2009, a bad year to be a terrorist

[Prometheus The Supremo]

so is it safe to say that being in a wheelchair made cheney a bitter and antisocial person?

 

[theowne]

As far as the other groups go, the Tamil Tigers and Hamas are both organizations with plenty of criminal elements and a long list of terrorist actions and human rights violations. I'm not sorry to see both are having severe problems this year. But both sides are up against modern armies who are less than careful about how they go about attempting to wipe them out, so the other sides in the equation (Israel and the Sri Lankan Government) shouldn't get off scot free either. Civilian casualties have been high in both cases. A larger problem is both organizations are more than capable of waging terror/insurgency actions for years to come, so there will be no lasting victory as long as there's no peace.

The parliament just ended a lengthy discussion on the matter. I watched online. Was relieved to hear well-informed opinions which realizes that this isn't a black-and-white fight between good and evil. Obviously they must reflect their constituents, but regardless, thank god that not everyone interprets these stories in such simplistic terms.

The Sri Lankan government is very good at PR, and covering up their own terrorism. Also good at painting the rebels as a group that just sprung up out of nowhere and decided to engage in war for the fun of it. And people actually believe it.

 

[cacruden]

Speaking of terrorists (and I mean Cheney)...


Former VP Dick Cheney warns of nuclear attack on United States under President Obama
BY JAMES GORDON MEEK
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Wednesday, February 4th 2009, 7:56 PM


Yes - It's only a matter of time

No - Cheney's gone over the edge

WASHINGTON - Dick Cheney isn't finished scaring the bejesus out of America.

The former vice president warned Wednesday that there's a "high probability" the U.S. will get nuked by terrorists during President Obama's watch.

"The ultimate threat to the country [is] a 9/11-type event where the terrorists are armed with something much more dangerous than an airline ticket and a box cutter - a nuclear weapon or a biological agent of some kind," Cheney told Politico.com from his latest undisclosed location - his new Virginia office.

Cheney said that "perhaps hundreds of thousands of people" would perish in such a strike, and that "there's a high probability of such an attempt."

He also appeared to miss his role defending ex-President George W. Bush for "the dark side" of fighting terrorists. In his first interview since leaving office, Cheney described that effort to protect the country as "a tough, mean, dirty, nasty business."

"We're not going to win this fight by turning the other cheek," Cheney added.
The ex-veep had little kind to say about Obama's plan to shut down the terrorist prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Cheney griped that Democrats "are more concerned about reading the rights to an Al Qaeda terrorist" than protecting the U.S. from Osama Bin Laden's gang.

Some think "if we just go talk nice to these folks, everything's going to be okay," he said. "They're optimistic . . . We were."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/pol...former_vp_dick_cheney_warns_of_nuclear_a.html

Something really snapped in Cheney on 911, his mental health has never recovered.

 

[Admiral Beez]

My feelings is that unlike Cheney, the Jihadists are facing new challenges. First and foremost, IMO 9/11 raised the bar impossibly high for Islam and the Jihadist movement. I don't think Bin Laden expected the WTC to fall down, but expected them to be damaged. So, now that Islam and the Jihad movement has had this huge victory over the west, anything they do next that doesn't kill at least 5,000 people or more seems like a chumpchange failure. Look at the Islamic bombings of the London train and bus systems, they killed a few dozen people, and the next day the Brits swept up the mess and carried on with their lives. That's hardly going to inspire more backpack bombers to Islam.

So, in a sense I can understand Cheney's thinking, in that he knows that a terror group is only as good as its last success, and thus Bin Laden and AlQda must do something even bigger in order to stay relevant and to continue to garner support and funding from their Muslim brothers around the world.

 

[ganjavih]

So, now that Islam and the Jihad movement has had this huge victory over the west...

Dude, when are you going to stop making yourself look like an ignorant xenophobe? You're not really that dumb are you? Do you really think there is a war between the Islamic world in general and the West?

 

[Brian69]

The parliament just ended a lengthy discussion on the matter. I watched online. Was relieved to hear well-informed opinions which realizes that this isn't a black-and-white fight between good and evil. Obviously they must reflect their constituents, but regardless, thank god that not everyone interprets these stories in such simplistic terms.

The Sri Lankan government is very good at PR, and covering up their own terrorism. Also good at painting the rebels as a group that just sprung up out of nowhere and decided to engage in war for the fun of it. And people actually believe it.

Yes, the Sinhalese government essentially started the whole mess with their discriminatory practices a few decades ago and gave the Tamils there a reason to push back. Since then it's become a tit-for-tat affair in which the civilians on both sides have suffered. Since the Tamils are fast becoming a substantial voting bloc in Canada (and more noticeable through the recent street protests) and the Sinhalese less so I hope this doesn't affect future government positions on the matter. The non-political $3 million in humanitarian aid is a good start.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Dude, when are you going to stop making yourself look like an ignorant xenophobe? You're not really that dumb are you? Do you really think there is a war between the Islamic world in general and the West?

