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Bigger sins than offending (Tancredo writes editorial)
Denver Post ^ | Tom Tancredo

Posted on 07/24/2005 3:10:02 PM PDT by 4.1O dana super trac pak

By now, many people in America - and likely around the world - are familiar with my statements regarding a possible response to a nuclear attack on U.S. cities by fundamentalist Islamic terrorists.

Without question, my comments have prompted strong reactions from many quarters, but they have also served to start a national dialogue about what options we have to deter al-Qaeda and other would-be Islamic terrorists.

Many critics of my statements have characterized them as "offensive," and indeed they may have offended some. But in this battle against fundamentalist Islam, I am hardly preoccupied with political correctness, or who may or may not be offended. Indeed, al-Qaeda cares little if the Western world is "offended" by televised images of hostages beheaded in Iraq, subway bombings in London, train attacks in Madrid, or Americans jumping to their death from the Twin Towers as they collapsed.

Few can argue that our current approach to this war has deterred fundamentalists from killing Westerners - nor has it prompted "moderate" Muslims and leaders of Muslim countries to do what is necessary to crack down on the extremists in their midst who perpetuate these grisly crimes.

That being the case, perhaps the civilized world must intensify its approach.

Does that mean the United States should be re-targeting its entire missile arsenal on Mecca today? Does it mean we ought to be sending Stealth bombers on runs over Medina? Clearly not.

But should we take any option or target off the table, regardless of the circumstances? Absolutely not, particularly if the mere discussion of an option or target may dissuade a fundamentalist Muslim extremist from strapping on a bomb-filled backpack, or if it might encourage "moderate" Muslims to do a better job cracking down on extremism in their ranks.

People have accused me of creating more terrorism by making these statements. Indeed, we often hear that Western governments bring these attacks on themselves. Just days after the London subway attacks two weeks ago, for example, Tariq Ali, a prominent British Muslim activist, was quick to suggest that London residents "paid the price" for British support in the Iraq campaign.

A professor in Lebanon, Dr. George Hajjar, went even further, proclaiming, "I hope that every patriotic and Islamic Arab will participate in this war, and will shift the war not only to America, but to ... wherever America may be." Hajjar went on to say that "there are no innocent people," and referred to the victims of the attack as "collateral casualties."

These are fairly "offensive" statements, to be sure, but the sentiments expressed by Ali and Hajjar are sadly commonplace in the "mainstream" Muslim world, where justification for terrorist attacks like the ones that rocked London, New York and Washington is never in short supply.

Fundamentalist Muslims have advocated the destruction of the West since long before the attacks of Sept. 11, long before the Madrid, London and Bali attacks, long before the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, long before the attack on the USS Cole and the 1993 WTC bombing.

In many respects, the decision of "moderate" Muslims to acquiesce to these actions and even provide tacit justification for them is just as damaging to global safety and security as the attacks themselves.

Until "mainstream" Islam can bring itself to stop rationalizing terrorist attacks and start repudiating and purging people like Ali and Hajjar from its ranks who do, this war will continue. As long as this war goes on, being "offended" should be the least of anyone's worries.

Republican Tom Tancredo represents Colorado's 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: islam; lookintomyeyes; muslim; nukemecca; ohmytancredo; tancredo; tancredocult; tonyorlandoanddawn; votetancredo2008; youaregettingsleeepy
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To: Bommer

No, you quantify one islamic WANNABE murdering animal "sh!theed", with another islamic murdering animal "sh!theed".

It's NOT rocket science.


81 posted on 07/24/2005 4:56:16 PM PDT by porkchops 4 mahound (Hyperbole, don't leave home without it)
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To: Dane
Well Yeeesh indeed! The last thing we want to do is make the islamics MAD at us!

They might do something terrible.

Let's make nice, and maybe those nasty islamist pig fornicators will leave us alone?

After all that worked for Spain, right?

Right?
82 posted on 07/24/2005 5:01:24 PM PDT by porkchops 4 mahound (Hyperbole, don't leave home without it)
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To: 4.1O dana super trac pak
It's time the planet is cured of the worldwide mental illness known as Islam. Destroy every Islamic holy site. Vaporize Mecca, Medina, Qom, Damascus, Tehran, Riyadh, Islamabad, Mogadishu and their disgusting mosque in our "Holy City" of Jerusalem.

Demonstrate to them that Allah, their false moon-god, is worthless and impotent. Destroying their faith is the only way to win this war.

Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Tokyo, Berlin, Dresden. We haven't had much trouble from the Japanese or Germans lately. MacArthur and Patton must be spinning in their graves over our failure to learn from history.

I, for one, do not think we should wait for our cities to become smoking ruins before exterminating our enemies with extreme prejudice.

5000 years of recorded history proves conclusively that "Peace" can never be "negotiated". The losers must beg for it.

83 posted on 07/24/2005 5:02:21 PM PDT by 10mm
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To: porkchops 4 mahound
Well Yeeesh indeed! The last thing we want to do is make the islamics MAD at us!

