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Re: Thoughts
Posted By: Dave, on host 208.234.219.180
Date: Thursday, September 20, 2001, at 17:45:18
In Reply To: Re: Thoughts posted by Rob J D on Thursday, September 20, 2001, at 14:23:47:

> Now lets go back to the events of Sept 11. I
>am not advocating doing nothing to bring those
>who helped commit these acts to justice. I just
>think that the slow diplomatic approach showing
>valid evidence of guilt is the best response.

I'd totally agree with you if I thought it would do any good. But you can't reason with terrorists. We are at such polar opposite extremes on this one that neither side is going to budge even an inch in my lifetime through negotiations alone. What do you propose we do? Ask Afghanistan to hand over bin Laden and destroy his camps? We've DONE that. What do you propose to do AFTER THEY REFUSE, which they are almost certain to do? Ask again, but say "pretty please" this time? I think YOU need to sit down and think out your own theory a little further. You blithely talk about diplomacy and such, without even completely understanding what that means. Diplomatic resolutions to this and all problems are preferable. But what do you do when diplomacy simply doesn't work? Keep rephrasing your request? Give in and let them have their way? No. Diplomacy in situations like this would ONLY work if backed up with the threat of force. "Hand over bin Laden, or else we'll come get him." Which is exactly what we've said, and exactly what we intend to do.

>Let's not create anymore reasons for someone to
>retaliate with another violent attack. Let's
>also remember that there are many potential
>reasons for why this act occurred, like 300,000
>dead children under the age of 5 in Iraq since
>the Gulf War. Were they guilty of anything?
>That doesn't make our nations look completely
>innocent either.

Saddam Hussein is to blame for any civilians dead in Iraq after the war. The problem with our Iraqi policy is NOT that we imposed the embargo, but that we DIDN'T depose Hussein when we had the chance. Without Hussein, the embargo wouldn't be necessary, or at least wouldn't be "killing" innocent Iraqi citizens (I put "killing" in quotes because I don't know enough about the situation to be able to convincingly say that yes, indeed, the embargo is killing people. For instance, does anyone have any numbers on how many "innocent Iraqis" died each day/month/year BEFORE the sanctions were imposed, as a comparison?) To lift the embargo would be tacitly admiting that Hussein has a right to stay in power and terrorize his own citizens with impunity. This would be even worse than what we are doing now.

-- Dave