And as USA's temper cools...

[Toadman]

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan's Taliban rulers vowed Tuesday to wage a holy war against America if U.S. forces launched an assault to punish them for sheltering Osama bin Laden, the top suspect in last week's terrorist attacks. The warning came as Islamic clerics gathered in the Afghan capital of Kabul to discuss conditions for possibly extraditing bin Laden to a country other than the United States, a Pakistan government source said Tuesday. The conditions, including international recognition of the Taliban government and the lifting of U.N. sanctions, were discussed Monday in Kandahar, headquarters of the Islamic militia that rules most of Afghanistan, the official said on condition of anonymity.

There's a new twist.. selling out on a fellow Muslim for Int'l recognition, etc. etc., but not surprised a whit. Every scavenger wants a piece of the pie.

[socalgal]

Personally speaking, my 'termper' hasn't cooled one bit on the issue.

President Bush's statement Wanted: Dead or Alive

sounds excellent to me, to all those who are responsible for this atrocity. Whatever it takes and however long it takes.



Somewhat OT.. Anyone catch David Letterman last night - his first night back - with Dan Rather? A very interesting perspective from Mr. Rather and a touching show. Mr. Rather expounded very clearly and without doubt about how unreasonably and unfathomly deep bin Laden's and his organizations' (and similarly, Hussein's) hatred for Americans is. They want to kill us all, period. We need to keep this very much in mind.

[M_Six]

Just think, as much hatred as we feel toward him and his followers now, they have felt toward us for years. Sobering thought; like having an angry, hungry pack of hyenas prowling along the fence around your yard. Suddenly they've found a way in and only now do we make plans to do something about it. They've been there yapping and drooling at us for so long, why weren't we more concerned?

[Scorpio69]

Lets not forget that this is a not strictly an external threat. Hatred is alive and well in all of us. There really is no "fence", or at least the "hyenas" exist on both sides of it.

Hopefully while the temper cools a bit more people will come to realize this.

BTW I was especially affected by Dave's support for Mayor Giuliani's leadership.

[zskillz]

I'm no hyena... I'm one PISSED OFF hunter with a big huge gun that is meant for killing hyenas.



... i like to think of it that way instead

[BBA]

Looks like the Taliban has reached the end of it's existance.

[Praetorian]

I'd nuke 'em. I dont care about radioactive fallout. These people have it comin'.

[Scorpio69]

Praetorian, the radioactive fallout we'd survive. The political fallout would be our doom.

[Ironforge]

then make it look like "accident"

heh heh heh

[ChanslerBei]

Why is it that no one mentions cutting off the 3 billion a year and weapons to Israel? How bout the 2.5 bil a year to Egypt to leave Israel alone? I haven't been able to find any reasons why we're on their side in the first place. They've got nothing we need, while the Muslims have oil. I HAVE however read some interviews with Bin Laden and he consistently mentions our involvement with them as a major factor in the entire Islamic world's distaste for us. Looks to me like more enemies (suicidal maniacs, at that) is the only thing we get out of carrying their weight. I say close the door on people who do nothing for us and turn out the lights on people who do something to us. Am I wrong?

[OuTpaTienT]

Yes you are.

I say close the door on people who do nothing for us...

That's exactly the cold, calus, selfish attitude so many accuse America of having. Sometimes true, sometimes not.

Israel is our ally. Why would we not support them? Plus, without our assistance over the years the Jews may have very well been driven out of their homeland. And where should they go? The Jews are friends, of that we're pretty sure.

[Scorpio69]

Good call OuT.

I say close the door on people who do nothing for us and turn out the lights on people who do something to us.

ChanslerBei - Meaning no disrespect, I think this is currently our policy and has something to do with why many don't care for us.

[omeyehead]

There is a rather large, and influential Jewish population here in the U.S. Probably the reason arms sales continue to Israel. IMO I feel that if we would not have pressured Israel into trying to maintain peaceful relationships for so many years, we would be buying our oil from them. The Arabs have not faired well, when they have decided it was time to attack Israel.

[ChanslerBei]

Did you say arms SALES? so they're buying an amount of weapons worth more than the 3 billion dollars we give 'em outright each year?

While it MAY be true that Israel would be nowhere without us and that Allies SHOULD ideally be provided assistance (from time to time), I'm pretty sure that "Turn the other cheek" and "Business as usual" aren't good solutions to prevent further American loss of life.

Perhaps it's easier to believe that Bin Laden (or whoever) and all Muslims are an irrational, unreasoning personification of Satan's evil that can only think logically when planning destruction on civilians in countries that they pick out of a hat and nothing we have ever done or could do will change that.

[OuTpaTienT]

Perhaps it's easier to believe that Bin Laden (or whoever) and all Muslims are an irrational, unreasoning personification of Satan's evil that can only think logically when planning destruction on civilians in countries that they pick out of a hat...

Believing that of all Muslims would be foolish and incorrect. Believing that of Bin Laden right on target.

...and nothing we have ever done or could do will change that.

At this point it does not matter? Bin Laden and his cronies ARE going to die, that's all there is to it.

Might we alter how we conduct our business in that area in the future to minimize the possibility of others like Laden gaining too much power? No doubt we'll do that. But, we will not turn-tail on our friends/allies in the area just because it might upset some psychopath. Our principles are much more important than any security that would be gains by kowtowing to these violent criminals.