Who & where is next on the US agenda?

[qjakal]

The end is in sight for the Afghanistan terrorist regime....where will we turn our attention next? Phillipines? Somalia or Libya? Perhaps the time is ripe to finish the repressive Iraq regime while we're geared up? Is it Palestine that will be the next region to be visited? Opinions and comments...

BTW, the Russians paid tribute to our military in a communique the other day. The campaign was waged from 7000 miles away, and yet our lines of communication and supply were tight and ready. We accomplished what they hadn't, in a relatively short period with minimal casaulties. Our air power is incredible, and the planning and timing were nearly flawless....strange to hear these types of comments from a former enemy, but still welcome indeed.

Anyone else wondering what happened to the naysayers who predicted a horrific drawn out stalemate, with uprisings and turmoil in all other Islamic countries? Pretty damn quiet all over right now....those bin Laden t-shirts are going for about a nickel each....

May whatever god(s) exist help the world become secure once more, with as little loss of life as possible. Q

 

[Dave2112]

I'm pretty sure G.B. Jr. is gearing up for an Iraq run.

My big concern is the Israel conflict. With the horrific events of the last week, Sharon looks rather.....pissed. However this started, they couldn't have picked a better time. It's awfully hard for Bush to push for calm and peace over there, while we're carpet bombing Afghanistan with laser-guided missles.

I see a disturbing trend that too closely follows passages in not only Revelation, but Daniel as well.

Stay tuned!😎

 

[qjakal]

Different pantheon...

I follow a different pantheon my jedi friend....think of this as Armageddon, but not ours. Setting out to rid the world of evil has a larger than life quality to it as a concept, but I think we (the free world) are up to it if we stay determined. Q

 

[Dave2112]

Oh, I most certainly agree, my good friend. I didn't mean to start a religion debate, and I hope I haven't. I just believe in the prophecies of "controlling Israel in the End Times."

But religion aside, I do believe that ridding the world of terror is a top priority. We've been complacent far too long. Even the Jedi believe in "proactive defense" from time to time.😎

 

[qjakal]

Israel....shalom...

They have been patient...beyond belief at times. How long would we tolerate Canada or Mexico stating we have no "right" to exist, and acting towards that goal on a daily basis? It's going to be getting bad there for awhile, but perhaps this is how it has to be...nothing changes without forceful lethal action it seems. Damn shame, because the people(s) in that region have more in common than most with each other. Another instance of religous rigidity leading to horrific endings.... Q

 

[venray]

I fear they will be patient no more and we will have to back them.
We've no choice in THAT. What will follow when we do ? Who knows.

Hopefully those who practice terror will realize that the free world
will no longer tolerate the dearhs of innocent citizens ANYWHERE.

 

[omega]

My own opinion

This will probably get a response of "huh?" But I think we really need to do something about Sierra Leone.

 

[qjakal]

Not huh....but hmmm

This the place?

1 December: "Every day more than 8,000 people die of AIDS. Every hour almost 600 people become infected. Every minute a child dies of the virus," United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan wrote in describing the global HIV/AIDS epidemic on Saturday, World AIDS Day. New figures contained in a report released by U.N. agencies this week show that more than 40 million people worldwide are now living with the virus. The overwhelming majority of them are in sub-Saharan Africa where, Annan noted, the devastation is so acute that the disease is now considered to be one of the main obstacles to the continent's development. At least five countries in West Africa, including Nigeria, are now suffering severe epidemics, with adult HIV infections exceeding the five percent mark. While the report noted that countries across the region were upgrading and expanding their responses to the crisis, it warned that the high prevalence of the disease means "that even exceptional success on the prevention front will now only gradually reduce the human toll." The HIV virus is primarily transmitted from person to person through sexual contact. This means that, unlike with previous epidemics, AIDS impacts disproportionately upon those in the prime of their lives — men and women between the ages of 15 and 49. In Sierra Leone, according to figures now nearly two years old, an estimated 68,000 persons were living with the disease in 1999, including 3,300 children. 8,200 Sierra Leoneans are estimated to have died from AIDS in that year and over 36,000 Sierra Leonean children under had lost at least one parent from the disease. And while the report contained no updated figures, there is at least anecdotal evidence that the situation in Sierra Leone has continued to worsen. -- End Quote

They also have a lot of armed rebels running around with fairly modern weapons...they say they want to be a political party, but they won't put down the guns until the election turns out the way they think it should... Q

 

[Krokus]

I Think....

We Should CRUSH all those who oppose us!!!! ........lol........😀

 

[Strelnikov]

Maybe the elephants will make a comeback. Rhinos, lions, african buffalo too. Hope so, I've always liked them.

Strelnikov

 

[shark]

sierra leone

Tell them to keep it in their pants every so often.Might at least slow it down.

