Posted on 10/19/2006 1:18:10 PM PDT by visitor
By Amanda Crissup Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer
MARIETTA - America's image as a Lone Ranger cowboy figure troubles former Democratic U.S. Sen. Wyche Fowler Jr.
"If we're the superpower, if we have all the cards - why can't we be like John Wayne and walk into town and talk first before we shoot?" Fowler said.
Fowler, an Atlanta native and former Marietta resident who served as U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1987 to 1992, addressed the Marietta Rotary Club on Wednesday about America's international image.
"America isn't acting like America," Fowler said.
As chairman of the board of the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., Fowler works to bolster American understanding of the Middle East. He said the United States has lost credibility in the international arena largely because it no longer has any regard for the opinions of other nations.
"In my opinion, this must be resolved or the problems of the world and this democracy will not be resolved," Fowler said. "We can't continue to make policy in isolation. We need allies in the world," Fowler said.
President George W. Bush has helped accelerate change in Iraq, but Fowler said he disagrees with the president's line of freedom being a God-given gift.
"I beg to differ with our president because freedom as represented by Western-style democracy is not given, it's an achievement," Fowler said.
That achievement was made 225 years ago Wednesday on the anniversary of Lord Charles Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown, Va., ending the Revolutionary War.
But Fowler said the problem of importing a political system like democracy to Iraq is that the political climate isn't the same.
"I think we'd make a mistake to try and enforce democracy on the cultures and other countries that have had no experience with active citizenship and institution building that true democracy requires," Fowler said.
He has spoken with active military leaders who say the military has done everything it can in Iraq.
"Our military is seriously asking for help, and I'm not talking about more troops on the ground," Fowler said
Now it's time for democracy, but democracy is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Fowler said Islamic organizations should be directly involved in the process.
Fowler didn't just dwell on problems, but also suggested some solutions.
The key to patch up the past 15 years of a deteriorating public image, Fowler said, is to talk. Continued negotiation with Israel and Palestine is necessary, as well as with North Korea.
Fowler's speech gave Rotarians some food for thought.
Patrick McCord, chief business officer at Southern Polytechnic State University said Fowler's comments gave him something to consider before next month's elections.
"That's not something you want to hear, but it got me to thinking, is that true?" McCord said.
Mayor Bill Dunaway said Fowler's speech struck him.
"We all say we want democracy but what he was saying is be careful what you ask for, you may not like what you get," Dunaway said.
Fowler has a history of civic involvement that predates elected office.
As a boy in 1947, he presented a 5-minute speech to 35 different Rotary clubs across the state on the community chest.
Wednesday's visit with Rotarians was at least his second keynote address to the Marietta club.
In 2003, he shared with the club his perspective on U.S.-Saudi relations and his personal connection to Sept. 11. 2001. His only daughter worked at the World Trade Center and was one of the few who walked away after the attacks.
acrissup@mdjonline.com
Instead of worrying so darn much about what the rest of the world (especially the turd world) thinks of the U.S., the Dummiecrats should take a hard look at what AMERICANS think of the rest of the world. My guess is...not much.
Fanatical Evil cannot be appeased or reasoned with, it must be opposed. That is true "Social Justice". All these mindlessly drones like the author of this article do is empower and aid mass murderers, rapists and other thugs.
Based on the political situation in the region left over from the 1991 Gulf War plus the domestic political consensus built up in BOTH parties since 1991 as well as fundamental military strategic laws, there was NO viable strategic choice for the US but to take out Iraq after finishing the initial operations in Afghanistan.
To start with Saddam's Iraq was our most immediate threat. We could NOT commit significant military forces to another battle with Saddam hovering undefeated on our flank nor could we leave significant forces watching Saddam. The political containment of Iraq was breaking down. That what Oil for Food was all about. Oil for Food was an attempt by Iraq to break out of it's diplomatic isolation and slip the shackles the UN Sanctions put on it's military. There there was the US Strategic position to consider.
