No Military Solution to Al Qaeda
It is becoming increasingly clear that there is no military solution -- wars -- to the threats of Al Qaeda. The most recent security airplane threat was carried out by a guy apparently supplied with his bomb equipment by one of the
frail national units that are virtually ungoverned and natural Al Qaeda bases. We do not have the financial or military resources to enter and control each of these and the Afghan situation looks to be yet another military failure in the making.
What we are engaged in is a war of ideas or ideologies -- particularly that of Al Qaeda and others along similar lines who can encourage horrendously murderous acts by previously normal individuals such as Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.
The U.S. is the heir of the evils of colonialism -- indeed, it is guilty of some of them itself. Iran is a major threat to us now. It was working its way towards democracy under Mohammad Mosaddegh until our CIA and British oil interests drove him out of office and brought back the cruel and hated Shah in 1953. Needless to say all Iranians are aware of this event even if most Americans are not:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Mosaddegh
There will be no easy answer to the Al Qaeda cult mentality.
Such suicidal groups have been around for some time and use their religions to commit violence and even suicide. We have had several American ones in recent decades.
I fear that we shall have to live with Al Qaeda for some time. No way we can simply kill it off. It seems to thrive in response to our attacks. Hopefully sane Muslims -- the vast majority -- will reject this mentality which is presently murdering more fellow Muslims than any others. They are the ones with whom we must join forces -- not such as Hamid Karzai who looks to be a crook now being rejected by his own parliament.
I wonder whether Obama and our pols are up to this challenge? Certainly we are a nation in many ways divided against itself.
And so we shall see what this next year brings.
*********************************
Yemen's Chaos Aids the Evolution of a Qaeda Cell
By STEVEN ERLANGER
While the government has been distracted by rebellions, Al Qaeda has built support in poor and lawless territories.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/world/middleeast/03yemen.html?th&emc=th
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent [blind copies]
frail national units that are virtually ungoverned and natural Al Qaeda bases. We do not have the financial or military resources to enter and control each of these and the Afghan situation looks to be yet another military failure in the making.
What we are engaged in is a war of ideas or ideologies -- particularly that of Al Qaeda and others along similar lines who can encourage horrendously murderous acts by previously normal individuals such as Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.
The U.S. is the heir of the evils of colonialism -- indeed, it is guilty of some of them itself. Iran is a major threat to us now. It was working its way towards democracy under Mohammad Mosaddegh until our CIA and British oil interests drove him out of office and brought back the cruel and hated Shah in 1953. Needless to say all Iranians are aware of this event even if most Americans are not:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Mosaddegh
There will be no easy answer to the Al Qaeda cult mentality.
Such suicidal groups have been around for some time and use their religions to commit violence and even suicide. We have had several American ones in recent decades.
I fear that we shall have to live with Al Qaeda for some time. No way we can simply kill it off. It seems to thrive in response to our attacks. Hopefully sane Muslims -- the vast majority -- will reject this mentality which is presently murdering more fellow Muslims than any others. They are the ones with whom we must join forces -- not such as Hamid Karzai who looks to be a crook now being rejected by his own parliament.
I wonder whether Obama and our pols are up to this challenge? Certainly we are a nation in many ways divided against itself.
And so we shall see what this next year brings.
*********************************
Yemen's Chaos Aids the Evolution of a Qaeda Cell
By STEVEN ERLANGER
While the government has been distracted by rebellions, Al Qaeda has built support in poor and lawless territories.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/world/middleeast/03yemen.html?th&emc=th
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent [blind copies]
posted by Ed Kent at 7:48 AM
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