[dirtboy]

A group of leading Arab intellectuals warned on Monday that the US-led "war on terror" was "giving ruling regimes in some Arab countries spurious justification for curbing freedom".

Like they were so free and democratic prior to the war on terror. Give me a friggin' break.

[alnitak]

Last year's 168-page report was downloaded by more than 1m people from the UNDP website.

Quick guess - this was mostly by well-informed westerners (like readers of this site) who wanted to know just how bad a shape the middle east was in.

[mmandahl]

And why was the war on terror started?

Because of Islamofacists. If Arabs really wanted to end the war on terror, they could. They could denounce terrorism and put an end to the type of Islam that promotes terrorism. Until then, they will deal with the consequences of their fellow brother's actions.

[RightWhale]

Could the arabs convert to a new religion? They one they have now is obviously not doing right by them, nor is it their own religion anymore. Most Muslims are not arab, a minority in their own country.

[Roughneck]

"A group of leading Arab intellectuals..."

Never heard of them. Did the head idiot declare the rest intellectuals?

[TADSLOS]

Yeah, we're holding them back from joining the 13th century. Hell, I'm all for sending them back to the stone age.

[etcetera]

Note to Arab "intellectuals":
If you let your terror groups exploit channels of communication that have valid uses like educational exchange, and then those channels of communication are restricted, why are you surprised? DUH!

[COBOL2Java]

"Terror war 'holding back Arab societies'"

Gosh, what isn't holding those societies back? Gee, those poor societies! Such victims!

Why, you don't think that the Arab societies themselves are responsible, do you?

Naaaaaaaaaaah!

[Hugin]

The report explicitly calls for the Iraqi people to be able to "exercise their basic rights in accordance with international law - [and] free themselves from occupation".

Iraq is the only free, soon to be democratic county in the Arab world because of our occupation. The Iraqis know this, that's why they don't want us to leave anytime soon. If it was up to "Arab intellectuals" they would still be under Saddams bloody thumb. Their saying "restructuring" must come from "within" is an attempt to delegitimize any eventual democratic government in Iraq.

[My2Cents]

What were their reasons prior to 9/11/01? Arab regimes have been holding back the aspirations of their people for 1600 years.

[gridlock]

Within the next year, look for a consensus to emerge from Islamic religious authorities and on the "Arab Street" that terrorism is a bad idea, and that it must be suppressed in order for Islam to make progress in the world. At this point, Islamic terrorism will be ruthlessly repressed in these societies, and will largely die out for the next 50 years or so.

This will be hailed by the anti-everything Left as proof that the WOT was wrong, but people who understand history will know otherwise. It will prove that force works to deter aggression, and that the way to secure temporary peace from Islam is to stuff the terrorist genie back into his bottle through brute force.

This is how the game of global Whack-A-Mole is played.

[Guillermo]

Arabs NEVER blame themselves for their own problems.

It's always the fault of others (American, Israelis, Jews, Westerners, Capitalists).

[PBRSTREETGANG]

What a steaming load of camel dung!

[Publius6961]

Of course it "holds back" arab "societies.

Close down all those homicide vest factories and the actual explosives factories themselves, and all they got left to do is hang out on street corners, smoke and curse jews.

Or maybe hold mock funerals, shoot guns in the air and put on masks to improve their looks.

[tkathy]

Arab intellectuals? The ultimate oxymoron?