The War on Islamic Fascism is different sort of war. In facing this Asymmetrical threat, we have a hidden foe, spread out across a geographically diverse area, with covert sources of supply. Since we cannot go everywhere they hide out, in fact often cannot even locate them until the engage us, we need to draw them out of hiding into a kill zone.
Iraq is that kill zone. That is the true brilliance of the Iraq strategy. We draw the terrorists out of their world wide hiding places onto a battlefield they have to fight on for political reasons (The "Holy" soil of the Arabian peninsula) where they have to pit their weakest ability (Conventional Military combat power) against our greatest strength (ability to call down unbelievable amounts of firepower) where they will primarily have to fight other forces (the Iraqi Security forces) in a battlefield that is mostly neutral in terms of guerrilla warfare. (Iraqi-mostly open terrain as opposed to guerrilla friendly areas like the mountains of Afghanistan or the jungles of SE Asia).
Did any of the critics of liberating Iraq ever look at a map? Iraq, for which we had the political, legal and moral justifications to attack, is the strategic high ground of the Middle East. A Geographic barrier that severs ground communication between Iran and Syria apart as well as providing another front of attack in either state or into Saudi Arabia if needed.
There were other reasons to do Iraq but here is the strategic military reason we are in Iraq. We have taken, an maintain the initiative from the Terrorists. They are playing OUR game on ground of OUR choosing.
Problem is Counter Insurgency is SLOW and painful. Often a case of 3 steps forward, two steps back. One has to wonder if the American people have either the emotional maturity, nor the intellect" to understand. It's so much easier to spew made for TV slogans like "No Blood for Oil" or "We support the Troops, bring them home" or dumbest of all "We are creating terrorists" then to actually THINK.
Westerners in general, and the US citizens in particular seem to have trouble grasping the fundamental fact of this foe. These Islamic Fascists have NO desire to co-exist with them. The extremists see all this PC posturing by the Hysteric Left as a sign that we are weak. Since they want us dead, weakness encourages them. There is simply no way to coexist with people who completely believe their "god" will reward them for killing us.
So we can covert to Islam, die or kill them. Iraq is about killing enough of them to make the rest of the Jihadists realize we are serious. They same way killing enough Germans, Italians and Japanese eliminated the ideologies of Nazism, Fascism and Bushido.
Americans need to understand how Bin Laden and his ilk view us. In the Arab world the USA is considered a big wimp. We have run away so many times. Lebanon, the Kurds, the Iraqis in 1991, the Iranians, Somalia, Clinton all thru the 1990s etc etc etc. The Jihadists think we will run again. In fact they are counting on it. That way they can run around screaming "We beat the American just like the Russians, come join us in Jihad" and recruit the next round of "holy warriors". Iraq is also a show place where we show the Muslim world that there are a lines they cannot cross. On 9-11-01 they crossed that line and we can, and will, destroy them for it
Perhaps the Freeper Patton wannabees might try dealing with the TRUTH about Iraq ONE time instead of mindlessly regurgitation their comfortable 09-10-01 dogmas? For example let us look at Woodwards latest fraud.
http://icasualties.org/oif/
http://icasualties.org/oif/IraqiDeaths.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Security_Forces
Listening to all the Media hysteria over Bob Woodward's latest attempt to be the new Kitty Kelly, one is struck by just how wrong the Drive By Media is on every aspect of the Iraq War.
Here is the raw data on Iraq. Seems Bob Woodward latest work is simply a regurgitation of every falsehood, half truth and exaggeration present by the Junk Media on Iraq since 2003.
In a vain attempt to falsely validate preconceived notions, Mr Woodward demonstrated how the Left has managed to be wrong on every aspect of the Iraq War. Mr Woodward's central thesis is that attacks are "as high as they have ever been". Perhaps that is true. Even if true those attacks are getting less and less effective. If conditions are worsening why were the Iraqis taking higher monthly casualties in 2004 and 2005 with a smaller force?
