PJ O'Donovan

Friday, March 23, 2007

The real front in the war on terror.

"When The Taliban regime in Afghanistan fell young men waited in lines
to get a haircut and when Saddam fell barbers became targets."

My father offered this simple example during a discussion we had about
war on terror the other day. Although the example is very simple but
the idea behind it is deep and aims at identifying the change of the
main battleground for war with terror.....

....I wanted to talk about this because recently we've been watching
the debate in America about redeployment of troops and identifying the
real front we must focus on.

Al-Qaeda and its supporters are using most of the capabilities of
their propaganda machine to cover their effort in Iraq, and so is the
case with financial resources. All evidences indicate that most of the
money is used to support the terror activity in Iraq.

Let's not forget recruiting networks that are discovered constantly in
many European and Arab countries; we rarely, if ever, hear that those
networks were sending recruits to Afghanistan because recruits are
being sent to Iraq all the time. Even more telling, some of the
prominent lieutenants of al-Qaeda left Afghanistan to fight in Iraq.
One example I remember was Omar al-Farouk who escaped from Bagram to
be later captured in Basra!

Al-Qaeda itself boasts about the great "sacrifices" of more than 4,000
"martyrs" to emphasize the importance of the war here. And the
hundreds of suicide bombers preferred to blow themselves up in Iraq
than anywhere else should remind us that if al-Qaeda considers this
the main war then why talk about redeployment?
Walking away from the main war is not redeployment, it's quitting.

But abandoning this front or failing to recognize its priority is a
terrible mistake that can lead to disastrous consequences to all of
us."

by Mohammad Fadhil
Iraq the Model


And a few comments from the 69 comments section on this blog


Well spoken, as always.
Sean | 03.23.07 - 2:03 pm | #

My sentiments exactly.
Batman | 03.23.07 - 2:06 pm | #

Gravatar Well stated, Mohammed. As a regular reader, I am always most
curious to your perspectives and wow'ed by your reasoned thought
patterns.

One of the byproducts of elected officials, as you yourselves are
learning, is that they unfortunately tend to put their own quests for
power above all logic and good sense for the populations. At least
there is the opportunity to remove them in a new election - a benefit
over a dictator. However even those results can be manipulated by a
biased and agenda-driven press and their presentation of "truth".

Needless to say, our US Congress dismays more US citizens that western
media adequately (or accurately) portrays. Our new "majority" focus
not on success, but on politically correct failure. And that is a sad
statement on affairs that will, in the end, be their undoing. Until
then, we are in for a rocky ride, and you are sitting in the front
row. For that, I can not apologize enough.

I can't speak for all Americans, but I can certainly say that all I've
ever wished for you is a free Iraq, governed the way your countrymen
desire, and one that is a partner in world trade and terrorism intel.
It's not an easy goal for you - or for those aiding you on that path.
But I suspect most of us see it as a worthy and necessary goal.

My thanks for you and Omar, and your constant updates to the rest of
the world.
MataHarley | Homepage | 03.23.07 - 2:28 pm | #

Gravatar A great post and quite appropriate for today. It demonstrates
just how misinformed our opposition is to why it is crucial to see
this through in Iraq and why leaving prematurely would be a disaster
in more ways than one.

Al Qaida has publicly cited the examples of Vietnam, Somalia and
Beirut to indicate that America does not have the patience or resolve
to outlast them. If we run from Iraq, they will have a validation of
that perspective that would only further embolden them. Not to mention
the potentially extremely bloody result for the Iraqi people.

Those who think we should abandon Iraq now either don't understand the
potential catastrophe that could result, or they don't really care
what happens to the Iraqi people. Unfortunately, I tend to believe the
latter, which makes it all the more frustrating to see "peace"
protesters marching in the name of peace but actually in the
motivation of political advantage and with complete disregard for how
"peaceful" iraq would really be if we withdrew too soon.
Running Waters | 03.23.07 - 2:28 pm | #

PJ O'Donovan

I thought the Evleths in France would be interested in this additional
comment in the comments section:




"It's exactly what I am thinking for all people throughout the
world ..... France and Europe included even if our leaders (specially
president Chirac here in france) are blind.

Thank you Mohammed and Omar for your insightfull analysis.

With my friendly regards

Octave from France
octave | 03.23.07 - 2:40 pm |"





