And now back to reality!
When the troops come home, al Qaeda will be either kicked out of the country or jailed. Most of the people joining their jihad, will go home because the reason to take up arms, will no longer be present in Iraq. What's left will be Iraqis who have very little tolerance to any further violence in their streets.
By the US staying, it increases al Qaeda's ranks.
I agree, and hope you are right about the Iraqis.
The mission I wanted accomplished in the First Gulf War has been accomplished, the problem (Saddam) is dead, the United Nations (of tyrants too) Resolution 687 is no longer relevant. If the Democratic Murtha crowd gets their way and troops are redeployed into other Muslim countries for future attacks against Iraq, for more lukewarm “liberal“ arts of war where an immoral Wesley Clark considers “containment” and a Saddam to be a “cork“ in the Iranian bottle, the mission will not be accomplished.
*****
Now tell me, who are the magical “they,” that on October 29, 2001, Saddam said, “should, rather, be reassured and helped to save themselves, and their surroundings?”
“The danger that may threaten any people or nation, does not call upon the people in charge to lead the way against this danger only, but also to analyze its reasons in view of abating them, or treating those reasons radically, to eliminate them so that they would never surge again.
I am sorry to say that the general approach in this direction is still weak, so far. Western governments are the first in this phenomena of weakness. Some voices have risen on the part of some peoples, journalists, writers, and, in a very restricted way, the voices of those who are preparing themselves, in the shadow, to replace the rulers there. Nevertheless, the latter are still hesitant voices that deal with the situation in the light of the balance of interests of the posts they expect to occupy, and of the influence of the centers of power. As for the United States, the hope in the awareness of its people is greater than it is in its Administrations, if the people could see the facts as they are, unless these Administrations are set free from the conclusive influence of Zionism, and other centers of influence which serve their own interests that are associated with their well-known goals.” (Saddam Hussein Shabban 13, 1422 H. October 29, 2001.)
Here, eat your Greens:
1997: “Those who desire to face up to the Zionists conspiracies, intransigence, and aggressiveness must proceed towards the advance centers of capabilities in the greater Arab homeland and to the centers of the knowledge, honesty and sincerity with whole heartiness if the aim was to implement a serious plan to save others from their dilemma or to rely on those capable centers; well-known for their positions regarding the enemy, to gain precise concessions from it with justified maneuvers even if such centers including Baghdad not in agreement with those concerned, over the objectives and aims of the required maneuvers." (On the 29th anniversary of Iraq’s national day (the 17th of July 1968 revolution). President Saddam Hussein made an important comprehensive and nation wide address)
President Saddam's speech on July 17 1997
February 17, 1998: “While speaking at the Pentagon on February 17, 1998, President Bill Clinton warned of the ‘reckless acts of outlaw nations and an unholy axis of terrorists, drug traffickers and organized international criminals.’ These ‘predators of the twenty-first century,’ he said ‘will be all the more lethal if we allow them to build arsenals of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and missiles to deliver them. We simply cannot allow that to happen. There is no more clear example of this threat than Saddam Hussein's Iraq.’“
Bombing of Iraq (December 1998) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Text Of Clinton Statement On Iraq - February 17, 1998
February 23, 1998:
One Iraq, Two Iraq, Three Iraq!
“On the basis of what we said about Iraq while confronting aggressions, the world now needs to abort the US aggressive schemes, including its aggression on the Afghan people, which must stop.
Again we say that when someone feels that he is unjustly treated, and no one is repulsing or stopping the
injustice inflicted on him, he personally seeks ways and means for lifting that justice. Of course, not everyone is capable of finding the best way for lifting the injustice inflicted on him. People resort to what they think is the best way according to their
own ideas, and they are not all capable of reaching out for what is beyond what is available to arrive to the best idea or means.
To find the best way, after having found their way to God and His rights, those who are inflicted by injustice need not to be isolated from their natural milieu, or be ignored deliberately, or as a result of mis-appreciation, by the officials in this milieu.
They should, rather, be reassured and helped to save themselves, and their surroundings. It is only normal to say that punishment is a necessity in our world, because what is a necessity in the other world must also be necessary in our world on Earth. But, the punishment in the other world is faire and just, and the prophets and
messengers of God (peace be upon them all) conducted punishment and called for it in justice, and not on the basis of suspicions and whims.” (Saddam Hussein Shabban 13, 1422 H. October 29, 2001.)
“Once again, we say that,
injustice and the pressure that results from it on people lead to explosions. As
explosions are not always organized, it is to be expected that they may harm those who make them and others.
The events of September 11, should be seen on this basis, and on the basis of imbalanced reactions, on the part of governments accused of being democratic, if the Americans are sure that these were carried out by people from abroad.
To concentrate not on what is important, but rather on what is the most important, we say again that after having seen that the flames of any fire can expand to cover all the world, it first and foremost, needs justice based on fairness. The best and most sublime expression of this is in what we have learned from what God the Al Mighty ordered
to be, or not to be.” (Saddam Hussein Shabban 13, 1422 H. October 29, 2001.)
“To be, or not to be…”
“…What was gained by keeping Saddam?
Nothing but a future of deadly bedlam.
The nature of terror requires fear,
Dark shadows where nothing is clear.
Terror stalks quite well despite the laws,
Which don’t stop anything without claws.
“To be, are not” as the bard would say,
let the wolves circle or scare them away,
To come back with what they have sired;
It’s with those tactics war we are mired:
Do you know the tragedy had a reason,
Justice delayed things out of season.
Why should we wait for the rutting pig,
While at the same time our own grave dig.
Read it again, “Hamlet” is full of wisdom,
But requires knowledge of Gods Kingdom.
Claudius understood in that last prayer,
What was delayed made a greater slayer…”
(Created Sunday, September 23, 2001, 8:46:10 PM)
t off topic – please oh great and enlightened :allhail one explain what the responsibilities of the mayor of New Orleans and the Governor of Louisiana were during this time – and what the standard procedure of the federal government (regardless of who’s in office) is 