[Grovenet] 9/11

[Eric Canon]

--- Ron D'Eau Claire <rondec at easystreet.com>
wrote:

> Well put, I think. Thank you Mike.
> 
> It makes me wonder. If we Americans do as we've
> done before and simply walk
> away, can we? Will the terrorists leave us
> alone then or will they follow us
> back to North America? 
> 
> Ron D'Eau Claire 

Walk away? Or change tactics.

The invasion of Afghanistan was right on the
mark. We were justified, and the rest of the
world saw it clearly.

What we did then, in the face of success, was to
invade Iraq. That was wrong, unlawful, and
utterly stupid. Had we not done that, but,
instead, used police action to finish the clean
up of Al Quita, the world would be a very
different place today. We would be stronger
economically and militarily. We would not have
the indelible stair of Iraq on our flag.

Police action is still the best means to combat
Bin Laden et al. Ed's post demonstrates that. The
army is the wrong tool for many reasons. 

The difficult part now is how to get "back
there", to the time before we invaded Iraq.
That's a very tough thing to do.

We bear a responsibility to the Iraqi people for
what we've done to their country and culture.
They are in virtual civil war right now. Much of
that is our fault.

I'm reminded, though, of a well meaning parent
who has a teen child who is acting out. Perhaps
the parent bears some responsibility for where
this child is, perhaps not. But, at that point,
when the child is being impossible, what are the
options for the parent to help that child? Not
many. 

You have heard of the term "tough love". The
quickest way to get a child "re-booted" is to
allow the consequences of bad behavior to act in
and of themselves to teach the child the
realities of his/her actions. It can be perilous,
but locking him/her in the attic, or buying
him/her off somehow will not work for long.
Somehow, the child has to figure things and the
parent is in no position to order or explain at
that point.

In Iraq right now there are no easy answers. For
example, I see that the NATO appeal for more
troops for Afghanistan has gone unanswered. I
have advocated that the world send troops to Iraq
to restore order and that we get out. But no one
would come at this point. Who would want to come
to Iraq to insure order? The only group I can
think of who would do that: Muslim
fundamentalists. Yuk!

Staying with the status quo because there is no
other option for order is hardly wise or
responsible. Why would anyone want to stay where
we are right now? We act as a catalyst to
violence as long as we are in Iraq. We are the
red flag waved in the face of the bull. It was a
stupid strategy when we went in, and it's even
more stupid now. This is where the policies of
George W Bush have led us. We need a new plan.

We need to leave. It's our best and perhaps our
only option right now.