Simply put BW, like the rest of the American Political Left is full of it. They have had their minds made up about Iraq from even before the war started. In his latest work it is clear Mr Woodward simply went to find people who would say what he wanted to hear. It is also becoming apparent that when he did not hear what he wanted, Mr Woodward simply misquoting the source to put his Democrat Party Masters spin on the data. Apparently this current book is his act of atonement to the DC Establishment for writing a fairly balanced book on President Bush last time.
If you chart the data at the sources above, you see a base line of violence. While the violence ebbs and flows the base line is steady at 65 Coalition casualties a month. The Iraqis are averaging a steady 200 casualties a month. No sustained rise in baseline casualties to validate the "Iraq is heading for Civil War" Democrat Media Machine spin.
What is particularly significant about the Iraqi Security Forces casualties is they are averaging the same casualty levels with a much larger force. As of Aug 2006 there is a 300,000 Iraqi security force in the field with about 5,000 being added a month. By the end of the year the Iraqi Security Forces will be complete fielded. Right now out of 18 provinces in Iraq only 2 are considered "not ready" for transition to Iraqi control. Of course the two provinces are Anbar, the province along the Syrian border and Basrah the Shi'a stronghold along the border with Iran. Yet even in both those areas significant progress has been made just in September 2006 alone.
In Anbar the Iraqi tribes have entered into an agreement to work with the Iraqi Government to root out the foreign terrorist groups. In Basrah, the British and Iraqi forces just started operations to crack down on the Shi'a militias.
Iraq: British, Iraq troops begin Basra mission
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1709154/posts
Most Tribes in Anbar Agree to Unite Against Insurgents (The NY Times is deeply saddened)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1703582/posts
This data totally undercuts the spin presented by Bob Woodward, and other Democrat Party propagandists, that Iraq is "heading for Civil War" or is "spinning out of control".
What Woodward et all seem to fixate on is Iraqi Civilian casualties. What they forget is a terrorist or a militia member killed in intra tribal gang warfare is considered "an Iraqi civilian casualty". So when you hear a news story that says "40 bodies discovered around Baghdad" MOST of them are probably casualties from gang on gang violence. While that violence is an on growing crises we and the Iraqis will have to deal with, it is not a fundamental threat to the long term survival of the Iraqi Government.
Obviously the immediate counter the Leftist propagandists will claim is that ;We are not making fast enough progress" That is nonsense.
look at the data on Iraqi security forces. More and more of the job is being taken up by Iraqi forces. 2 of 18 Providence have been turned over to complete Iraqi control. Out of 18 Iraqi provinces all but 2 are at least partially under Iraqi control All the progress in the war is on our side. The enemy is making no progress. Time is on our side, not theirs.
Another factor on Iraq the Leftists fails to grasp is how the war in Iraq has fundamentally changed in the last 6 months. Because the external Terrorist threat has been significantly reduced, we are able to focus on other lesser threats. Witness what the British down south, and the US in the Baghdad region, are doing. They are working with the Iraqis to weed out the gangs and militia that sprung up in the wake of Saddam's fall.
Counter Insurgency is slow, painful work. But the progress is all on our side. The "Insurgents" has demonstrated no ability to politically or militarily evolve. Guerrilla war strategy consists of 3 phases.
1. Stage one: very small unit harassment actions.
2. Stage two: continuation of state one with an evolution to large units actions. Development of larger and large geographic areas fully under Guerrilla control.
3. Stage three: conventional warfare between large units.
The Terrorists are still stuck in stage one of Guerrilla Warfare. They can wreck stuff and kill people they cannot grow. They cannot take and hold ground or engage in anything beyond small scale hit and run attacks.
Their failure to develop a shadow political structure to act as a polar opposite to the Iraqi Government is their fatal flaw. They simply lack the structure or local support network needed to move beyond state one
The claims and assumptions stated as "fact" by Mr Woodward on Iraq are fraudulent. Considering he has got just about everything on Iraq completely wrong in his recent public statements, one has to wonder just what else he make up for this book?
