there are some people in this country who still do not seem to understand that the war on terrorism is not just about iraq. the war on terrorism will not be over at the end of the bush 43 presidency. it will not be concluded when the last of the US troops leave iraq and afghanistan. terrorism has always existed in the world. it’s something that is more easily ignored when it doesn’t happen to people we know, or when it happens in some place we have never been. 9/11 was a tragic wake-up call that a terrorist attack could happen in the united states of america, and it brought an up close and personal introduction to a new kind of enemy — one that doesn’t follow the generally accepted rules of engagement. that’s the kind of enemy the nation of israel is facing right now.
israel has been dealing with terrorists for quite a long time, and unfortunately for them, there’s no end in sight to that struggle. the new attacks against israel are proof of that. when you have a political party whose sole purpose for existence is killing jews, like hezbollah, how is negotiation even possible? when your opposition consists of ideologues with beliefs like that, how can they be appeased? more importantly, why must they be appeased? why should israel give them what they want?
i’m not a foreign policy expert, so i can’t suggest the next move for any of the parties involved in this conflict. all i can understand is what we have learned from history. we don’t defeat terrorists by giving them what they want. we don’t defeat terrorists by giving in to fear. we defeat terrorists by killing them, and by cutting off their financing and means of communicating with each other. i don’t believe that any of us will ever see the end of the war on terrorism. we still need to do what we can to keep our country safe. i believe this.
israel understands the threat they face with terrorists, and they usually do a capable job handling that threat. what about this country? are we willing to take the necessary steps to ensure the security of the united states of america and to protect this country from foreign and domestic threats to that security? that’s the committment president bush made to us when he was sworn into office and that’s the promise he made to us after 9/11.
read the senate resolution on israel , pdf here (h/t- truthlaidbear). i don’t think i could have added anything to what they said. terrorism is not a bogus threat. it’s a real threat. the response to it needs to be a serious one, and not a collection of soundbites designed for political point scoring. decide for yourself who you think is guilty of this.
“all i can understand is what we have learned from history. we donÂ’t defeat terrorists …”
That’s where your statement should have stopped.
Sorry, but killing terrorists has not stopped them. Look at Israel, the very subject of your post. Has killing tens-of-thousands of Arabs stopped terrorism there? Nope.
Terrorism is the result of any culture tat feels as if it is oppressed, whether real or imagined.
It can be the Basques if Spain, the Chechens of Russia, the Palestinians, or the Kurds of Turkey.
Killing them won’t help. What Israel is doing is forging the destinies of thousands of young Lebanonese. They too, will become terrorists.
How does it stop? I don’t know, but am certain you are wrong when you suggested history shows killing people stops terrorism, I see history proving that it does not.
Death is a better deterrent than appeasement. Fear of death probably won’t stop those who see themselves as martyrs and who are willing to die for some kind of afterlife payoff. I think we can win smaller battles against terrorists, but giving into their demands only strengthens their position. That was my point. I did go on to say that I didn’t think we will see the end to the war on terrorism.
I disagree with your assessment that Israel’s actions defending itself will cause thousands of young Lebanese to become terrorists. I just don’t see that happening.