Sept. 10 in Waziristan

The National Intelligence Estimate released July 17 put the problem plainly enough: Al-Qaeda has "regenerated key elements of its Homeland attack capability" using a new haven in the lawless frontier area of northwest Pakistan known as Waziristan.

For those who might have forgotten in the six years since Sept. 11, 2001, what a reconstituted al-Qaeda could do, the intelligence analysts explained that the terrorist group has "the goal of producing mass casualties, visually dramatic destruction, significant economic aftershocks and/or fear among the U.S. population." The analysts noted that al-Qaeda continues to seek biological, radiological and nuclear weapons "and would not hesitate to use them."

Crumpton proposed a detailed plan last year for rolling up these sanctuaries, which he called the Regional Strategic Initiative. It would combine economic assistance and paramilitary operations in a broad counterinsurgency campaign.

A form of this is exactly what will work (with us /U.S. being given the ability sans any interference to attack HVT targets).

We need both more U.S. guns and butter into these Pak border regions - Guns at those we want dead and butter for those who get out of our way (and even more butter to those who help with Intel).

We should NOT be negotiating with Pakistan about al Qaeda in their country.

We SHOULD have a big enough military to keep 160,000 in Iraq as at present, and to invade the rebel province(s) of Pakistan to kill very many terrorists and their kin, supporters, etc.

Or better yet, bomb them daily like we did Germany and Japan during WWII.

“Or better yet, bomb them daily like we did Germany and Japan during WWII.”

Guess we have to wait until some of the biological, chemical or nuclear weapons kills a few hundred thousand Americans before we start WWII style bombing. Just hope it isn’t your city that they hit first.

“Guess we have to wait until some of the biological, chemical or nuclear weapons kills a few hundred thousand Americans before we start WWII style bombing. Just hope it isn’t your city that they hit first.”

In WWII Hitler bombed London to try terror on the English people, assuming they would “submit.”

We eventually turned the tables, bombing Dresden and Hiroshima with the same goal.

Part of the problem the western civilized world is having with radical islam may be our reluctance to bring terror down on their civilian populations, until they turn on their own terrorists.

Maybe sooner, maybe later. (So far we are playing with self-imposed rules, against a huge population which is growing terrorists faster than we are killing them.)

You are right we probably won’t get really serious until they succeed with a major hit of some kind.

Bush’s ideas about democracy seem problematic, too. The muslims will elect terror supporting regimes, which sets us back.

So we are stuck with the Saudi monarchy, the Egyptian dictatorship and the Pakistani mess. It would be interesting to learn about military contingency plans to poison water and ruin food sources.

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