nimh wrote:Sofia wrote:See, there are these people who want you and I to die. They used to plan how to kill us here, but now they've been drawn to Afghanistan and Iraq. They are too busy fighting on their own turf to formulate ways to kill us here.
Dear Sofia,
I've seen you repeat this line of argument several times now in different threads. It is a good thing that Al-Qaeda militants are flowing into Iraq and Afghanistan, because then at least they'll all be there, and it'll be all the easier to strike them down - far from the US.
I have to admit, I don't see it - I mean, I don't see the case you're making.
First off, as Pdiddie already pointed out on another thread, these last two months alone, there were two terrorist bomb attacks - in Indonesia. Other recent attacks were as far afield as Saudi-Arabia, Morocco, the Phillipines, Pakistan. Terrorism has neither gone dormant, nor been bundled into Iraqi or Afghan territory - at least, there's no evidence for that. To point to the 'proof' that 9/11 hasn't been followed up on American soil is kind of gratuitous - there was no attack there
before 9/11 either, and that didn't mean Al-Qaeda was prostrate then, either. The spate of attacks, that seem to quicken rather than slow down, in various places around the world at least would suggest the opposite.
Al-Qaeda and other such groups are recruiting from the Philipines to Sudan, from Bali to London. Do you think all such recruits are automatically forwarded to Basra Port by Osama c.s.? I don't see the logic - they're smart people, they can come up with the same thoughts as you or me, why would they put all their eggs in one basket? They seem to have a tradition of installing "sleepers" around the globe.
In the meantime, the US occupation of Iraq has opened up a whole new recruiting ground for them, that was practically closed to them altogether, before - and even the various insults and incidents that by nature go with a military occupation alone, will ensure a steady, additional inflow there.
EDIT
Oh by the way, I realise it might look a little strange, just falling into this thread with a very specific reference to what already must be an old post again ... I just happened to be walking on the street, remembering your posts, and thinking about them - so when I came home, I posted! :-)
Nimh--
I think you may have mistakenly credited me with saying something I haven't said.
I certainly don't subscribe to the assumption that all al-Quaida have been restricted to Iraq, or that no terrorism will now take place. Countering terrorism requires 100% accuracy. Successful terrorism only requires getting it right once. I'm amazed the US, UK and others haven't been hit-- Frankly, I'm surprised there haven't been more successful terrorist attacks, globally.
I do subscribe to two time-worn military strategies-- The best defense is a good offense-- and if these 500 guys are fighting you in X location, they will not be showing up in Y location.
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I read A2K members pooh-poohing the flypaper scenario-- and last week, I found an article <trying to relocate it> that backed up the assertion that al-Quaida is indeed pouring into Iraq and Afghanistan, and are increasingly being killed in larger groups. I'm glad they're out in the open, and not hidden in an apt in Queens or Wisconsin, or London... Sure, there are probably sleeper cells around--but if the US hates to have their service personnel spread thin, is al-Quaida any different?
To me, its clearly better to have a gathering of the enemy in a location with our service personnel that anywhere else.
