Comments on: AQ’s Leadership Struggle

By: j house

j house — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:58:47 +0000

Someone will post, ‘but this is 5GW and perception matters..the media and politicians say we’re at a stalemate or are losing, so perception is reality..this will reduce our poliical will at home and thus, our effectiveness in prosecuting the GWOT’.
We will just have to see if that is true.
This isn’t a popularity contest and the US will always see world opinion go against it and its interests (until we’re ‘victims’ of another attack again, and then only for a brief period..does anyone believe those that thought we deserved it the first time won’t think any differently next time, even if we hadn’t invaded Afghanistan and Iraq?)
The US should care little whether we are liked or not, although we should try to influence world media to promote the U.S. positively.The brunt of the focus should rightly be on those who want to take up arms against the US and do it harm.
US policy in the ME will always cause conflict, as long as we side with Israel and reside in the neighborhood to protect world oil supplies.
Invading ME nations to change regimes won’t help win any friends either.
This isn’t about making friends, though..it is about finding, fixing and destroying those who are CAPABLE of doing us harm.
These opinion polls and the ‘feelngs’ of other nations re the U.S. doesn’t matter a wit, and if they want to pick up a gun because they hate so much, no appeasement or peacemaking is going to change their minds.

By: j house

j house — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:23:26 +0000

Someone is going to say, ‘Do you know how many soldiers we have lost in Iraq due to jihadists?‘
I’d ask them a question…would it rather be thousands of defenseless civilians killed while going about their day working in their offices, or is it preferable that we risk the lives of our trained and equipped volunteer military to do the job (that no one else wants to do)?
Remember, we lost more CIVILIANS in 90 minutes on 9/11 than near the total sum of US military killed in the GWOT in the past FIVE years.
And we’re at a stalemate?
Yep, I’d argue that we haven’t done enough to prosecute the GWOT, but that is a political, not a military decision.
Imagine if it were 1943 and AQ had done a 9/11.
We would have poured hundreds of thousands of troops into Pakistan by now and Osama’s head (and many of his compadres)would already be on a stick.
Now, someone will say, ‘But killing Osama won’t end it’. Yes, but it is a start…

By: j house

j house — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:09:57 +0000

“It