No, there is not a declared war between the West and the Islamic world. And yes, the vast majority of Muslims are just trying to live their lives peaceful and enjoyably, just like the rest of us.

However, what we do have is a strong global Islamo-fascist movement, that is funded by those that run much of the Islamic world such as the Saudis, that has attacked and killed thousands of civilians on the West's home turf and abroad (Bali, etc.), while the West has invaded and occupied three Islamic nations (Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan), attacked territories in several other Islamic countries (Libya, Pakistan and Sudan), funds and supports Israel's supposed oppression of the Palestinians and looks to be ramping up for an attack or strengthened sanctions on Iran. If I was an everyday Muslim, and looked at this picture of Western and Islamo-fascist attacks and counter-attacks, I'd certainly think there was an undeclared war on between the West and the Islamic world.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Yes, the Sinhalese government essentially started the whole mess with their discriminatory practices a few decades ago and gave the Tamils there a reason to push back.

IIRC, it was the British that started the mess by importing Tamil labourers to Ceylon from their homeland in Tamil Nadu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Nadu

 

[qwerty]

Dude, when are you going to stop making yourself look like an ignorant xenophobe? You're not really that dumb are you? Do you really think there is a war between the Islamic world in general and the West?

Ignorant?
Dear fellow Infidel,
Militant muslims ARE on a crusade against the west -and east, and north, and south... Most every major conflict across the globe today involves militant muslims &(you choose the group -jews, sihks, christians, infidels..), plus expansion into Europe, Asia, Africa, America... Somali 'pirates', protesting 'youths' in France, Chechnyan 'rebels' in Beslan...-i can go on forever) They are very not interested in assimilating into western culture but rather to have you convert. Keep in mind i am speaking of the militant muslims -jihadists. And they dont have any use for even 'peaceful' muslims. The naive western peacenic is there useful idiot and enabler. We may choose to stop fighting the war against "terrorism" but they're not done yet. Perhaps you are to deluded by hollywood or cbc shows/depiction of villans but the real world aint so peaceful. Just ask Theo VanGogh, Daniel Pearl or Nick Berg. Dude, get up to speed.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Now, Ganja, that was an "ignorant xenophobe".

 

[Brian69]

IIRC, it was the British that started the mess by importing Tamil labourers to Ceylon from their homeland in Tamil Nadu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Nadu

I was thinking more in terms of the present conflict but of course it is true that without Britain importing Tamils the tensions would not have occurred.

 

[qwerty]

Now, Ganja, that was an "ignorant xenophobe".

Can't we all just get along?

Im new to this forum but im not surprised by such an empty response;the old saw;"you're a ___phobe". 'ignorant' or 'xenophobe' or 'anything-phobe' -oh no!! ...gonna have to rethink my position.
...O.K, if that's the best you can do, to rebut(facts), then checkmate, mate.

 

[Roy G Biv]

Most every major conflict across the globe today involves militant muslims

By most, I'm assuming you're aiming for 51%......

 

[Admiral Beez]

I was thinking more in terms of the present conflict but of course it is true that without Britain importing Tamils the tensions would not have occurred.

Same goes for Fiji, which has been experiencing civil unrest very similiar to Sri Lanka, in that the descendants of ethnic-Indians brought in as labour by the British are now fighting against the native Polynesian Fijians for power.

 

[Hydrogen]

Now, Ganja, that was an "ignorant xenophobe".

Well, to his credit he did say "militant." However, what goes unsaid is that such militants exist within every religion and ideology. Westerners who push exlcusive Western notions on non-Westerners can come off sounding pretty militant, as well. For example, we generally forget that communism is a Western political and economic ideology, and militant communists brought about millions of deaths in non-Western countries.

No, there is not a declared war between the West and the Islamic world.

There is no declared war, but you are insinuating that there is a war. If you believe that there is a war between two very broadly defined groups, then can one assume that you possibly view even the non-combatants with suspicion?

Look at the Islamic bombings of the London train and bus systems, they killed a few dozen people, and the next day the Brits swept up the mess and carried on with their lives. That's hardly going to inspire more backpack bombers to Islam.

Are these bombs exclusive to Islam? Is an Islam bomb a religion-based device? Or is this usage here aimed at linking all of Islam to bombing? Broadly linking an entire group of people to a bombing tends to obliterate rejection of such actions within the Islamic community.

f I was an everyday Muslim, and looked at this picture of Western and Islamo-fascist attacks and counter-attacks, I'd certainly think there was an undeclared war on between the West and the Islamic world.

The relevant points here are that extremists like bin Laden have essentially "declared war," and that a vast majority of Muslims have not joined in and show no interest in doing so. That would hardly suggest a state of war between the West and the Islamic world.

As a final note, the roots of Islam have considerable commonality to the "Western" world. It would be refreshing if those qualities would be explored more often, rather than just emphasizing the differences - which are largely political.