I'm not arguing that point, xzins. I completely agree that we shouldn't give in to bullies (though that's far too nice a word for the monsters we're fighting).
My point is that Petraeus' statement in protection of his troops is not doing that. It's saying, think about what you're doing and do the right thing for our troops.
Jones clearly doesn't give a rip about our troops.
What Graham said was giving in, in that he, as a member of Congress actually said we should take away rights. That's a different matter, for which he should be castigated and possibly impeached.
Now think about the Soros/Obama goal of inflaming the Middle East and see how Jones' bad behavior fits nicely into their plan.
It does, doesn't it?
ohioWfan, Gen. Petraeus is an honorable man.....I'm sure he is all for protecting our troops given the constraints of ROE's currently in play......but...... I question his tactics. Since I'm not in the military, my opinions may not matter much, but here there are.
A snippet from the WSJ,
Inside the Massacre at Afghan Compound Inside the building, other attackers targeted one of the safe rooms. The door proved little protection against the mob. As intruders penetrated the safe room, Pavel Ershov, a Russian diplomat who speaks fluent Dari sought to protect three staff members by distracting the assailants, the U.N.'s Mr. de Mistura said.
"Are you Muslim?" the assailants asked Mr. Ershov, according to one diplomat briefed on the attack. Mr. Ershov lied and said he was, the U.N. said. The assailants tested him by asking him to recite the traditional profession of belief in Islam, which begins, "There is no God but Allah."
When he successfully completed the test, his life was spared. Still, he was dragged into the street and beaten badly, according to a local shopkeeper who said he participated in the assault.
Gen. Petraeus has been trying to win the "hearts and minds" of Muslims for as long as I can remember in the ME. It makes sense on paper, it may work in certain instances where you take ground little by little with the local populace, fighting back the insurgents or Taliban. But, this little exchange provides a lot of insight into the Muslim mind.
Muslim? okay - you only get beaten if you work with the infidel. Not Muslim - you are dead, and deservedly so....the quran allows/encourages it.
Gen. Petraeus wants to protect his troops.....that is a given. Treating these Muslims like children who have "maybe understandable passions" is appeasement. It's one thing to appease(guide) a two year old after a tantrum, knowing that you're job is to help them mature, learn lessons, grow up, etc. These Muslims are very dangerous, killing machines, given enough ammunition (whether it's physical or mental "anguish")
There is only one way to stop them....no quarter for behavior like this. Fear begets respect. We ain't gonna win their hearts and minds with appeasment. We encourage more irrational behavior by excusing the original irrational behavior, and we give them more time to breed younger Muslims in the ways of the quran.
We can keep going down the road we've traveled, or we can try a new one. Their reaction to the Jones' "book-burning" incident is a perfect opportunity to try a new route. Instead, we are continuing to appease, and make excuses for their intolerable behavior.
xzins, your statement,
Whether Jones is Obama’s new playmate is irrelevant to whether we should give in to bullies. We shouldn’t. Ever. - is spot on. (and much more succinct than my blather!)