He's an Arabist and an apologist for the various forms of dictators (clerics, sheiks, "royal" dynasties, one-party no-election states, etc) through which those seeking to enforce a "Islam must dominate" ideology maintain power and control. They all oppose true democratic functions soley becuase they would not be able to hold onto power.
Geez, how embarassing for this clown. All the while he held important appointed or elected positions, it was necessary that he be somewhat reticent about his true thoughts and feelings.
But now that he has a chance to talk freely, he reveals himself as a sentimentally vapid ditz.
A corollary to an old proverb: "When trying to build a legacy as a Democrat politician, keep on keeping your dimwit mouth shut."
And in Demspeak: "Dude...gravitas, gravitas,...like shutup!"
Because he's a liar as well as an extremely liberal fool (but I repeat myself.)
He was the 5th District congressman (that's John Lewis's district now -extremely liberal downtown Atlanta district) then ran for senator. He told folks that he only voted liberal because that was the way his constituents wanted him to, and when he represented all of GA as senator he would represent the people.
He lied, of course, but he managed to fool enough of the people to get elected senator (his Republican opponent, Mack Mattingly, wasn't very good). He didn't get re-elected because of course he kept on voting liberal.
Paul Coverdell, who defeated Fowler, was a good senator who died far too young of a sudden and massive stroke.
It might bother him, but I rather like it.
No way, we just invented fried coke!
IOW, Fowler is a dhimmi on the Saudi payroll.
Fowler was a one-termer for a reason. Most of us in Georgia thought he was a fool then, and couldn't wait to vote his butt out. Fowler served from 86-92, and was dumber than a box of hammers, voted against the wishes of his state, and was quite upset when his a** was beat like a rented mule's. The "food for thought" he gave that group either gagged them or made them throw up. He is a loser, and a dummy! Must be a demorat! We sure don't miss him or his buddy Max Cleland down here. Thank goodness they are GONE.
I could not agree more, your analysis is exactly like mine when I talk to friends and family and others, thanks for posting and I'll be re-reading it and your FR webpage http://www.freerepublic.com/~mnjohnnie/ ...rto
Democrats Undermine our National Defense by Misleading their Voter Base, Demoralizing our Troops and Encouraging the Enemy during Time of War.
http://community-2.webtv.net/rtowen/myBlog/index.html
That's why I always preferred Clint Eastwood. He didn't say much, he just rode into town and started killing people.
"The sun is at his back. Now he's spitting. Hell is coming to breakfast Missy."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeasement
Then try to grasp the TRUTH about Iraq and the War on Terror by reading the below.
http://icasualties.org/oif/
http://icasualties.org/oif/IraqiDeaths.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Security_Forces
Listening to all the Media hysteria over Bob Woodward's latest attempt to be the new Kitty Kelly, one is struck by just how wrong the Drive By Media is on every aspect of the Iraq War.
Here is the raw data on Iraq. Seems Bob Woodward latest work is simply a regurgitation of every falsehood, half truth and exaggeration present by the Junk Media on Iraq since 2003.
In a vain attempt to falsely validate preconceived notions, Mr Woodward demonstrated how the Left has managed to be wrong on every aspect of the Iraq War. Mr Woodward's central thesis is that attacks are "as high as they have ever been". Perhaps that is true. Even if true those attacks are getting less and less effective. If conditions are worsening why were the Iraqis taking higher monthly casualties in 2004 and 2005 with a smaller force?
Simply put BW, like the rest of the American Political Left is full of it. They have had their minds made up about Iraq from even before the war started. In his latest work it is clear Mr Woodward simply went to find people who would say what he wanted to hear. It is also becoming apparent that when he did not hear what he wanted, Mr Woodward simply misquoting the source to put his Democrat Party Masters spin on the data. Apparently this current book is his act of atonement to the DC Establishment for writing a fairly balanced book on President Bush last time.
If you chart the data at the sources above, you see a base line of violence. While the violence ebbs and flows the base line is steady at 65 Coalition casualties a month. The Iraqis are averaging a steady 200 casualties a month. No sustained rise in baseline casualties to validate the "Iraq is heading for Civil War" Democrat Media Machine spin.
