PING!
Further proof(imho) of Cato's slide to the left.
And having this column published on September 11 was not a bright move on the Chicago Tribune's part, IMO.
Pure BS.
Be very, very careful what you ask for, Adam. We are quite capable, should we be pushed too far, of turning this around and doing just that to you. But first we'd have to unite and free up our own rear of domestic enemies, and I doubt that's happening anytime soon.
}:-)4
Unfortunately, that "occupation" appears to include the entire nation of Israel. A nation of Jews. The sucide bombers seem to hate Jews.
But, why is their foreign occupation of their lands? It goes something like this: We're doing business over there with some dictator. Some dissident group is mad at us for, in effect, supporting the dictator by dealing with him. Because, the US must protect its interest, troops are sent. The dissidents then claim occupation is occuring.
The US, in the past, didn't care and only dealt with the dictatorial regime (as awkward as that was). However, as 9/11 showed us, that didn't prevent anything. The other plan would be to kick out the dictators and let the people decided. We can all see what's going on in Iraq, can't we?
the bottom line is those Middle Eastern Countries are basket cases because of them, not us. The other bottom line is we have to deal with them...like it or not.
The west is in a very dicey situation. Deal with the dictators and we're wrong. Implement democracy and we're wrong. In a situation like this, I choose the side of freedom and the overthrow of dictators everywhere.
The better question is, what we've learned about the Cato Institute since 9/11.
Robert Pape has little or no understanding of jihad.
muzzies will find whatever reasons that they want to hate us... they have ALWAYS hated us... and never in modern history can anyone point to a time that they liked us. End of story!
LLS
Why is this news? Why is this on my screen? I've been hearing this from "unbiased" media sources for five years. Why is rhetoric being thrown up like it's fresh and insightful?
This should have had a "Power Puke" alert...
Pape doesn't seem to notice that Al Qaeda propagandists consider the territory of Israel, "Andalusia" (southern Spain), the Balkans, northern India, etc. to be their birthright as Muslims. We'd have to not only withdraw all forces from the ME but "persuade" (yeah, right), those other countries to commit suicide..... even then, even if we would and could do such idiotic and immoral moves, we wouldn't begin to end the threat because AQ does in fact seek world domination in stages. Such massive appeasement, even if it were possible (and it's not, for obvious reasons) would only embolden such scum to think that their homicide/suicide methods were the way to bring the "religion of peace" to dominance everywhere in the world.
Professor Pape is remarkably ignorant and naive, despite his supposed academic credentials and studies of Al Qaeda.
So what were we in occupying in 1979?
Pulling out completely is the worst possible option. The problem is that our presence is currently too large, and presents too much propaganda value without enough security added to make it worthwhile.
Wheras more troops would have been better to prevent this problem, now that we're in it, we need less. A smaller signature is better for counterinsurgency. Right now, the narrative in Iraq is "American troops battling Arab resistance". We need to take ourselves out of the narrative, and put an Iraqi face in it's place.
We can do that by making this a Special Forces mission instead of a conventional army one, and letting SOCOM run the show. And let them run it the right way, as an unconventional warfare asset that builds local forces up and does so in a way that's culturally sensitive. If we leave the patrolling up to the Iraqis, keep the American presence hidden from public view, and crank out Iraqi police and military units full time, we'll move off the radar, from a propaganda standpoint. Our air power and special operations guys will keep the advantage on the side of the government, until they're more matured.
A total retreat will simply tell the Arab world that suicide bombing works. This would tell them that it was for nothing.
MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch Series - No. 1111: Palestinian Legislative Council Member 'Umm Nidal' on Saudi Iqra TV: A Muslim Mother Should Raise Her Children for Jihad Interviewer Iqra TV Director-General Critical of Arab TV Channels That Don't Support Martyrdom Operations" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The following are excerpts from an interview with Palestinian Legislative Council member "Umm Nidal" Farhat, aired on Saudi Iqra TV, on February 19, 2006. TO VIEW THIS CLIP, VISIT: http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1066" (March 10, 2006)
FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "CONVERTS TO TERROR" by Daniel Pipes (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Islamist terror organizations particularly prize converts. They know the local culture and blend in.") (December 6, 2005)
MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch Series No. 1032: "REFORMIST SAUDI AUTHOR: RELIGIOUS CASSETTES ADVOCATED JIHAD BY EMPHASIZING MARTYR'S SEXUAL REWARDS" (November 23, 2005)
MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch Series - No. 983: "COMMANDER OF HAMAS MILITARY WING WOMEN'S UNIT: 'Our Members Yearn for Martyrdom'" (September 9, 2005)
CORRIERE.IT/english: Turin - "TURIN IMAM DEPORTED -- "HE'S DANGEROUS" Accused of praising Bin Laden. Como-based Tunisian activist also expelled." (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The ten children taking part in the ring-o'-roses protest beneath the market clock in Porta Palazzo were all wearing suicide bomber belts. The year was 1997, and that was the first time Bouriqi Bouchta, whose idea it was, attracted Italy’s attention.") (September 7, 2005)
MEMRITV.org/Transcript - Video Clip No. 838 - 8/31/2005: " 8/31/2005 Clip No. 838: "Sheik of Al-Azhar Muhammad Tantawi Explains on Al-Hurra TV When a Suicide Bomber Becomes a Martyr and When He Is Not" (TRANSCRIPT SNIPPET: "Following are excerpts from an interview with Sheik of Al-Azhar Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi, which aired on Al-Hurra TV on August 31, 2005")
MEMRI TV.org - Clip No. 843 - Transcript: "SAUDI IQRA TV RAISES MONEY FOR PALESTINIAN INTIFADA" (TRANSCRIPT SNIPPET: "Caption: The Saudi committee for support of the Al-Quds Intifada. Account number 98, a joint account in all Saudi banks.") (August 29, 2005)
MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch Series - No. 909: "BAHRAINI AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST: THE PROPONENTS OF THE SUICIDE IDEOLOGY HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "In an article that appeared in the Saudi daily Al-Yawm, titled "The Globalization of Islamic Suicide" author and journalist Sawsan Al-Sha'er wrote that the extremist Islamist groups are taking advantage of global communications to recruit suicide bombers, and predicted the spread of the suicide bomber phenomenon to Britain as well.") (May 17, 2005)
MEMRI.org - MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE Special Report - No.32: "MEMRI TV Project Special Report: Arab and Iranian TV Clips in Support of Suicide Bombing" (September 1, 2004)
JIHAD WATCH.org: "RATIONAL, EDUCATED AND PROSPEROUS: JUST YOUR AVERAGE SUICIDE BOMBER" (May 15, 2004)
SAAG.org - SOUTH ASIA ANALYSIS GROUP: "SUICIDE & SUICIDAL TERRORISM" by B. Raman (March 12, 2004)
JIHAD WATCH.org (HAARETZ): "10 SUICIDE BOMBINGS FOILED OVER PASSOVER HOLIDAY" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "One of two Tanzim activists caught at the end of March told interrogators the group that sent them had planned a series of other attacks, including one with a device to which blood infected with AIDS would be attached.") (April 13, 2004)FrontPageMagazine.com: "AFFLUENT GENOCIDE" by Robert Spencer (October 14, 2003)
NEW SCIENTIST.com: "SUICIDE BOMBERS MAY SPREAD DISEASE" (July 24, 2002)
WTVT.com - FOX13 Investigative: "JIHAD FOR KIDS" (February 4, 2002)
Uh, I don't think so. If anything, at least speaking in terms of terrorism in general, it appears to be a result of DEoccupation. Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai, their offer under Oslo final status negotiations of withdrawal from 95 percent of the West Bank, their full withdrawal from Lebanon, their full withdrawal from Gaza, and the election of the new centrist government which campaigned on plans to "disengage" from most of the West Bank as well... All of these things STIMULATED terrorism against Israel. Likewise the withdrawal of American troops and assets from Saudia Arabia, supposedly UBL's number one complaint, has had no effect on al Qaeda's hostility toward America.
Robert Pape's argument that suicide terrorism is an inherently rational act (however evil) stemming from a political agenda is incomplete, in my opinion.
In the short term, obviously Al Qaeda's objectives are politcal. They want us out of Iraq. But long term what they want is the Muslim caliphate, and, I believe, beyond. The caliphate as I understand it would encompass anywhere Muslims used to rule or believe they used to rule. They want absolute Wahabbi rule from Spain to Indonesia, with absolutely no Christian or Jewish presence of any kind in this holy kingdom of Allah, which they believe is a geopolitical reality here and now.
This is not merely a political goal, and it is certainly not rational. It is fundamentally a religious goal.
Given the nature of radical Islam as a relentlessly offensive religion that utilizes jihad as a method of expanding Allah's kingdom, the ultimate goal cannot be anything other than the worldwide dominance of Islam. The fact that suicide bombers aren't necessarily dying with this wish on their lips (yet) doesn't mean that this is not the inevitable goal of radical Islam. Islam, like Christianity, seeks the widest possible influence for its creed and faith. Christianity does it by socialization and evangelism. Islam appears to do it by education and jihad.
Any thoughts on this theory?
The thesis is pure balderdash, it does not survive elementary contact with history.