thousand years has never seen =
in the=20
Mideast. He has managed to unite the Suunis and the Shiites in a =
common=20
cause.</sarcasm></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D973521919-07042004><FONT=20
face=3Dverdana></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D973521919-07042004><FONT face=3Dverdana>Unfortunately =
this=20
accomplishment has cost, and may continue to cost, American lives. =
You can=20
candy-coat reasons for us to remain there all you want as long as you =
keep=20
loading the truck with body bags.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D973521919-07042004></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D973521919-07042004><FONT face=3Dverdana>Take=20
care,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D973521919-07042004></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D973521919-07042004><FONT face=3Dverdana>Tom=20
Hansen</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D973521919-07042004>Moscow, Idaho</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D973521919-07042004></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D973521919-07042004>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: =
12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; =
mso-bidi-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">"Patriotism=20
is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil and =
steady=20
dedication of a lifetime." --Adlai E. Stevenson,=20
Jr.</SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px =
solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT=20
face=3DTahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>=20
vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]<B>On =
Behalf=20
Of </B>Joan Opyr<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, April 07, 2004 11:47=20
AM<BR><B>To:</B> Vision2020 Moscow<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] =
The=20
Saga Begins to Unfold<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>Tom writes:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>>-- AP: Witnesses say U.S. helicopter fire hits mosque in =
Fallujah,=20
Iraq.<BR>>Fatalities reported.<BR><BR>>I realize that the mosque =
may=20
have been a "safe haven" for Shiite<BR>>revolutionaries. But, =
I=20
believe that bombing a religious building will only<BR>>serve to =
fuel their=20
fire.<BR><BR>>I heard on this morning's news (NBC's Today Show) =
that more=20
and more Shiites<BR>>are banding together with more and more Suunis =
to=20
fight against the US.<BR>>Couple this with funding by Al Queda =
(this just=20
started recently).<BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV>What is the strategic purpose of terrorism? To =
provoke=20
dramatic and indiscriminate reprisals. The larger Shiite=20
population, and the bulk of Sunnis as well, are not affiliated =
with any=20
terrorist or guerrilla group, just like you and I are not affiliated =
with the=20
Montana Freemen. By blowing up mosques and inadvertantly =
whacking=20
civilians, even though we're not directly targeting =
non-combatants, we do=20
just what the terrorists want us to do. We make ourselves look =
large,=20
clumsy, careless and dangerous, and we drive ordinary people into the =
arms of=20
radicals. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Yes, the mosque was a "safe haven" for some very bad people, =
but why=20
do we think they chose to hide out there rather than at the =
local=20
falafel stand? Because it would look bad when we blew it =
up. =20
Conventional warfare is about attrition; men fight and die on both =
sides until=20
one force is considerably weaker than the other. Then, the=20
weaker force is either wiped out completely or it negotiates a=20
surrender. Terrorists are already weaker than their =
opponent. They=20
know this, and so what they try to do is turn their enemy's strength =
against=20
him. We're not fighting a conventional war in Iraq; we're =
fighting=20
terrorists and guerrillas. If we insist on using conventional =
tactics,=20
then even when we win, we lose.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Wait . . . my psychic powers have allowed me to anticipate =
Pat=20
Kraut's question: do you think we should just sit back and do =
nothing?! =20
The answer, Pat, is no. We shouldn't sit back and do nothing, =
though=20
nothing would be preferable to doing exactly what Osama bin Laden and =
al Sadr=20
hoped we would. The war against terror is about shutting =
off Al=20
Qaeda's funding, closing their safe havens, and stemming the flow of =
new=20
recruits. The war in Iraq is about winning the hearts and minds =
of the=20
Iraqi people and about offering them a viable and constructive =
alternative to=20
joining the guerrillas. The former is primarily police work =
which,=20
Law & Order aside, is not glamorous; the latter is about a =
long=20
campaign of building trust, creating safety, and generating jobs, also =
not=20
glamorous. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Though idiots like Kathleen Parker have suggested nuking the =
Sunni=20
Triangle, the truth is that there is no quick fix. We cannot =
bomb the=20
Arab world into democracy -- certainly not while maintaining a steady =
oil=20
supply. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment </DIV><BR=20
clear=3Dall>
<HR>
Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : <A=20
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