Recruits for Jihad: The Islamists' Western fifth column: the problem is worse than you think

"But I think it's useful to keep some perspective on his actual ability to back up his fiery rhetoric with real success on the battlefield. That is an ability he certainly doesn't have, and has no real prospect of getting anytime soon."

As long as the people of this nation put safety above freedom their mere threats will eventually break us financially and in the process make this nation ruled by a totalitarian government.

Even if they do succeed with an attack they can't possibly kill more than a few thousand, a tiny portion of the population.

No one is irreplaceable, including me.

France's community of Muslim converts is a rising concern. In this predominantly Catholic nation, many decide to convert to Islam....

France may have used to have been a predominantly Catholic nation, and they may still claim that label, but they are about as Catholic as Ted Kennedy is with a fraction less of even his moral fiber.

There in lies France's problem as to why Muslim's are having such success infiltrating that country. If there was any great "Catholic" nation left, it may be Spain and some of the Latin American countries, but definitely not France. She's gotten to be as athiest of a nation as their is ..

Fighting the last war as usual.

The last war? As usual? What evidence do you have that I usually fight the last war? If Post #17 is your only evidence, then you're in no position to say what I "usually" do.

In any case when I dashed off that post I was searching for the world "asymmetrical," couldn't come up with it, and settled for "ad hoc use..." instead. Yes, the asymmetrical nature of the conflict distinguishes it. But what asymmetrical means as applied here (IOW, what some DOD wonk meant when he first applied the term in a war fighting context) is that jihadis cannot procure their firepower through homegrown industry. They can't even procure it as a nation state through above-board trade with weapons producing nations. Instead they must design their missions on an ad hoc basis, taking into consideration many factors which never need concern a nation-state, and they must scour the black markets for weapons and rogue scientists, a process which defines their fundamental weakness.

Can they still do enormous damage, especially to a civilian population? 911 answered that question. But can they achieve a battlefield victory, the only victory that counts if they expect to hold their ground and withstand American firepower? No. They cannot. One needs conventional forces to win wars, and they do not have them. That was my only point in reacting to the paltry number of recruits described in the above report.

The laundry list of actions you are convinced are necessary to win this war may yet go into effect (most of them, at least), but only if the enemy scores another 911 type success. By the cruel economy of war, one savage blow may rouse a nation, but the singleminded determination needed for full mobilization must be forged in the furnace of sustained, multiple attacks. Right now we're fighting these guys with one hand tied behind our back. It'll become a much bloodier, no holds barred battle, one which could quite possibly wipe out every gov't in the Middle East and re-draw the map of the region, only if the American people get proof positive that 911 was not a fluke.

One needs conventional forces to win wars, and they do not have them.

Silly idea. Who said they could "win a war?" They can't. But they can very well destroy Western civilization as they flail about murderously. Sooner or later they'll get nukes, and use them, or let loose a bio plague. Or they may simply take out 20 jetlineres with 20 identical bombs preset to detonate at the same moment, grounding our air fleet and destroying our economy. There are many ways they can wreck our way of life, that have zero to do with "winning a war."

Your missing my point. I am saying that the 911 string has almost been played out in terms of the American response. Without further attacks causing substantial damage on American soil, the War on Terror begins to lose its justification. The enemy has shown himself to be severely weak when put up against Amercican conventional forces, and if he can't do better than kill a couple of American GIs in Baghdad every week, neither the American "economy" nor our "way of life" will be "wrecked." We should, of course, continue to aggressively pursue al-Qaeda operatives and their associates until they are wiped out, but at the current level of conflict, it's talk about "20 jetliners and 20 identical bombs" that is "silly."

Those who advocate, as you consistently have, a sweeping attack on the Islamic world don't seem to realize that the enemy must put up a fight if you expect the American people to share your opinion about the dangers we face. As it is, those who say the success of the 911 attack was an unfortunate fluke are gaining credibility.

The averagr person just does not realize to what extent Islam is uncompatible with our way of life. Completely, 100%. We can not co-exist. There is no such thing as moderate Islam.

I got a very good book for Christmas, The Bookmaker of Kabul. It is the story of a journalist who stays with an Afghan family who owns a bookstore in Kabul post September 11th.

It documents day to day life in Kabul. The life of women in Kabul.

In one chapter the youngest son goes on a pilgrimage to a holy site. There is a large crowd, Karzai speaks, many Imams speak. Nearby there is mosque where American peacekeepers stand with mchine guns to guard.

The Muslim's in the crowd are outraged that infidels place their dirty feet on the roof of a holy dwelling. That is what they think, even the moderate Muslims think this way. You want that coming to your city or town?

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