 

[Lynchy]

Yup, apparantly Iraq is America's next target. We know for a fact that Saddam has nuclear capabilities, and so this could well be a case of the trigger happy US ending the world through another war. Thanks guys.

What really makes me mad is that Bush is so obsessed with getting rid of terrorism all over the world, and this is the same idiot who can't stop terrorism in his own country!!!!

 

[omega]

Yea that's the place

Q,
I had forgotten about how bad AIDS was in Sierra Leone. Mostly I was thinking about the rebels running around. So far I hadn't heard about modern weapons. What we have been hearing is that they go around with machetes hacking off hands, feet, ears. And with rifles making villagers kill fellow villagers. Also they try to get control of the diamond mines so that they can get some quick cash selling them to DeBoers. Selling the diamonds that is. Although I suppose they would sell the whole mine if they could.

 

[Kunzite]

Firstly, I share your concern, but we're not attacking Iraq or Israel. They have nuclear capbailities and will use them if necessary. It's just not a viable option. And even though insulting Bush may be very much in fashion these days, he's a competent leader and realizes this.

With respect to the fact that Bush "can't even prevent terrorism in his own country", I agrue that by that logic, leaders like Arafat would be completely incompetent. Also no true.

So let's not be alarmist. When we finish off in Afghanistan, our most likely course of action will be covert intelligence to infiltrate the al-Qaeda. Unless another nation is fool enough to stand up and say "We have bin Laden within our borders, will not hand him over, and intend to help him kill Americans unless you kill us all," there will be no more armed conflicts in the near future. I think everyone has learned we mean business. Time to get back to isolationism and complaining about our economy.

 

[shark]

Two topics here:
1...Lynchy....Exactly what terrorism in the US are you talking about?
2...As far as isolationism is concerned, I'm all for it.Seems that if we get involved with the rest of the world,they bitch that we are colonialistic.Then if we start pulling back,we are isolationists and the world bitches again.Since we can't win,why bother?

Sorry...3 topics
Hey Lynchy...if we were so trigger happy,exactly why haven't we nuked a couple of these Arab states already?The threat of retaliation...hardly.The Arabs will do as they please anyway,and neither the Russians or Chinese want a nuclear war anymore than anyone else.Personally,I would put uot a warning that any state that supports our enemies invites attacks of anything up to and including nuclear,and any one having diplomatic relations with them should consider this when trouble starts brewing.

 

[Strelnikov]

Shark, I agree with the sentiment if not the details of what you propose. For years, we turned the other cheek (starting with the Hezbollah truck bomb attack on the Marines in Lebanon, 1983) to avoid "creating a new cycle of violence." We got more of the same, finally the WTC attack, because the Arabs confused restraint with weakness. Now we've kicked ass in Afghanistan. Potential enemies have reason to fear us, and that's far more effective at deterring attacks than respect or love.

My guess at what the near future will bring?

1) Military assistance to Yemen, with the understanding that they clean house or we will do it for them.

2) Raids on Somalia (which doesen't have a government to threaten) to destroy al-Quaeda camps and as payback for Mogadishu 1993. Maybe help the Ethiopians to do it for us, it won't take much encouragement.

3) Military assistance to the Philippines, Algeria and Colombia - best thing about the last is that the terrs are non-Muslim and thus obviously not a "crusader" effort.

4) Lean on the Syrians to crack down on Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad in their Lebanon colony, or else. Make threatening moves (us or our Turkish allies) to drive the point home.

5) Have a come-to-Jesus meeting with the Saudis - explain to them that some of their fellow citizens want to stand the Saud family against a wall and shoot them all, and those folks will be happy to sell us oil because that's all they have.

6) Subvert the Islamic Republic of Iran by providing aid to the democratic opposition forces - including arms if necessary - which it probably will be.

7) Prepare for an invasion of Iraq sometime in the next few years. Do so ideally with indigenous allies but by ourselves if necessary. The occupation afterward would pay for itself in oil revenues. There's precedent - Japanese and German taxpayers supported the Armies of Occupation in their countries.

Realistically, it probably doesen't matter what we do, or in what order, so long as we don't let up. The enemy respects and fears strength. Ghengis Khan managed with swords and archery. We can do lots better, and we should if only for our own safety.

Strelnikov

 

[qjakal]

Iran...

As we have discussed previously...Iran is basically ready to swing our way anyway. Which of course would turn up the heat on Iraq immensely. Gotta agree with continuing to flex the armed muscle while we have momentum and national agreement.

Guess the superiority of air power is no longer up for debate,hmm? If it moves and it's not ours, kill it. Getting any sort of coherent defense setup is impossible without air support. BTW Strel, I have a friend in Munitions who gave me a funny statistic...we now have more firepower than before the war started. Odd isn't it? The exception being those Daisy Cutter monsters... Q