Posted on 09/11/2001 10:33:15 AM PDT by A+Bert (Outta here)
We are at war and no one can deny that. The question is if they do this tomorrow and the next day what happens to our so called invunerable society?
And the Palestinians are dancing in the streets!!
It is definitly time to thin their herd!!
Fox News further reporting all Arab taxi drivers have deserted Manhattan!!
The real question will soon be, how to retaliate.
We're all outraged, and we all want to make the attackers pay dearly, but the BEST response, and the BEST punishment will be a product of cool heads and steel resolution.
We have a brief window of opportunity now were we will essentially be given a free hand by the world community to undertake any reasonable response. Our actions will probably involve a declaration of war.
Our reply may include anything from bombing of host counties' military, government and/or economic centers, all the way up through a complete and total military invasion, occupation and colonialisation of nations. 1) Our leadership will have to act quickly before international sympathy dries up.
2) Or leadership will need to measure and distribute responsibility.
3) Military opportunities (vulnerabilities) will need to be assessed.
4) Targets will need to be prioritized.
5) And finally, our capabilities will need to be measured. We certainly will not be able to take every military action that we would wish. Or military is half the size that is was ten years ago
In our favor, Bush's foreign affairs and defense team is the absolute best that as could possibly be assembled. Agree with Bush's politics or not, he as well as Cheney and Powel have the exact experience, credibility and contacts that are required for the kind major military operation that will be required.
Rest assured that or nation will be united behind whatever actions are undertaken. We have pulled together well against aggression many times in our history, and we proved as recently as 1990 in Desert Storm that we will still unite against an enemy of humanity.
I'm sure all of our greatest sympathies and prayers go out to all the people and families of people who were killed or injured by this stupid and horizons act.
I've asked this in another thread and I don't want to get too redundent, but would something like this really require vast resources?
Think about it. Four planes. Maybe four hijackers (one a pilot) for each plane. Sixteen people. The only _real_ coordination is to hijack planes at the same time. Sixteen people working together could figure out something like that.
As far as this being war, there is always the possibility that this was a domestic operation. (That was pretty sharp flying, hitting the twin towers.) It seems to me that we should consider Tim McVeigh types -- angery, dedicated, skillful ex service people from the US...
If these bold, profoundly effective and powerful, _efficient_ attacks (more characteristics of smart Americans rather than lead-head foreigners), then how the heck should the government respond?! If these were domestic attacks, who would the government punish?! Mark W.
Your entire response is well thought out, measured, and undeniably correct. It is a coherent assessment of what should be done. World sympathy is fleeting. A declaration of war, in a timely, yet unduly hastened fashion, against those nation-states involved would find little civilized opposition.
That's no indication of guilt. Were I an Arab taxi driver in Manhattan I'd be running like hell myself.
The Palestinian clymers cheering in the streets are not a sure sign that Palestinians are responsible - just that certain rude ones are in need of a slap up beside the head.
Let's find the guilty parties and exact severe and appropriate military penalties - not this "five appeals and 15 years later" civilian stuff.
I don't think this is correct. I believe what the London paper said was that bin Laden had made a threat about three weeks ago. . . . . . . checking.
Additionally, despite all of the horror stories we've heard about our inept intelligence gathering, I'm pretty confident that the cowards who did this will be located. Unlike many other investigations, there will be an unlimited budget to get the job done.
Let's face it, 16 guys meeting in a couple of mobile homes could not have planned and executed such a well-coordinated attack without a lot of help.
No, they have no history of the kind of ruthlessness and violence required to pull this off
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