War on Terror
This post is in response to a comment left on one of my pictures on Flickr. It is one the pictures I took while attending a vigil in support of Cindy Sheehan. Here is the text of the comment:
Iraq is a battle in the war on terror. Islamofascists are streaming into Iraq to meet their fate. This war is linked to 9/11 as it is an extension of the War on Terror, an extension of the War in Afghanistan. Do you even support the Afgnaistan war? Probably not. Even Zawahiri, Bin Laden and Zarqawi recognize that a defeat in Iraq is a defeat for the terrorists. Thus, people who call for our defeat in Iraq here in America are aligning themselves directly with the terrorists enemies that attacked us on 9/11. And that is what "Troops out Now" is. It is calling for defeat in Iraq. That won’t lead to less deaths here, or in Iraq BTW. In fact it will lead to an installation of a new terrorist regime that will have free range to plot and plan strikes around the region and in the US. And kill hundreds of thousands of Shiites and Kurds.
I don’t even know where to begin with this. So far, there has been no proof any kind linking 9/11 with Iraq. The only link made between what happened on 9/11 and Iraq has been in George Bush’s speeches. I thought this was common knowledge at this point but apparently not. As for the "War on Terror", terror is not a cause that can be stopped, it is simply a tactic. This tactic has been used throughout history by different causes and parties in conflict (including the US). What I think really you mean is the war against Islamic extremism. I certainly don’t support the "War on Terror". It is just something made up to scare us into submission. Islamic extremism is definitely a problem that we face, however, terrorism is just a symptom of this problem. By fighting terrorism, we are fighting the symptoms rather than the disease. I won’t go into how this disease came about. I’m curious, what exactly are the criteria for winning the "War on Terror"? How will we know when to declare victory? Who will sign the surrender? Will the "War on Terror" be as effective as the "War on Drugs"? When the "War on Terror" is over, will we repeal the Patriot Act? You are correct, I did not support the war in Afghanistan. I don’t support war in general, as it is usually poor people killing other poor people for the benefit of the wealthy. (That is definitely the case in Iraq.) Other than killing a lot of people, what exactly was accomplished in Afghanistan? Yes, we removed the Taleban, but they were replaced with local warlords, so I don’t really see how the people are any better off there. By calling for "Troops out now", I am not calling for our defeat in Iraq. We were defeated the minute we invaded Iraq. By invading Iraq, all we have done is create a recruiting tool for Islamic extremists. This was a huge victory for Islamic extremists. By calling for "Troops out Now", I am not aligning myself with the terrorists. You sound just like George Bush. Anyone who doesn’t agree with you is a terrorist. That is getting really old. While I certainly do not support the war in Iraq, I am a somewhat conflicted about the course of action we take now. Removing the troops now very well may cause things to regress, but we certainly cannot stay the same course. The same thing has been happening for 2.5 years now, and there is no reason to believe that it is going to change. To continue with our current course of action and expect different results is insanity. You do the troops no service to constantly say "stay the course" and "everything is fine". How many more coffins will it take for people to realize that something is terribly wrong? �Even Zawahiri, Bin Laden and Zarqawi recognize that a defeat in Iraq is a defeat for the terrorists.� You make it sound like you�ve spoken to these people personally. Well, the next time you talk to them, tell them that they are a bunch of douche bags. Also, the term is not �free range�, it is �free reign�. (third paragraph, fifth line).