Are we winning the war on terror? As we note in our editorial today, that’s a central question on the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attack that claimed more than 3,000 American lives — and the answer is unclear.
The absence of another attack on U.S. soil is the most encouraging sign that we’ve made progress in homeland security. And yet there was Osama bin Laden’s face again last week, on video, beamed around the world, exhorting jihadists and mocking America’s efforts in Iraq.
Why is he not dead or captured?
One of President Bush’s advisers dismissed the video, calling bin Laden “virtually impotent.” But according to several intelligence assessments this year, al-Qaida has largely reconstituted its operational capacity and is busy planning major new attacks.
America can’t afford to let its guard down. Nor can we let Iraq distract us from hunting down and destroying al-Qaida’s leadership and strongholds.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- Pleefer on Open thread 11/23
- writerdog on Let immigrants run
- Regular on Open thread 11/23
- JimJohnson on Let immigrants run
- Heckler on Open thread 11/23
- JimJohnson on Let immigrants run
- okobserver on Let immigrants run
- JimJohnson on Open thread 11/23
- JimJohnson on Open thread 11/23
- JimJohnson on Open thread 11/23
71 Comments
Nice 9/11 memorial there Randy.
Al-Qaida is not potent. It is made to look that way by our government, as a distraction, nothing else.
A US Government created boogeyman with which to be used to frighten the American People and an excuse to keep murdering the Iraqi People.
The “intelligence” reports are false indicators which cannot be trusted and the absence of attacks on US soil is proof of that.
That absence, in no way suggests that Homeland Security is working, because it isn’t.
That simple.
We are forcing them to fight back.
REALLY ED???
You mean we can disband Homeland Security?
Thats great, I mean no more lines at the airport. Our taxes will be cut. Thats great.
Thanks for the heads up. You’ll be my write in at the next election.
Al-qaeda and OBL are impotent? Really? Have we already forgotten about Germany?
War on Terrorism??
Sigh. . . isn’t long past time to abandon to this thoroughly-abused metaphor?
Yeah, there are people out there who are pissed at the U.S. and plan nasty things–big surprise–but this symbolic war on a tactic was never anything more than an excuse to attack everything or nothing, at the Bushies’ own convenience. That was obvious to SOME of us on 9/20/01–but no one would listen.
There is–and never has a been–a “war on terrorism.” The very concept has been TRANSPARENTLY insane from the outset. I remember my incredulous contempt when I saw the Wichita sheeple eat that stupid crap up with a spoon.
Phineas T. Barnum was a prophet.
Typo city! Whatever–you get the idea.
Many Americans would love to just forget that 911 ever happened and just get lost in our Starbucks, Britney Spears, and “reality” TV.
Fortunately for “reality’s” sake, Osama’s ego won’t let him be silent. His reappearance is a good reminder that there are those out there who want to harm us; and also of our undeniable success in preventing further attacks.
outlander,
“Our undeniable success in preventing further attacks.” Really.
Your claim depends on a fallacy: proving a negative, or appealing to a lack of evidence to prove a positive claim.
It may well be that American counter-intelligence has in fact foiled an Al Qaeda plot. But we’d need actual evidence to determine that, which is a long way from the “undeniable success” you’re trumpeting.
You forget that Americans have attention deficit disorder, bin Laden knows this…he carefully plans his attacks over long periods of time and then strikes when we let down our guard because we think the danger is past or that we “won”.This isn’t going to go away in our lifetime, folks. The Islamic extremists have a real ax to grind and their “honor” to uphold, their religion demands it. We may be able to thwart a potential threat here and there, but it WILL happen again. We can’t even keep the illegals out of our country, why in the hell does anyone think “homeland security” is going to be so effective? It’s not. The problem is the hatred directed toward us because of our pathetic foreign policies under the Bush regime..get used to idea that this is how it will be for the rest of our lives..America has been severely damaged by the stupidity of this administration. I’m so angry I could cry.
Good grief CF, does it depend on what the definition of “is” is?
Have we had any further attacks on American soil?
And now with the Mexican truck deal, terrorists will be able to haul in the really big stuff.Nuclear?
We will.
6 years isn’t that long, Out. Just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it won’t. I hope I’m worng but I don’t think I am.
