How do you win a "War On Terror"?

You are making stuff up here. :-)

I'll go ask if they agree with you.

I understand you are quite young, and for one so young you display extrodinary insight most of the time, but on other times you descend to the level of belligerent street punk. I personally thnk this was one of those times. Now, have we wasted enough bandwidth away from the actual topic, or will you continue?
I'm going to again ask you to cease with the insults.

You say I've acted like a "punk" but you are the only one flinging the insults in this exchange Hobitbob. I have not been belligerent with you at all. This despite your repeated insults.
I am discussing the topic. You are the only one interested in the insults here.

I'm interested in discussion, not pseudo-sophistry! Give it a rest.

If you are truly interested in discussion, what is your opinion on the current emphasis on Middle Eastern terror networks to the exclusion of activities in Central and South America, Europe, Asia, etc...?

Why was the KKK member recently arrested for possessing explosives not charged under terror statutes, while the operator of a strip club in Vegas was? What does this say about the purpose of the "war on terror" as anything other than semantics?

You talking about the US focus? If so they have focused on Central and South America.

If you are asking why the focus on Arab terrorists I think it's because they have shown more willingness and ability to target Americans.

Craven de Kere wrote:

You talking about the US focus? If so they have focused on Central and South America.

I haven't seen much evidence of this, I would appreciate references.

Quote:

If you are asking why the focus on Arab terrorists I think it's because they have shown more willingness and ability to target Americans.

I am not sure on that point either. I am less fearful of a weekend in Cairo than I am of a weekend in Peru.

In neither location would I be concerned with terrorism. I'd worry a lot more about theives who aren't concerned with ideology. That and STDs.

But it is especially interesting considering our closest "ally" in the hint for bin-Laden is Pakistan.

hobitbob wrote:

But it is especially interesting considering our closest "ally" in the hint for bin-Laden is Pakistan.

Pakistan is not the ally. Musharraf is. ;-)

That statement you linked was a very important one. And it got lots less attention than it deserved.

I just re-read it and got the same impression. That there is a great desire for retribution but not a whole lot of coherent thought into what it will accomplish.

Frankly I think that while there have been other goals the main goal has been simply to "get" us.

"Critics of the Bush Administration's firm approach to the problem of state supported terrorism have much more to explain"

Only if they allow pro-Bush arguments to ascribe anything positive to his policy.

The Taliban have been destroyed; Afghanistan, though still quite turbulent, is no longer the private training preserve of terrorist groups

"The Khost area is a tense situation. It remains a dangerous place," Air Force Brig. Gen. John W. Rosa told reporters at the Pentagon today. U.S. forces continue surveillance and intelligence gathering in that area, he said.

The Joint Staff spokesman gave no details about the intelligence U.S. officials have. "We continue to observe, but to start to characterize at this point in time what we're seeing, I think, is a bit premature," he said.

Pentagon spokeswoman Torie Clarke said U.S. officials expect and anticipate encounters with more pockets of resistance. Al Qaeda and Taliban forces have been in a regrouping mode, she said, "so we fully expect it and it's one of the reasons we're still there."

Vikram Parek, a Kabul-based member of the International Crisis Group, says life outside the Afghan capital has become risky. In this interview with RN's Nikki Brown, he explains that the supposedly vanquished Taliban is responsible for much of the violence:

"I think the most important thing to remember is that the Taliban never really disappeared politically in Afghanistan. Quite a large number were absorbed into post-Taliban administrations, particularly in the south, towards Kabul, but even in the north, so there's an acceleration of efforts towards military ends."

"The Taliban is reforming and getting stronger with al Qaeda help," he said. "The warlords who were on our side versus the Taliban are defecting. Believe it or not, they love [President George W.] Bush here. But, they want to know he still cares about them."