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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group
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To: Hawkmoon who wrote (130340)4/29/2004 2:22:14 AM
From: Bilow  Read Replies (2) of 281500
 
Hi Hawkmoon; Re: "However, apparently these ideological terrorists CAN INTIMIDATE AND COW non-ideological people with a show of force. I guess the question is do we really believe in democracy enough to be willing to make the same sacrifices the militants are willing to make in spreading their Theo-Fascism."

Your "guess" avoids the simple fact that the show of force put on by the "ideological terrorists" is far more effective than the show of force that the United States can put on, at least in terms of its effect on the "non-ideological" people.

Think of it this way. If you assist the coalition, you, personally, will be assassinated, maybe along with your family. On the other hand, if you assist the insurgents, the coalition probably won't find out about it because their intelligence has been ruined by Iraqis who are more afraid of the insurgents than the are of those Americans who can't even speak Arabic and operate under much tighter rules of engagement.

When we send out the gunships, they fire rounds only at the active fighters. The vast majority of those who assist the insurgents cannot be targeted because they do not use their weapons to call in airstrikes on themselves.

What I'm saying is this: The people we kill in Falloujah are either armed warriors who fight despite their knowledge of the odds against them, and more or less random civilians. Killing the first part has no effect on the thousands of insurgents that assassinate collaborators. And it is these assassinations that have so hurt our intelligence gathering in Iraq.

What's your solution again?

-- Carl
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