They might do something terrible

Whos said mad? I said propaganda points to use in their home base of the mid-east, but you already knew that and for lack of an answer changed the subject.

84 posted on 07/24/2005 5:03:52 PM PDT by Dane ( anyone who believes hillary would do something to stop illegal immigration is believing gibberish)
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To: Dane

What propaganda points are you foaming at the mouth about?


85 posted on 07/24/2005 5:05:49 PM PDT by Modok
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To: 10mm
Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Tokyo, Berlin, Dresden.

Huh what's missing there, oh yes the Japanese holy city of Kyoto.

86 posted on 07/24/2005 5:05:55 PM PDT by Dane ( anyone who believes hillary would do something to stop illegal immigration is believing gibberish)
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To: Modok
What propaganda points are you foaming at the mouth about?

Nuking mecca.

All tancredo had to say when asked the question was that a US response would be quick and overwhekming, but no he pops off his mouth and give the islamofascists propaganda points to use against 1 billion muslims.

87 posted on 07/24/2005 5:08:44 PM PDT by Dane ( anyone who believes hillary would do something to stop illegal immigration is believing gibberish)
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To: porkchops 4 mahound; Kirkwood
There is but one cure for mad dogs.

Aren't there laws against doing that to Members of Congress?

88 posted on 07/24/2005 5:10:10 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy
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To: Dane

You are the one on here that is using that as a propoganda point. What are the additional propoganda points and what is your proof that they are being used as propoganda points?


89 posted on 07/24/2005 5:11:47 PM PDT by Modok
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To: 4.1O dana super trac pak

Sometimes one must be worried more about bombs blowing up innocents than political correctness and pro-choice.


90 posted on 07/24/2005 5:14:23 PM PDT by Neoliberalnot (Conservatism: doing what is right instead of what is easy)
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To: Modok
You are the one on here that is using that as a propoganda point. What are the additional propoganda points and what is your proof that they are being used as propoganda points?

Huh, what would happen if an iranian parliamentarian(someone akin to tancredo in the govt.) said let's nuke the Vatican.

What would your reaction be?

91 posted on 07/24/2005 5:14:50 PM PDT by Dane ( anyone who believes hillary would do something to stop illegal immigration is believing gibberish)
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To: kitkat
You said it well, JC. The Muslims have created the problem, let them stop the problem.

Asuming of course that they want to stop the problem. I think not.

92 posted on 07/24/2005 5:15:24 PM PDT by ladyinred
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To: Dane
I see you dwell in the rarefied air of specious absurdities.

Do you really, honestly think these murdering animals give a phuck about TRUTH?

We don't have to give them any "propaganda points", they'll get said points the old fashioned way, made up of whole cloth.

"Truth" has nothing to do with any of this.

What does it matter how deep the water is if it is above your head?

We are at WAR. A WAR forced on us by these seventh century subhuman animals in the name of their execrable "theology" of hate and murder.

The "long knives" are out.

Screw their hearts and minds, "it is better to be feared than loved".

What part of WAR do you NOT understand?
93 posted on 07/24/2005 5:16:30 PM PDT by porkchops 4 mahound (Hyperbole, don't leave home without it . FTW!)
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To: Dane

You are the one claiming that he has given someone propaganda points. I would like to know what they are and you proof that they are being used as propaganda points.


94 posted on 07/24/2005 5:17:05 PM PDT by Modok
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To: Lancelot Jones
Why does it have to be attacked at all?

When it is carried in arrogance. Why else not?

95 posted on 07/24/2005 5:17:54 PM PDT by dirtboy (Drool overflowed my buffer...)
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To: porkchops 4 mahound
We are at WAR. A WAR forced on us by these seventh century subhuman animals in the name of their execrable "theology" of hate and murder

And in war you don't give your enemies(islamofascists) propaganda points to use against you to win the hearts and minds of the general populace.

96 posted on 07/24/2005 5:18:44 PM PDT by Dane ( anyone who believes hillary would do something to stop illegal immigration is believing gibberish)
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To: Modok

Answer reply #91.


97 posted on 07/24/2005 5:19:40 PM PDT by Dane ( anyone who believes hillary would do something to stop illegal immigration is believing gibberish)
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To: 4.1O dana super trac pak
I will be political incorrect and suggest that if terrorist bomb targets were changed attitudes might change. Instead of the targets being infidels and non believers a new group might start bombing Muslim targets that believe this type of behavior is OK.
98 posted on 07/24/2005 5:20:50 PM PDT by jec41 (Screaming Eagle)
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To: Oztrich Boy

Well, as I'm sure you know, "some critters are more equal than others".

I did say mad DOGS, and there really is no need to insult DOGS.


99 posted on 07/24/2005 5:21:40 PM PDT by porkchops 4 mahound (Hyperbole, don't leave home without it . FTW!)
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To: Dane

You still haven't answered the question. You have been ranting all weekend on this and I have yet to see anything of substance to back up your wild, unappeasable point of view.


100 posted on 07/24/2005 5:22:49 PM PDT by Modok
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