OK, suppose OBL and his terror network are alive and have regrouped. Suppose also that he succeeds in infiltrating more terrorists into the USA, and they set off a bomb at a major sporting event-let’s say a baseball game. They manage to kill and maim thousands of people. What should the US response be?
Should we then present Saudi Arabia with a demand to arrest the memebers of the terrorist network?
Or should we simply target hydrogen bombs on Riyadh, Teheran, Damascus, and Baghdad?
What can we do at this point…is it fair to say that no Islamic country will move against the Al-Queda terrorist cells?
Should we risk nuclear war to rid the planent of these evil monsters? It sounds a bit extreme, but we may find there is no alternative!
Well, first of all, I don’t think we need to “suppose” OBL is alive - if the US government could even remotely make themselves believe he is dead they would plaster it all over the news.
Second, since OBL is alive, there will be more terror attacks.
Third, demanding anything of the Saudi government is peeing in the wind - they don’t care.
Fourth, using weapons of mass destruction on thousands/millions of innocent people? Cout me out there. It was wrong in WWII and it would be even worse today, given that we have a better outlook on people who are not like us.
Fifth, at this point, yes, it is safe to say no Islamic country is going to give anything other than nominal help, which may be worse than nothing at all, given the fact that with the other hand they will still be helping terrorism survive.
Last, use nuclear war to rid the planet of these monsters? How would that even work? We don’t even know what country OBL is in. Beyond the horrible idea of killing millions of innocents, massive nuclear strikes would obviously not be in the best interests of the survivors, what with nuclear rain and dust floating around the globe,
If you’ve established that they’re in Saudi Arabia, and you have the evidence with which to charge them, yes.
Why would you bomb Tehran, Damascus and Baghdad because you were pissed off at the Saudi government?
I don’t think you should even consider it unless you’ve first of all established that nuclear war would rid the planet of these evil monsters. I have to say that it strikes me that an indiscriminate campaign against a civilian population is more likely to encourage terrorist responses than to discourage them.
Ignorance. Painful.
This having what meaning?
Right, the blind targeting with nuclear weapons of large and mostly innocent civilian populations with little to no connection with al-Qaeda is of great use. It will certainly undermine a radical underground group by blindly killing millions of their co-religionists.
Perhaps you might consider signing up with them, that’s precisely their kind of thinking.
No, it is not fair to say so, it is in fact grossly factually inaccurate. At present, with the possible exception of Sudan, no country allows al-Qaeda to operate openly or even semi-openly. In every country they are, and perhaps this is hard for you to understand, an underground, clandestine organization hunted by the generally rather fearsome security organizations of the region.
It is this honing of their skills which makes al-Qaeda a tough nut to crack.
What we may find is that a large proportion of the US population is bad need of a basic education on these matters.
We should attack the terrorists with vicious, cutting sarcasm, a la Collounsbury. That will make them stop.
Well at least it wouldn’t turn a significant proportion of the world’s population into your sworn enemies, which is about all ralph124c’s ideas seem likely to do.
Out of interest, if the UK had nuked Ireland in response to IRA bombings, would it be:
a) a good solution, or
b) a ghastly act of holocaust, turning the UK into a pariah nation for the wrongful slaughter of millions of innocent people?
I await your response with baited breath.
Terrorism indiscriminately kills innocent people; 9-11 indiscriminately killed thousands of innocent people; nuclear warfare would indiscriminately kills thousands of innocent people.
Now put your OBL hat on and pretend you hate “the Great Satan”: “Should we [indiscriminately kill thousands of innocent people] to rid the planent of these evil monsters? It sounds a bit extreme, but we may find there is no alternative!” :rolleyes:
And would it have been effective at preventing acts of terrorism against the United Kingdom?
(Hint: the answer I’m looking for is “no, it wouldn’t”.)
To Coullounsbury: Just today I’v blasted OBL in an “extremely strong” letter to the TIMES!
There…that will serve them!
To ralph124c: care to retract any of your suggestions?
So you moved from one mis-informed childish position to another?
Whatever.
Yeah and I’ve hurt Al-Qaeda in the pocket book because I refused to purchase a Tanzanite ring because I heard OBL was invested in Tanzanite mines. My refusal to support terrorism with jewelry purchases will surely bring Al-Qaeda to its knees!
:rolleyes: I think we might need something a little stronger than that. Although I wouldn’t bomb the shit out of cities just yet, I would put a helluva alot more pressure on Arab nations to be a little more helpful.