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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Uncle Frank who wrote (342)	9/19/2001 2:44:33 AM
From: bela_ghoulashi	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

>>...but we seem to have made some people very pissed off over there for a very long time, so pissed off that they could actually plan and execute their plan last week. I say we better stop pissing them off...<< This is really all I've ever gotten out of him.

To: Uncle Frank who wrote (342)	9/19/2001 9:10:09 AM
From: Art Bechhoefer	Read Replies (5) \| Respond to of 281500

UF--My own perspective on this subject comes from years as a Foreign Service Reserve Officer, working in the U.S. foreign assistance programs in Tunisia, Turkey, Indonesia, and Vietnam. I also majored Arabic language and history at the Univ. of Mich. Military action of the formal sort that most people think of is almost impossible in a country like Afghanistan. However, several related strategies are likely to work much better, preserve the support the U.S. now has from virtually the entire Muslim world (including even Iran!), and result in the handing over of all those responsible for trial as common murderers, or preferably on charges of genocide. First, there must be a complete isolation of the Taliban, as long as they refuse to hand over the goods. That means no trade, no imports, no exports, no water, electricity; and more important, no phone/fax service, and no travel in or out, including no flights into or out of the country. Isolating the terrorists and their sympathizers creates communication problems in contacting outside cells, making it more difficult for the outside cells to continue without any guidance, and making it possible to hunt down those residing outside the area. Second, it should be made plain by all the surrounding countries that no one will be allowed in or out, and if any flights or other forms of transportation are used to cross the boundaries of the surrounding countries, the vehicles/aircraft will be destroyed. This means cooperation by each surrounding country to impose what in effect becomes a total quarantine. Third, this total quarantine may have to remain in effect for perhaps two years or more, until the Taliban agree to deliver all the members of the terrorist groups to an international authority (such as the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague). I didn't see any objections from Muslims to the delivery of Milosovic and his crew for crimes against the Bosnians. They hardly have any arguments for not delivering an equally bad group of outlaws--murderers, to be more accurate--for crimes against the rest of the world. This restrained, but disciplined approach, which depends on the cooperation of all affected nations, wherever they may be, is bound to appeal especially to Muslim nations, whose own nationals comprise a wide spectrum of attitudes toward the act of killing innocent civilians, and whose own religious laws traditionally abhor the killing of civilians. Meanwhile, loose talk of going in there and shooting up the place, dropping nuclear bombs, doing precision, surgical attacks, etc., while appealing to some of the more reactionary, jingoist elements at home, does nothing to further an efffective, quick resolution of the problem. In fact, it does just the opposite, by instilling in the minds of the outlaws and their sympathizers an "us vs. them" mentality that creates barriers instead of breaking them down. I'm glad to see Secretary Powell acting along these lines, particularly in working to create a coalition. I have some reservations about the careless use of words such as "crusade" by others. Art Bechhoefer

To: Uncle Frank who wrote (342)	9/19/2001 1:11:56 PM
From: George Papadopoulos	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

>What should the USA do to protect its citizens and its interests? Frank, I posted a long message in the America Under Siege thread couple of days after the attack outlining what I would do. I am sorry I don't have time to do this right now, too busy. But the summary goes like this: Force the Israelis do a peace deal with the Palestinians giving them a VIABLE STATE (Jerusalem under international control, refugees compensated for not returning to proper Israel, settlements got to go, etc.). We start there first! Then we try to promote freedom and democracy in the Middle East countries instead of dictator assholes. Redirect some of the arms we give them (to protect our oil) to truly humanitarian and education (instead of having the Hezbollahs and massadras(sp?) provide it for them to become Osamas). We became nicer guys with our relation around the world (we can't be pissing everybody off all the time, MDF, ABM treaties, global warming, racism, on and on, they think we are Arrogant bullies and We are!) We upgrade our intelligence operations (I say we contract out CIA to the Mossad, these guys know what they are doing). International cooperation to commit in fighting terrorism and capturing cell members, their money, etc. Give Pakistan what it needs to help us capture Osama and declare victory (whatever that means) And, of course, better domestic security. We'll just have to live with it, the ACLU guys will have to eat it. Taking military action in Afganistan, IMHO, is a HUGE mistake and it could ignite a lot more ugliness. But, unfortunately, I am not the President<g> gotta run