Should We Bomb Syria and Iran?

"Emmanuel Gustin" wrote in message ...
"Evan Brennan" wrote in message
m...

Terrorism is a local phenomenon only if all the funding, weapons,
training, personnel and other forms of support are "centralized
locally". A modern terrorist group cannot hope to survive if it's
structured like an octopus. That model is vulnerable and obsolete.

That model has never been obsolete, precisely because it
is the least vulnerable model.


You've got it backwards. That model is not used by global terrorist
groups because it is obsolete. Al Qaeda has no centralized system
of supply and support. They rely on multiple sources.



Groups like al Quaeda are not big monolithic corporations;

Exactly. But that statement conflicts with your previous one.



the credibility of the USA has now sunk so low

Compared to who...France and Germany? : )

Yes, and Russia, the UN, and even the UK...

The UK government may have been making the same errors as
the US government, by British institutions are still widely
regarded as robust and independent, and quite capable
of making politicians who misbehave pay the price for it.


Heath and Thatcher constantly misbehaved, and got away with it too.
Blair appears to be on our payroll.


Besides, Blair has the advantage over Bush in that he
sounds like a vicar, not a snake-oil salesman...


Tony Blair is the biggest arse-kisser of America, because he knows
the USA underwrites the security of the United Kingdom. That makes
him far more intelligent than the average Brit.


Dismantling or dispersing militant groups in the Middle East is
more important than targeting single individuals like Osama
Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. During World War II, the Germans
and the British proved that chasing one guy all over the place
was a complete waste of time, money and lives.

I entirely agree with that. That is why I don't believe that the
"decapitation" strategy the US is pursuing in Iraq will have
much impact. Arresting or killing Saddam won't solve the
problems at all.


Only in your fantasies. We aren't pursuing a decapititaion strategy
because there are very many heads on the beast. It was better to start
with little fish like Iraq, before applying more pressure on Iran and
Saudi Arabia.


The American administration has the habit of selecting easy
targets, instead of real targets.


False. We need Iraq's oil to pay for the invasion and disbandment
of Hussein's government.

But I applaud the President for denying it publicly. That is the
politics we learned from the liars and has-beens of Europe and
the United Kingdom. ; )