Time to talk to Al Qaeda?

The Boston Globe ^ | September 14, 2005 | Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou

[LurkedLongEnough]

AS THE WAR between the United States and Al Qaeda enters its fifth year, the nature of the armed, transnational Islamist group's campaign remains misunderstood. With the conflict viewed largely as an open-and-shut matter of good versus evil, nonmilitary engagement with Al Qaeda is depicted as improper and unnecessary.

Yet developing a strategy for the next phase of the global response to Al Qaeda requires understanding the enemy -- something Western analysts have systematically failed to do. Sept. 11 was not an unprovoked, gratuitous act. It was a military operation researched and planned since at least 1996 and conducted by a trained commando in the context of a war that had twice been declared officially and publicly. The operation targeted two military locations and a civilian facility regarded as the symbol of US economic and financial power. The assault was the culmination of a larger campaign, which forecast impact, planned for the enemy's reaction, and was designed to gain the tactical upper hand.

Overwhelmingly centered on the martial aspects of the conflict, scholars and policymakers have been too focused on Al Qaeda's ''irrationality," ''fundamentalism," and ''hatred" -- and these conceptions continue to color key analyses. The sway of such explanations is particularly surprising in the face of nonambiguous statements made by Al Qaeda as to the main reasons for its war on the United States. These have been offered consistently since 1996, notably in the August 1996 and February 1998 declarations of war and the November 2002 and October 2004 justifications for its continuation.

[Dawgreg]

Sure, let's talk to them just long enough to say "Hasta LaVista Sucker!........BAM! right between their evil eyes.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

I cant believe I still live in Massachusetts.

Wrong attitude, my friend. William Lloyd Garrison, when asked why he started his anti-slavery newspaper The Liberator in Boston, replied, more or less, that if he could establish anti-slavery sentiment in Boston---a racist city---then he could establish anti-slavery sentiment anywhere. We Massachusetts and New England-area conservatives must do the same.

[NutCrackerBoy]

I wrote the following to the Globe: Editors:

The Boston Globe has no honor. The Boston Globe editorializes favorably on behalf of the enemies of civilization.

There are so many errors of fact and virtue in “Time to Talk to Al Qaeda?” that it boggles the mind.

On the same page, a Kenneth R. Feinberg editorializes for the Globe: "AS WE OBSERVE the fourth anniversary of America's 9/11 tragedy, [it is appropriate to revisit the subject of victim compensation.]"

Are you guys tone-deaf? It has always been an insult and cowardly to use the word tragedy. Your newspaper chose to avoid a word like attacks, as if we should not be angry. And to write, on the same page, that they were not unprovoked…

Simply unbelievable. Simply disgusting.

[norwaypinesavage]

"Time to talk to Al Qaeda?"

Of course it is time to talk to Al Qaeda. The appropriate words: "What are your coordinates?"

[Eric in the Ozarks]

He teaches at Harvard.

[GOPJ]

Yet developing a strategy for the next phase of the global response to Al Qaeda requires understanding the enemy -- something Western analysts have systematically failed to do. Sept. 11 was not an unprovoked, gratuitous act. It was a military operation researched and planned since at least 1996 and conducted by a trained commando in the context of a war

Some of the pieces of this article make sense, but when put together, they don't make sense. The premises and frameworks are alien.

We do need to understand the enemy - and why they're so angry - and why they feel so humiliated. But to grant them the status of legitimate enemy rather than outlaw terrorists organization is too much of a stretch.

Members of AlQaeda don't represent anyone but themselves. If they want the status of a country, they need to get elected by the majority of the people - anywhere. Now, they can plan, pretend to be legit, make the right appearance of legitimacy, but they still a rag tag bunch of outlaws.

[GOPJ]

Yet developing a strategy for the next phase of the global response to Al Qaeda requires understanding the enemy -- something Western analysts have systematically failed to do. Sept. 11 was not an unprovoked, gratuitous act. It was a military operation researched and planned since at least 1996 and conducted by a trained commando in the context of a war

Some of the pieces of this article make sense, but when put together, they don't make sense. The premises and frameworks are alien.

We do need to understand the enemy - and why they're so angry - and why they feel so humiliated. But to grant them the status of legitimate enemy rather than outlaw terrorists organization is too much of a stretch.

Members of AlQaeda don't represent anyone but themselves. If they want the status of a country, they need to get elected by the majority of the people - anywhere. Now, they can plan, pretend to be legit, make the right appearance of legitimacy, but they still a rag tag bunch of outlaws.

[Spruce]

The only things needed to be said to any member of AQ is "Sayonara MFer!", and "Eat lead, beeotch!". Or maybe a "Enjoy your stay in hell, goat-humper!"

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Mohammed Abba Doodoo gets the Ward Churchill citizenship award.

[Eagles Talon IV]

The libs are totally unreal. Never in my life have ai witnessed such mind numbing stupidity. I swear to God these people are ALL clones of Neville Chamberlain.

[wagglebee]

I would have thought, "we're going to find you and we're going to kill you," was enough talking.

[upchuck]

The United States DOES NOT negotiate with terrorists. What more need be said? This maroon wasted a lot of newsprint with this worthless article.

[pawdoggie]

This boy's buckin' for Secretary of State in the Hillary Clinton administration.

[wildcatf4f3]

I got yer confict resolution right here mahaamid

[LurkedLongEnough]

What sickens me is that some people will read this and be convinced only because of the guy's credentials and their own rage at a conservative majority rocking their world.

[elbucko]

Can't we all just get along.

We both know that the real answer to this ignorant pleading is; NO! When those who are prone to ask this question first ask: "Where's my gun?", we may on the road to peace. Not until. (sigh)

[okie01]

A rationale for appeasement...and defeat.

Q: Why would the Boston Globe provide a platform for such a program?

A: Because they are appeasers and defeatists...???

[Iscool]

Though dismissed widely, the best strategy for the United States may well be to acknowledge and address the collective reasons in which Al Qaeda anchors its acts of force. Al Qaeda has been true to its word in announcing and implementing its strategy for over a decade. It is likely to be true to its word in the future and cease hostilities against the United States, and indeed bring an end to the war it declared in 1996 and in 1998, in return for some degree of satisfaction regarding its grievances. In 2002, bin Laden declared: ''Whether America escalates or deescalates this conflict, we will reply in kind."

This A-rab lives in the U.S. and is paid to disseminate this tripe to students at Harvard...He is suggesting we surrender...

Sadly, our gov't seems to be listening to him, at least in the case of Israel...

[Gefreiter]

H,
Never happen. Manhattan is as liberal as they come, and it got the worst of it.

The timeline for a Sep 11th-scale attack on Boston would go like this:

H-hour: catastrophic terrorist event. Fire, water, rubble.

H+10 minutes: Blame Bush.

H+12 minutes: Rush out and burn an American flag.

H+1 day: Spit on Bu$hHitler's jackbooted $oldier$ as they restore order, assess damage, and provide help.

H+3: Riot for lack of lattes and chardonnay in relief supplies. Cambridge turns back refugees on bridge. Entire Harvard faculty takes sudden sabbatical. Blame Bush.

H+1 month: Boston refugees re-located to Worcester and Springfield; had no idea there were even people between Rt 128 and California. Blame Bush for not relocating them to Nantucket.

H+6 months: Newcomers continual victims of local criminals and gangs in central and western MA; rainbow flags ineffective against Glocks. Blame Bush for rampant crime that's existed there for 30+ years.

H+1 year: Encounter session and healing drum circle on charrred remains of Boston Common. Beg forgiveness from every non-white, non-Christian foreign person available. Blame Bush.

[hildy123]

I concur.