Come on Mary, get real. 911 was in the first year of the Bush presidency. They hated us already.
I agree Mary. We could catch them a 1,000 times, but it only takes once. It will happen again.
Out, you can bet they hate us even more now, and now they have an excuse to keep attacking us, their God demands it.
Why catch the a “boogie man” if he is serving a purpose? Bin Laden is a smart man. He knows that our administration does not want to catch him. He is planning his next move. Let’s not get all giddy due to he has not struck since. The reich wing can claim their own idiotic victory, but victory will be his. Face it people, our politicians need that “boogie man” to retain power. This war on terrorism hasn’t stopped terror attacks. Good police work stop terror attacks.
I agree, Mike. The Bush administration has created and used a culture of fear to manipulate many into condoning it’s agenda of changing the face of the Middle East, the problem is that they bit off way more than they could chew because they never took the time to do their homework and really understand the culture. George isn’t going to undo thousands of years of religious beliefs and tribalism in 8 short years. Just goes to show how grandiose and out of touch he really is.
It was a long time between the WTC attack in 1993 and the one in 2001.
But please, just keep thinking our facist government is keeping us safe.
And given the bin Laden family’s ties to bushco and the republican party, would it be so hard to imagine another attack AFTER the democrats win back the White House?
Remember, you heard it here first :)
outlander,
If Martians don’t come down out of the sky to attack me, it isn’t necessarily because Jesus stopped them.
The fact that nothing has happened doesn’t justify any inferences on your part. A lack of evidence is no evidence. And the fact that nothing has happened thus far is no evidence.
A phony argument is a phony argument.
CF, what a terrible analogy!
would it be so hard to imagine another attack AFTER the democrats win back the White House?
Why would the attack happen after the election. An attack before the election could sway the swing voters to vote Republican and not Democrat. Polls showed that Americans trusted Bush more than Kerry when it came to national security issues. Some people are assuming the Democrats are going to win the White House, but it is many months away from the election and many things can change that outcome. Had a better candidate won the Democratic primary in 2004, the Democrats could easily have won the White House. A major event just before the election could give either candidate a landslide victory. The event could be positive or negative for Republicans or Democrats.
As the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for because you may get it and regret it. I long for a President and Congress that puts the American people first. Will any of the current candidates running meet that expectation. I haven’t seen it from the expected frontrunners. People on both sides make too many positive assumptions about their preferred candidates and ignore the facts.
If I seem cynical, it is because I have seen the Democratic Party become what it accuses the Republican Party of being. They only care about getting elected and re-elected. They take big business donations as readily as their opponents. They lie to us just like their opponents. They don’t care about you or me unless we are one of their big donors. People are starting to realize this, and the independent numbers are slowly growing. The number of independent voters in California increased from 16% to 19% according to a report on MSN.com. People are getting disgusted with both parties.
CF, I liked the analogy. It fits well.
Does geography matter?
How can Iraq be a “distraction” in the war on terror if we are killing quite a few terrorists in Iraq?
What would the world look like if Saddam were still in power?
Saddam financed suicide bombing, Saddam trained hijackers, Saddam celebrated on 9-11.
Yes, mistakes were made in Iraq.
Please study your history. There has NEVER been a “perfect” war, not in all of recorded history. Something always goes wrong. Usually, LOTS of things go wrong, on both sides, of EVERY war.
However, we do NOT know what the world would look like with Saddam in power. I am guessing it would not look very good.
If we are forced to stop Iran’s desire to nuke Israel, it will be much easier to do from Iraq, than it would be from the fleet in the Gulf, all by itself.
Again folks, study history.
The Revolution did not have unanimous support.
In the War of 1812, the New England states refused to support the war, and traded freely with the Canadians and the British.
In the Civil War, the North conscripted the poor Irish, casting them into virtual slavery, in order to stop slavery. This caused the “draft riots” in New York.
In WW2, Truman went Nuclear in large measure because he did not think the country would support the massive human cost of a ground war in Japan. (He was right.)
Every war has its downside.
However, without any wars we would have Communism, Fascism, Slavery, etc.
If we behave like cowards or traitors, as Ed demands, we will be slaves to the Moslem radicials.
That is what their religion tells them. We will be slaves.
The Muppet blogger CF has often failed to reach logical conclusions.
