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


To: Machaon who wrote (746507)7/28/2006 6:26:39 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 769670
 
"When Al Qaeda said that they wanted their brand of Islam spread from Spain to Iraq, he meant it."

Sure they did. So what? Lots 'o people want lot's 'o things... doesn't mean it's that easy for them to get it. :-)

"The Islamists are viewing Bush... They didn't expect an American President to take a strong stand against them."

Sure they did... in fact --- they were *counting* on over-reaction and miscalculation by the 'West' (mainly: the US) increasing their popularity with the Islamic masses and doing damage to American and Western interests that they THEMSELVES WOULD FOREVER BE TOO WEAK TO ACCOMPLISH ON THEIR OWN.

In fact, OBL spelled it out in the videotape he sent out to the world's media right after the 9-11 strikes. Said he: "The American government and the West will lead the American people into an unbearable Hell and a choking life... freedom and human rights in America are doomed...."

Theocratic Islamist forces are very weak --- even in most Islamic societies. The only way they can achieve such out-sized goals in the West is by provoking the West into shooting itself in the foot.

All told, I'll wager that they have achieved some measure of success with that strategy. Recruitment to their ranks is up, and our popularity down... our forces are bogged down in the middle of an Iraqi civil war, expending VAST SUMS of borrowed cash while our strategic competition (China, Russia, etc.) make gains, etc.... :-(

Classic strategic judo....



To: Machaon who wrote (746507)7/29/2006 12:40:59 PM
From: willcousa  Respond to of 769670
 
"I don't know if Americans are willing to fight to save Europe. The Europeans certainly aren't willing to fight to save other democracies."

We and the Brits will probably do it again for our own future well-being but if we have to we should impose a new world order when it is over.