What is particularly significant about the Iraqi Security Forces casualties is they are averaging the same casualty levels with a much larger force. As of Aug 2006 there is a 300,000 Iraqi security force in the field with about 5,000 being added a month. By the end of the year the Iraqi Security Forces will be complete fielded. Right now out of 18 provinces in Iraq only 2 are considered "not ready" for transition to Iraqi control. Of course the two provinces are Anbar, the province along the Syrian border and Basrah the Shi'a stronghold along the border with Iran. Yet even in both those areas significant progress has been made just in September 2006 alone.
In Anbar the Iraqi tribes have entered into an agreement to work with the Iraqi Government to root out the foreign terrorist groups. In Basrah, the British and Iraqi forces just started operations to crack down on the Shi'a militias.
Iraq: British, Iraq troops begin Basra mission
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1709154/posts
Most Tribes in Anbar Agree to Unite Against Insurgents (The NY Times is deeply saddened)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1703582/posts
This data totally undercuts the spin presented by Bob Woodward, and other Democrat Party propagandists, that Iraq is "heading for Civil War" or is "spinning out of control".
What Woodward et all seem to fixate on is Iraqi Civilian casualties. What they forget is a terrorist or a militia member killed in intra tribal gang warfare is considered "an Iraqi civilian casualty". So when you hear a news story that says "40 bodies discovered around Baghdad" MOST of them are probably casualties from gang on gang violence. While that violence is an on growing crises we and the Iraqis will have to deal with, it is not a fundamental threat to the long term survival of the Iraqi Government.
Obviously the immediate counter the Leftist propagandists will claim is that ;We are not making fast enough progress" That is nonsense.
look at the data on Iraqi security forces. More and more of the job is being taken up by Iraqi forces. 2 of 18 Providence have been turned over to complete Iraqi control. Out of 18 Iraqi provinces all but 2 are at least partially under Iraqi control All the progress in the war is on our side. The enemy is making no progress. Time is on our side, not theirs.
Another factor on Iraq the Leftists fails to grasp is how the war in Iraq has fundamentally changed in the last 6 months. Because the external Terrorist threat has been significantly reduced, we are able to focus on other lesser threats. Witness what the British down south, and the US in the Baghdad region, are doing. They are working with the Iraqis to weed out the gangs and militia that sprung up in the wake of Saddam's fall.
Counter Insurgency is slow, painful work. But the progress is all on our side. The "Insurgents" has demonstrated no ability to politically or militarily evolve. Guerrilla war strategy consists of 3 phases.
1. Stage one: very small unit harassment actions.
2. Stage two: continuation of state one with an evolution to large units actions. Development of larger and large geographic areas fully under Guerrilla control.
3. Stage three: conventional warfare between large units.
The Terrorists are still stuck in stage one of Guerrilla Warfare. They can wreck stuff and kill people they cannot grow. They cannot take and hold ground or engage in anything beyond small scale hit and run attacks.
Their failure to develop a shadow political structure to act as a polar opposite to the Iraqi Government is their fatal flaw. They simply lack the structure or local support network needed to move beyond state one
The claims and assumptions stated as "fact" by Mr Woodward on Iraq are fraudulent. Considering he has got just about everything on Iraq completely wrong in his recent public statements, one has to wonder just what else he make up for this book?
that is just what I was ging to say. But, I thought I would check to see if anyone else had beat me to it and you did.
That must be why people are leaving America by the thousands each day. :)
Victor Davis Hanson: The Pseudo-Histories of the Iraq War
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1717977/posts
“A John Wayne movie,” I said. “That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it? We think war is a John Wayne movie. We think life is a John Wayne movie — with good guys and bad guys, as simple as that. Well, you know something, Mister Limey Poofter? You’re right. And let me tell you who those bad guys are. They’re us. WE BE BAD.”— P.J. O’Rourke, Holidays in Hell.
someone has corrupted the "key words" for this posting, can you correct the "key words"?...rto
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