I can’t see black holes three galaxies away, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
I’m put off by the lack of concern by some on this blog to dismiss Al Qaeda. If it’s not currently happening in their back yard, then there is no problem right?
Tell that to a whole village attacked by Al Qaeda in Iraq, hundreds died. Are their lives less valuable?
The Democrats have a win by any means necessary campaign.
Dems even ignored or haven’t commented on the “General Betray us” full page add by moveon.org because they have no backbone.
The dems would rather smear the name of a noble man, an educated man with a PhD and a four star General who has had success in Iraq and has even stated there will start to be a draw down of the surge component of American military stationed in Iraq.
The Dems have a long history of denial – the Concentration Camps in Germany, the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and now mass murder of innocents in Iraq.
Dems won’t do anything until their hands are forced or someone with courage is in power to do something.
A very bad track record on human rights.
“If we behave like cowards or traitors, as Ed demands,
Posted by: Econ101 | September 11, 2007 at 10:14 AM ”
Econ,Just how does a person determine the difference between a coward and a brave person and a traitor and a patriot?
“That is what their religion tells them. We will be slaves.
Posted by: Econ101 | September 11, 2007 at 10:14 AM ”
I don’t think that is accurate. Is this just what you think they believe or do you have some sort of substantiation for what you write?
It is my magic box of corn flakes that has prevented another terrorist attack, not anything that the government has done. As long as I keep this box of corn flakes unopened and hidden in my home, we are safe from any attacks. You don’t believe me? We haven’t been attacked since I bought it, coincidence? I don’t think so.
lol scott.Will there be a corn flakes report issued later today by the Pentagon?
What Gen. David Petraeus teaches us
What generals throughout history keep forgetting is that even though soldiers jump to attention when they appear, it only takes place inside whatever military unit they command.Generals don’t realize that when they come to Washington, they are just part of the help. High-ranking help, but help nevertheless. Servants, if you will. Yeah, they have high ranks, but almost everybody there has high rank, and a lot of them outrank any general, no matter how many stars they have on their shoulders or pretty charts they can point to.Executive, legislative, judicial branches are not a general’s equal in our society where the civilians run the military, instead of the reverse as we find in a lot of third-world countries, Generals are the hired hands, the top hired hands, but hired hands nevertheless, whose job is to carry out the decisions of their political masters.They also don’t realize that once they have fallen on their sword and/or sold out the honor they fought for so long to gain, the folks in Washington will throw them under the bus and never look back.
When Eisenhower was asked if he could do the politics required to run for president after a life as a soldier, he asked what do you think I’ve been doing all my Army life.
But, politics in the army is sort of like academic politics – short, nasty and tending to viciousness, but ultimately not amounting to anything. That, as the joke goes, is why academic fights are so vicious: They don’t amount to anything.Not as many politicians actually get killed as soldiers, which may or may not be a good thing, but that is another topic, but when politicians fight, they fight for real, for power. It is the rare general that understands that.MacArthur and Patton were two of the best field generals we have ever had, but can you imagine how out of their depth they would be in Washington? MacArthur never had a clue, which is why Truman fired him. Even to the end, in his sentimental, self-serving “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away” speech, he still hadn’t figured it out.
Maybe it was a good thing that Patton was killed in that automobile accident. He was a mighty fighting general, but he had a tin ear for the stark reality of politics.War, of course, is a continuation of politics by other means. Generals can easily forget that war is just a tool. What really counts is political power.
Guess I can throw away my lucky rabbit’s foot now!
“”That is what their religion tells them. We will be slaves.
Posted by: Econ101 | September 11, 2007 at 10:14 AM ”
So does the Christian and Jewish Religions. But the Zionist 101 forgot to mention that.
That “tactic” { omitting facts which do not support their lies }is used everyday by the White House and the Congress.
The only way to deal with these traitors is to cut-off the funding.
Deception is the order of the day from the US Government.
Its only order.
Generals don’t realize that when they come to Washington, they are just part of the help. Posted by: Dennis | September 11, 2007 at 11:30 AM
Military members are more than “hired help.”
They are willing to give up life, limb and yes even liberties to defend the United States and its Constitution.
Were you ever in the military Dennis?
From my view of what you wrote, you don’t understand what being in the military is or isn’t.
