Posted on 03/31/2003 7:58:22 PM PST by Incorrigible
Apr 1 2003
By Mo Mowlam
WHERE do we go now? Over the weekend journalists, generals and academics all suggested the war will be much longer than originally anticipated.
All those politicians happy to use the crass expression “shock and awe” before war broke out, are now suggesting they knew all along the war could be long and drawn out. [Only some, not all]
I have always been opposed to this war. And much of my objection was tied to my fear that it would only exacerbate the anti-western feelings in the Muslim world.
My worst fears have been proved correct. Anti-American and British feeling is running very high, and we have even seen that most unlikely event occurring, al-Qaeda supporters turning up in Iraq to fight with their Arab Iraqi brothers. [Unlikely? This was talked about quite a bit. Especially when it's been shown that Mujahideen types were fighting with the not so fanatical Muslims in the KLA in Kosovo]
This marriage, but a fantasy of the more pro-war hawks before the war, has become a reality. [Wrong, see above]
So it is clear the hoped for winning of Iraqi hearts and minds is not going to work. [Remains to be seen.]
The surprising fact people whose country you are bombing do not come out on the streets in your support is beginning to be appreciated in Washington and Whitehall.
Many in the Arab world hated America and Britain before this war started. Now many more do.
We shall end the war being more hated than we were at the start. We will have increased the threat of terrorism around the world and made ourselves a greater target. [More hated, maybe. Increase in terrorism, depends if your solution below works Mo]
It is fair to say the Government’s policy in relation to terrorism and Iraq has been a failure. [It's also fair to say that the agreements you helped author in the north aren't exactly causing peace and love to occur across sectarian lines in Belfast either my lady]
But what do we do now? What is the best course of action for Britain and America to take? [Now we get to the good part]
To me there are three options.
We could withdraw now. Continue our present approach, of targeted bombing. Or thirdly we could increase the bombing of Basra and Baghdad, and invade those cities.
How should we choose between these options? Should we use short-term moral criteria, like counting up how many will die? Or should we look to the post war situation to calculate what can be rescued in terms of British and American interests after the war?
The first approach may well be favoured by many in the anti-war camp. Withdraw now, and recognise the war was a mistake. This is what many Iraqis fear we may do. [Ack!]
This of course is unrealistic. For Bush and Blair it would be political suicide, their humiliation almost absolute. It would also be a terrible national humiliation, far beyond our leaders, with all the implications for future foreign and trade relations around the world. [You got that right!]
No, the problem is that having started this war we must now finish it and win it. So is the present approach the best way to go?
To some this softly, softly, ‘we don’t want to be nasty to the Iraqi people just the regime’ approach, seems like a great compromise. [Agreed]
It minimises civilian, American and British deaths, and we try to convince ourselves it makes the Iraqi population like us more. [Agreed]
We are seeing now that it isn’t working. The Iraqis remain unconvinced, and the hatred of the coalition grows across the region. [Agreed]
All this approach does is make the war longer, maintaining hugely damaging propaganda pictures being beamed into Arab homes and hardening the hatred that exists. [Agreed]
It is an approach which is unfortunately a sop to our consciences, but is woolly thinking. [Correct!]
The Iraqis of course know this. They hate and despise us. They think we are weak and cowardly. That we started the war, but don’t have the stomach for the fight. [Good thing Clinton isn't President anymore otherwise you'd be right again Mo]
We are seen as scared of risking our soldiers’ lives, and our image of invincibility is daily diminished. Yes, we will most likely at the end of this win, but we will have lost any respect Arab opinion may have had for us. Remember we must do this, we cannot walk away from the Middle East, we need oil. [And we need to keep the barbarians away from the gates]
But we will also have to cope with more of their terrorists. [Not necessarily Mo. You've got the right idea just below. Follow through!]
My awful conclusion is we must win this war quickly, and be seen to be brave, powerful and invincible. [Bravo!]
We have no choice but to adopt the last option with more bombing and taking the war to the enemy, even if that means the dreadful level of casualties that will go with it. We will still be hated, but we will also be held in awe. That is now a consequence of any further action we take.
Fear and respect is not as good as friendship and understanding but it is better than being despised. [You're so close Mo but your eyes don't want to see!]
We should never have found ourselves in this position, but our leaders took us here. [Which leaders Mo? Which leaders showed weakness in the face of US directed terror? Which leader undermined US military might? Which leader made the US look like a good target? The current leaders of the US and UK reflect the will of the people Mo. If they didn't take us here, then your prediction of more terrorism would be correct!]
They now need the courage to make the right, tough decisions, for there is no easy way out of this monumental mistake.
Not for commercial use. For educational and discussion purposes only.
On another thread it was proposed that we should use a few Neutron bombs which would minimize US/UK military casualties and preserve the ancient artifacts of Babylon. Perhaps there's something to this solution.
Oh, cripes, compared to WHAT?
Let's see: Was Anti-American feeling in the Arab world very high in...
...1983? US Embassy in Beirut, Explosion kills more than 60 (TWICE THAT YEAR!!!); American Naval Officer assassinated in Athens; Truck bomb kills 241 U.S. Marines in their barracks in Beirut
...1984? Bombings in Germany included U.S. Army Motor Pool; U.S. Military Church; Lindsay A.S., Wiesbaden; USAF Com Stn., Wiesbaden; USAF Int. Off., Dusseldorf
...1985? U.S. Consul attacked in Frankfurt, WGER; American Officers Club, Bomb (dud), Stuttgart; David Jacobsen, Hospital Director, Kidnapped by Hizbollah in Beirut; TWA Flight 847, 17 day TV vigil after hijacking of plane and killing of Navy diver Steelworker Second Class (DV) Robert Dean Stethem in Beirut; Pan Am Flight 73, twenty-one people including two Americans killed by four Arab terrorists in Karachi, Pakistan; Italian Cruise Ship Achille Lauro, Four Palestinians connected with terrorist leader Abu Nidal held ship for three days killing wheelchair-bound Leon Klinghoffer, an American member of the Jewish faith, and throwing him overboard; Abu Nidal's group struck twice the same day at different airports, Rome and Vienna, killing 20 people including five Americans, one of them an 11 year girl; U.S. Army Sergeant killed in bombing of disco frequented by American servicemen in Frankfurt, WGER.
...1986? TWA Flt 840 exploded in midair due to a bomb planted in the cargo hold by Libyan terrorists, the resulting hole sucking passenger Maria Stylian Klug and her 9 MONTH old daughter Demetra out of the plane where they fell thousands of feet to their deaths; 2 American servicemen killed in a disco bombing in West Berlin.
...1988? Pan Am Flight 103 bombed, exploded, pieces of the plane fell onto the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 259 people on the plane and 11 people on the ground.
...1993? World Trade Center in NYC was bombed, killing 7.
...2000? U.S. Navy Destroyer USS Cole severely damaged by suicide bombers, 17 sailors killed or missing and presumed dead.
Or how about 2001? Was "Arab Anti-American sentiment" very "high" in 2001? Hm?
Get this through your towelled head, "Arab street." We have put up with your ****, and put up with your ****, and PUT UP WITH YOUR ****, and WE DON'T REALLY GIVE A ***** how "HIGH" your *****ing "anti-American" sentiment is at any given moment, do you hear?
Thanks to Michael Savage for reading this passage on his show this evening.
Alright, alright. I agree!
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