If you think the United States of America "cowers", you are the one mistaken.
The position we took in the Gulf, especially since 1998 when the weapons inspectors were chased out, has been perceived as 'cowering'. That's how the Islamists could recruit on the paper tiger theme -- the US only looks strong, it really has no stomach to fight, soft & decadent, etc.
An illegal war will not gain us any respect.
roflmao. Do you seriously believe the Arab world buys quaint European notions like legal or illegal wars? They're just looking with interest to see if such a fine diplomatic trick has any success in delaying or stopping the US. Then, they will gladly try it on with gusto!
Do you suppose when Iraq invaded Iran or Kuwait, or Egypt invaded Yemen, or Syria invaded Lebanon, and of course during all the Arab (attempted) invasions of Israel, that the Arabs once stopped and said, stop, wait, we must make our war "legal" or we'll lose respect? You gain respect by winning wars, that's axiomatic.
Saddam Hussein is one of those who has been proclaiming himself victor over us" Yeah, so
So the Arab world thinks we have no balls. As Ken Pollack quotes in his book, the Saudis ask him in private, why doesn't America just invade Iraq? They can't understand what stopped us -- they know they would done so long ago if they were in our shoes -- so they conclude that we have no guts. That perception is very very dangerous for us, Karen. That perception is a huge recruiting poster for OBL and his ilk.
We're going to jeopardize our country and way of life because Saddam is a megalomaniac?
Our country and way of life have alreday been jeopardized by 9/11. We're going after one of the real root causes -- the radical Arab regimes -- in an effort to lower the chances of another such attack. The Arab regimes don't love us and won't love us in the near future. But we'll be safer if they have a healthy respect for us, and what we're willing to do when we get really pissed. |