Dennis was writing from the viewpoint of those outside the military. To everyone outside the military in Washington, Generals are just other people there working for the Administration.
Kansas,
Who outranks whom? A 4 star with 30 years in or a freshman congresswoman?
heheheheheheh! Good one Scott! You too, CF!
Kansas,Three years in the army and a lifetime studying biographies of powerful people have taught me who is really in charge, despite all of the glory and honor the miliary gets and deserves.
Understand, I’m not dissing any military person, I remember the moment in basic training when I realized that I was learning how to kill people and realized that they were going to try to kill me. I understand exactly what the military’s job is.
I’m just pointing out the reality of power. In the final decision, politics trumps military every time.
Sol,
A very basic question that even the newest recruit understands.
Military members hold rank. Congressmen or Congresswomen hold position. A representative may come to the battlefield and recommend that something be done and if a minor adjustment it will be done if the Command staff approves it.
A Congressman has really no authority to do anything in the military as they have not been enlisted or commissioned according to the laws of the United States.
Yes, they have influence and position and are give the VIP treatment and always treated with respect. However, in a military unit, a Congress person is a guest and their position wields no direct influence on any rank in the military.
There are channels that Congress people have to through to get things done. They are not in the direct line of command.
Dennis, what you are describing is Civilian authority over the military.
As pointed out to Sol, though, once direction is given, the Civilian authority has to keep from direct meddling of their armed forces in order for operations to commence in a logical, safe and orderly manner.
The old Soviet Union and its Army is a classic example where political leaders interfered directly with their armed forces. This caused much confusion and eventually led to the breakdown of good order and discipline.
It’s more complicated than that and it is why the DoD have, War Colleges and Senior Military Staff schools to understand where politics start and military begins.
Who is it then, that comissons officers?
Sec Def is not in the COC?
Secretary of Defense is indeed is in the Chain of Command as the Civilian Authority over the military.
But I’m sure you know this Sol, having been in the Army.
I don’t understand where you are going with this Sol.
I think people often that the military are all government employee’s and being part of the government every thing they do is politcal.
“people of forget”
Keep sputtering Kansas. You know I’m right.
Civilians, i.e., politicians, run the military – not at the unit level, any idiot knows that – but from the very top.
Just have a minute to post. Someone sent me this web link and I will pass it on for what it is worth. The mainstream media tells us daily and many, especially the left on this blog, believe that we aren’t seeing terrorist attacks at all. This website looks as it it puts a lie to that claim.
http://www.globalincidentmap.com/home.php
Will look closer when I get back home.
Enjoy
Keep sputtering Kansas. You know I’m right.
Civilians, i.e., politicians, run the military – not at the unit level, any idiot knows that – but from the very top.
Posted by: Dennis | September 11, 2007 at 01:41 PM
Civilians have authority over the military from the design by our founding fathers.
They don’t run the operations of the military. The military does that.
Anyone who has been for any length of time as a career military member realizes this. Those who served their hitch and got out may be less cognizant of the basic facts.
A 20 years career military man may see several administrations and the changes they cause.
However, the operational control of the military has always been in the military. The military gets its authority to operate from its civilian leaders, just as NCO’s get their authority from their officers and etc.
That’s how it works. Sorry if you have had limited experience in the military Dennis and your limited view is quite evident.
Actually, you’ve just validated everything I said.
I have a very clear vision of how things are run.
The mainstream media tells us daily and many, especially the left on this blog, believe that we aren’t seeing terrorist attacks at all. This website looks as it it puts a lie to that claim.
http://www.globalincidentmap.com/Posted by: ksgrm | September 11, 2007 at 01:48 PM
__________________________________
WOW! Some 20+ terrorist incidents in the US!
I quess fighting the terrorists in Iraq to prevent them from coming here isn’t working so well.
Thanks ksgrm for the heads up.
Bring the troops home now…America is under attack!
Then why did you categorize my posts as sputtering Dennis?
I think you have some major confusion on the subject and trying to twist it into a personal agenda instead of calling it what it actually is.
The Congress can bring the troops home, by not funding anything more than troop support, and cutting off all funding for the rest… I would say that is pretty powerful…
I just wish Congress would get the Cajones to DO IT… :-)
I suspect congress will do something along the lines of passing a military spending bill that includes thing that Bush doesn’t like he veto’s it and Congress says tough shit for you, and blames Bush for cutting funding?
