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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Little Joe who wrote (197115)	10/28/2001 8:41:49 PM
From: Thomas A Watson	Respond to of 769670

One can point to India and the American Civil Rights movement as successes. But in both cases they may have only advanced to time frame of the events that occurred. England ran an empire of many countries in it's control. England no longer has this empire. If Indians that out numbered the English had revolted with the nohow of Americans would India have been free many years sooner. In the case of the American Civil Rights movement, I think that Dr. Kings actions are the only actions that would have worked to speed more widespread elimination of racist laws. Violence would have gained nothing in the south except a many dead. In many places in America racism was not a major problem. The problem afflicting black Americans was mostly the same as it is today. Living in an environment that creates a victims culture of defeatism. 70% of black are not born into a family. Millions are destroyed in abortions. It's sad Dr King life was ended. He may have been able to provide a leadership that could have saved tens of thousands of blacks. But both successes of this pacifism were England the father of Americans that created America that is the most giving nation in history. tom watson tosiwmee

To: Little Joe who wrote (197115)	10/28/2001 9:27:59 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 769670

Rumsfeld Says Afghanistan 'Not a Quagmire at All' By Tabassum Zakaria WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military operation in Afghanistan is ``not a quagmire,'' and the war on terrorism will be a long effort that could include sending in more ground forces, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Sunday. He would not rule out bombing during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which starts in mid-November, despite Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's call to halt the U.S.-led campaign during that period or risk angering the Islamic community. Rumsfeld denied speculation that the bombing had only hardened Afghan support for the Taliban rather than sapping their strength and encouraging defections. The United States started bombing Afghanistan on Oct. 7 after the Taliban refused to turn over Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, accused of masterminding the attacks on New York and Washington on Sept. 11, which killed nearly 4,900 people. The bombings target Taliban military sites and forces and bin Laden's al Qaeda network. But bin Laden and his top lieutenants and top Taliban officials remain at large. The Taliban still have some jet fighters, helicopters, surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft Stinger missiles, Rumsfeld said. ``They still have a lot of very seasoned, tough people,'' he added, speaking on CNN's ``Late Edition.'' AIR WAR 'EFFECTIVE' But Rumsfeld said the U.S. campaign was proceeding as expected and had not become bogged down. ``We feel that the air campaign has been effective,'' he said on ABC's ``This Week.'' ``I have said repeatedly that this will be a long, long effort,'' he told reporters outside ABC News offices. ``It's not a quagmire at all. It's been three weeks that we've been engaged in this,'' he said. Sen. John McCain, who fought in the Vietnam War, said the current conflict was different from that one because it had public support. ``I think Americans have been impacted in a dramatic way, and I think the American people's patience and their support is very deep and very permanent,'' he said on CNN's ``Late Edition.'' Rumsfeld said greater use of ground troops in the future in Afghanistan was a possibility. ``We've not ruled out the use of ground troops,'' he told ABC's ``This Week.'' McCain agreed that ground troops might be needed. ``We may have to put large numbers of troops into Afghanistan for a period of time ... in order to effectively wipe out these terrorists' nests and track down Mr. bin Laden,'' he said on CNN, adding that that would probably mean American casualties. Rumsfeld said the United States was receiving better intelligence and as a result pursuing better targets, and the bombing had put some Taliban and al Qaeda members on the run. But while the U.S. military had the firepower to attack caves where Taliban and al Qaeda members might be hiding, hunting them down in the many tunnels in Afghanistan would take time, Rumsfeld said. ``They are well burrowed in,'' he added. RAMADAN BOMBING? Pakistan's Musharraf, who has given his country's support to the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan, has said the bombing should stop during Ramadan. But Rumsfeld would not rule out a continued air campaign, saying that throughout history, Muslims had conducted wars during the fasting month. ``There is nothing in that religion that says that war must not take place during Ramadan, and this has been demonstrated repeatedly on many instances. We have a task of defending our country and we must do that,'' he said. McCain told CBS television's ``Face the Nation'' that issues such as Ramadan and civilian casualties must be secondary to the goal of destroying the enemy. The U.S. military pounded the Taliban front lines over the weekend, and reports from Afghanistan said an area held by the opposition forces was mistakenly hit and civilians killed. The Defense Department had no immediate comment. Rumsfeld confirmed that the United States had sent air support to help Afghan opposition commander Abdul Haq, captured and executed by the Taliban last week. ``The assistance unfortunately was from the air, and he was on the ground. And regrettably, he was killed,'' Rumsfeld said on ABC's ``This Week.'' The help did not come from the military but another U.S. agency, Rumsfeld said, declining to name it. It was likely to be the CIA, which, along with the military, operates unmanned spy planes. U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday that the United States had sent an unmanned Predator spy plane equipped with Hellfire anti-tank missiles to aid Haq, who had called for help while fleeing the Taliban. dailynews.yahoo.com