Giving in to terrorist demands-Why?

[RCA]

Besides what drives the world is not military force but economic globalization, and who are the prime promoters of that. Three guess and it ain't Andorra or Albania. Isolation is no longer an option. At least the US has a strong military to back itself up.

As for govt caving to terrorist actions, it is easy to take the high road but who knows. Ho country is immune. Even the US pulled out of Beirut, Somalia, and a lessor extent Vietnam. They learned the hard way to stay. Canada did not pull out of Cyprus (1974), Yugo (our own hostage), or the Middle East when a plane full of peace keepers was shot down. Today who knows. I bet the Berg family would have moved heaven and earth to get him home. To the point of pulling out of Iraq, who know, but in retrospect, the is a good chance   they would have, only to get him back. There is already a small vocal minority who would pull the US out of Iraq because the price is too high.

And if a country joins the US in Iraq, not because of idealogy, but they rather reap the benefits of being for instead of against, what price is too high?

If it was your sibling, parent, or spouse, are you willing to say they can be sacrificed for the greater good. If so, you are a better person then me.

 

[Military Brat]

next time the phillipines needs the USAs help i hope the USA laughs in their face and tells them were to stick it.

 

[RCA]

And THANK-YOU Military Brat for your eloquent and insightfull contribution to the debate.

Ickee says "if head up ass, don't fart"

 

[Military Brat]

And THANK-YOU Military Brat for your eloquent and insightfull contribution to the debate.

Ickee says "if head up ***, don't fart"

well..i aim to please.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Well you are not pleasing us so grow up and watch your step. Otherwise you will be out of here.

 

[RCA]

Military Brat

Your aim, like your intellect is sadly lacking. A soldier hopeful is the most you can likely aspire to.

Until you can contribute, kindly stay in the sandbox.

 

[Spr.Earl]

Pres. Arroyo is on thin ice right now politicly,she barely won the election,they have three major rebel group's they are fighting,the M.L.F and Abu Sayef in Mindanoa and the N.P.A. on Luzon and I beleive they would be better fighting them instead of being in Iraq.
One thing the west can not afford is political unrest never mind the collapse of the Philippine Gov. no matter how unlikely it may be.
We need a stable and strong Philippines with out internal unrest that this hostage taking was leading tone must remember who sit's next door and with a strong and stable P.I. they can keep Indonesia  in check.Just because Indonesia is not in the news does not mean thing's are quite.

That's where I'm coming from,looking at the greater picture in S.E.Asia.

 

[SuperG]

Howdy all,

Everytme a little country or minor steak holder gives in it makes it worst on the next weaker country trying to support.

In the big scheme of things they know the major players won't play that type of ball so that's why they are targetted.

Just my small observation.

 

[Infanteer]

What kinda steak would they be holding, T-Bone or Ribeye?

;D

Sorry, I couldn't resist.  I just don't see the word steak pop up in international discourse to ofter.

 

[commando_wolf63]

The Brits don't put up with any crap and have dealt with the IRA for years and has a ton of experience dealing terrorists




It doesnt really matter what we do our hands are tied.  If your give into the terrorists they will keep doing what they have been doing.  On the other hand if you step in and jail or exterminate them. There will be more that will take their place.  By the way not all muslims are bad it's just the fanatics who interpet the Koran to twisted levels. You'll find that in any religion.

 

[Torlyn]

I'm not sure that using Enlgand's dealing with the IRA is the best way to show how to deal with terrorists.  The net desire (IMHO, of course) is to stop terrorism...  Last I checked, the IRA was still active in England.  As well, the earlier mention of Israel's handling of Muslim terror groups by living up to the "eye for an eye" hasn't solved anything.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning Spain or the Philippine's reaction to the specific terroist activities that have cuased them to pull out.  What I do believe is that we must respect those countries' wishes, and allow them to go their way peacefully.  However, this does not give them carte blanche in dealing with terrorism.  If they are unwilling to actively stamp out terrorism for the good of humanity, if they are too narrow-minded to realize that some sort of solution must be reached for the good of us all, so be it.  Should they allow any sort of terrist harbouring, or funding, or safe havens, then I belive they cease being part of the solution, and become part of the problem.  IN short, if they want to pull out, fine, but they cannot be so naive to think that just because they have stated they will take no part in the war on terrorism, that the war still won't be brought to their doorstep.  bin Laden and his ilk would love to have more "neutral" contries.  They grant more spaces for training and funding.

One question I'd like to pose on the route I'm following, is do you belive that we have the right/responsibilty to do anything regarding a country's specific non-involvement, if we know that non-involvement is helping terrorism?  I have never been to the middle east, so I am not certain if the news stories regarding prominent members of the Saudi's ruling family supporting al-Quada are true, (I'm not one to put my full belief in the media, for some strange reason  but if they are, should we be doing something about it?  The consensus that seems to stem from this thread is that terrorism needs to be stamped out actively...  If we can eliminate funding and training bases, wouldn't that reduce the ability for terrorism to succeed?

 

[karpovage]

Torlyn, good post. I read a book called Funding Evil by a leading international expert on terrorism and Yes! this is one of the most important solutions - stop the funding of terrorism. In her book all arrows point to Saudi Arabia as the source for this funding. There are definite dubious activities and stifling of investigations into these sources by "Our Friends the Saudis". I would also like to point out that Tom Clancy, well know fiction and nonfiction writer with incredible insight in world military issues has a new book out titled, The Teeth of the Tiger. This book is his solution to terrorism. Essentially, in the book the outgoing President clandestinely authorizes an assassination agency unkown to the other government agencies. Their mission is to specifically go after and eliminate the sources of funding of terrorists. Not freezing accounts. But actual assassination of the wealthy individuals writing the checks. Incidentally, Saudi Arabia is a key player in this book as well.

So I agree, take out the funding but also make sure to take out the wealthy individual behind it too. This is not the end-all solution because we have seen that all it takes to turn an airplane into a bomb was a $2.00 utility knife, but this is one of the solutions that could put a true dent into international terrorism.

 

[Spr.Earl]

Karpovage,I've just started reading "The Kingdom,Arabia and the House of Sa'ud" by Robert Lacey but alas it was printed in 81.
I wonder If I'll come across anything on the funding they do?

 

[1feral1]

Its common knowlege thay Cdn and Aussies are in country doinf private contract work, so its just a matter of time until one of these contractors is taken hostage.

Australia has sent more ASLAVS and crews for them, and there are many hundreds of ADF personnel there doing their jobs, including one of my CPLs I had at AASAM last yr (Steve, if you read this.... hang in there).

I often wonder what John Howard would do if and when one of our lads in taken (sheesh-  imagine if a woman was taken and beheaded).

Currently or as when I left, a Aussie woman  journalist was taken hostage in Afghanistan, and I have yet to hear of her fate.

Life is truly cheap in that part of the world, and has been for a long time. I wonder how the Cdn govt will handle things if Cdns are taken hostage. In the spirit of the honour of our past, I hope they would not turn yellow like the above mentioned countries in an other post on this thread, and give victory to a bunch of godless murderers.

If leaving Iraq will save the PI, Spain, and others from attack and murder, they are wrong, and they will be looked upon as weak and easy for next time.

Regards,

Wes

 

[Spr.Earl]

I have two friend's there doing humanitarian work and last was they were sand bagging and that was over a month ago.