Tom Paine — That is exactly what they should have done this last time… but our wimpy democrats didnt have the guts to stand up to him… Maybe they will next time…. I HOPE!!
No confustion here. Read your Clausewitz
Here are a few passages from the Kohttp://nowscape.com/islam/koran_sura2.htmran:
http://homepage.mac.com/ferlauto/V4VICI/page21/page21.html
sorry, messed up one of those links somehow:
http://nowscape.com/islam/koran_sura2.htm
This is how Moslem Law treats non-Moslems in lands conquered by Moslems:
http://www.news.faithfreedom.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=894
Econ101,
a la Nathan:
Specifically, do you believe that doctrine is formed off of continuity throughout the Koran or can you just pick any verse and use it to form doctrine?
Does context play a role in understanding a verse so that you don’t form an doctrine off of it..?
(adapted from Nathan September 11, 2007 at 03:23 PM)
Many Americans would love to just forget that 911 ever happened
Fortunately Osama’s ego won’t let him be silent. His reappearance is a good reminder that there are those out there who want to harm us; and
also of our undeniable success in preventing further attacks.
Posted by: outlander
i don’t think many americans want to forget 911.maybe you do, but not the rest of us.
you need to be reminded there are people out there who want to hurt us??
“undeniable success in preventing further attacks”
2700 people died on 911.
3800 american kids have died, so far, in the wrong country.
28,000 kids have come home wounded, many of them face decades of complicated medical probleems.
instead of going after those criminals who attacked us, bush stopped short so he could wander off into iraq and waste lives and about $2,000,000,000.00 a week on his latest folly.
meanwhile, obl continues to live his life however he wants doing harm to the U.S.
all this makes you proud of which part??
—–
“Civilians have authority over the military from the design by our founding fathers.”
Does anyone believe General Petraeus is anything other than the next guy who Bush will blame for the failures in Iraq?
Does congress have control over bush and the Iraq “war?”
The Dems do not have control.
They do not have a majority so they can not overturn a veto.
You can blame the democrats in congress, or Powell, or Bremmer, or Rumsfeld, or a number of other people.
But, should the buck stop at Bush’s desk?
It would also be very easy to cherry pick bible verses that serve as evidence that Christians support slavery, rape, murder and genocide. Some examples:
When a slave owner strikes a male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies immediately, the owner shall be punished. But if the slave survives a day or two, there is no punishment; for the slave is the owner’s property. (Exod. 21:20-21)
1 Samuel 15:3 “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey”
Deuteronomy 22:28-29If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver.
scott, I can’t wait for the response to that :)
On my way home, I leave the following food for thought, compliments of our friends across the pond.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2424020.ece
“CBS Evening News” anchor Katie Couric says she has seen major improvements during her visit to Iraq.
“We hear so much about things going bad, but real progress has been made there in terms of security and stability,” Couric said on Tuesday’s broadcast.
She noted that moderate Sunnis are joining the Iraqi security forces, saying: “The spike in police has really been significant. The incidents in Iraq have gone down dramatically.” And she said that Fallujah is, “considered a real role model of something working right in Iraq.”
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295882,00.html
The solution is simple, folks, just expel all muzzies from America, problem solved. These goat rapers would never have been in position to harm us had we not allowed them in under the libs treasonous immigration act of 1965.
The Founding Fathers stated explicitly that America was NEVER to become a multicultural pigsty!
180*
I’ll believe reporters when they say Iraq is safer when they can go outside the green zone without a huge military escort.
After reading this thread, can anyone tell me WHY Al Quida attacked us 6 years ago???
It doesn’t have to be drawn out, just a few sentences.
Bush to Announce Troop Cut in Iraq
WASHINGTON — President Bush will tell the nation Thursday evening that he plans to reduce the American troop presence in Iraq by as many as 30,000 by next summer but will condition those and further cuts on continued progress, The Associated Press has learned.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296455,00.html
Becuase we stepped foot on holy ground and made war against the Muslims when we kicked Sadamn out of Kuwait during the Gulf War.
Thanks for that link, Vaughn. What an interesting “take” from across the pond. It was long but well worth reading.