On Mar 24, 4:01 am, "PJ O'Donovan" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Friday, March 23, 2007
>
> The real front in the war on terror.
>
> "When The Taliban regime in Afghanistan fell young men waited in lines
> to get a haircut and when Saddam fell barbers became targets."
>
> My father offered this simple example during a discussion we had about
> war on terror the other day. Although the example is very simple but
> the idea behind it is deep and aims at identifying the change of the
> main battleground for war with terror.....
>
> ....I wanted to talk about this because recently we've been watching
> the debate in America about redeployment of troops and identifying the
> real front we must focus on.
>
> Al-Qaeda and its supporters are using most of the capabilities of
> their propaganda machine to cover their effort in Iraq, and so is the
> case with financial resources. All evidences indicate that most of the
> money is used to support the terror activity in Iraq.
>
> Let's not forget recruiting networks that are discovered constantly in
> many European and Arab countries; we rarely, if ever, hear that those
> networks were sending recruits to Afghanistan because recruits are
> being sent to Iraq all the time. Even more telling, some of the
> prominent lieutenants of al-Qaeda left Afghanistan to fight in Iraq.
> One example I remember was Omar al-Farouk who escaped from Bagram to
> be later captured in Basra!
>
> Al-Qaeda itself boasts about the great "sacrifices" of more than 4,000
> "martyrs" to emphasize the importance of the war here. And the
> hundreds of suicide bombers preferred to blow themselves up in Iraq
> than anywhere else should remind us that if al-Qaeda considers this
> the main war then why talk about redeployment?
> Walking away from the main war is not redeployment, it's quitting.
>
> But abandoning this front or failing to recognize its priority is a
> terrible mistake that can lead to disastrous consequences to all of
> us."
>
> by Mohammad Fadhil
> Iraq the Model
>
> And a few comments from the 69 comments section on this blog
>
> Well spoken, as always.
> Sean | 03.23.07 - 2:03 pm | #
>
> My sentiments exactly.
> Batman | 03.23.07 - 2:06 pm | #
>
> Gravatar Well stated, Mohammed. As a regular reader, I am always most
> curious to your perspectives and wow'ed by your reasoned thought
> patterns.
>
> One of the byproducts of elected officials, as you yourselves are
> learning, is that they unfortunately tend to put their own quests for
> power above all logic and good sense for the populations. At least
> there is the opportunity to remove them in a new election - a benefit
> over a dictator. However even those results can be manipulated by a
> biased and agenda-driven press and their presentation of "truth".
>
> Needless to say, our US Congress dismays more US citizens that western
> media adequately (or accurately) portrays. Our new "majority" focus
> not on success, but on politically correct failure. And that is a sad
> statement on affairs that will, in the end, be their undoing. Until
> then, we are in for a rocky ride, and you are sitting in the front
> row. For that, I can not apologize enough.
>
> I can't speak for all Americans, but I can certainly say that all I've
> ever wished for you is a free Iraq, governed the way your countrymen
> desire, and one that is a partner in world trade and terrorism intel.
> It's not an easy goal for you - or for those aiding you on that path.
> But I suspect most of us see it as a worthy and necessary goal.
>
> My thanks for you and Omar, and your constant updates to the rest of
> the world.
> MataHarley | Homepage | 03.23.07 - 2:28 pm | #
>
> Gravatar A great post and quite appropriate for today. It demonstrates
> just how misinformed our opposition is to why it is crucial to see
> this through in Iraq and why leaving prematurely would be a disaster
> in more ways than one.
>
> Al Qaida has publicly cited the examples of Vietnam, Somalia and
> Beirut to indicate that America does not have the patience or resolve
> to outlast them. If we run from Iraq, they will have a validation of
> that perspective that would only further embolden them. Not to mention
> the potentially extremely bloody result for the Iraqi people.
>
> Those who think we should abandon Iraq now either don't understand the
> potential catastrophe that could result, or they don't really care
> what happens to the Iraqi people. Unfortunately, I tend to believe the
> latter, which makes it all the more frustrating to see "peace"
> protesters marching in the name of peace but actually in the
> motivation of political advantage and with complete disregard for how
> "peaceful" iraq would really be if we withdrew too soon.
> Running Waters | 03.23.07 - 2:28 pm | #

Snakehawk

On Mar 24, 7:01 am, "PJ O'Donovan" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Friday, March 23, 2007
>
> The real front in the war on terror.
>
> "When The Taliban regime in Afghanistan fell young men waited in lines
> to get a haircut and when Saddam fell barbers became targets."
>
> My father offered this simple example during a discussion we had about
> war on terror the other day. Although the example is very simple but
> the idea behind it is deep and aims at identifying the change of the
> main battleground for war with terror.....
>

It's an additional sign that Bush committed a grave error in attacking
Iraq. It points up the difference between Saddam's iraq and the
Taleban's Afghanistan. Saddam was westernizing Iraq, trying to
modernize his country in the face of fierce opposition from the
radical Muslims. Saddam's Iraq promoted haircuts, and emancipated
women, and secular government. Under Saddam, the Iraqis had modern
educational facilities, up-to-date medical care, an effective civil
police force, a working sewer system, and the beginning of
representative government. Bush mindlessly destroyed all that.


> ....I wanted to talk about this because recently we've been watching
> the debate in America about redeployment of troops and identifying the
> real front we must focus on.
>
> Al-Qaeda and its supporters are using most of the capabilities of
> their propaganda machine to cover their effort in Iraq, and so is the
> case with financial resources. All evidences indicate that most of the
> money is used to support the terror activity in Iraq.

Terrorists have stepped in to take advantage of Bush's monumental
mistake in the Middle East. With the government removed and all civil
order in shambles, Iraq is now fertile territory for recruiting new
members to fight the hated western invaders. The streets of Iraq have
become excellent training grounds for the new recruits, with the
American soldiers serving as convenient targets.

And Bush just keeps getting the United States stuck deeper and deeper
into the political quicksand of Iraq. More troops, more equipment,
more fighting, more hatred, and more useless deaths of incredibly
courageous young American soldiers. Iraq has turned out to be an
enormous waste of money and manpower that has been turned to the
advantage of those terrorists who target the United States.

And the absurd theory of all this is that the U.S. is sending its
young men to Iraq so the terrorists can kill them there rather than
have the terrorists try to kill them in the United States. That's the
simplification of the silly slogan that the United States if fighting
terrorism "over there."

John Rennie

snip

> And the absurd theory of all this is that the U.S. is sending its
> young men to Iraq so the terrorists can kill them there rather than
> have the terrorists try to kill them in the United States. That's the
> simplification of the silly slogan that the United States if fighting
> terrorism "over there."
>

And the moral is: When you're in a hole stop digging.

asclero

"Pajamas O'Donovan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:
[email protected]. com...
<snip>
>
This feature requires the plugin.
Please visit World Fingers.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/h...ss/6469707.stm

Published: 2007/03/20

The UK arm of McDonald's is planning a campaign to have the dictionary
definition of a McJob changed.

The Oxford English Dictionary says it is: "An unstimulating, low-paid
job with few prospects, esp. one created by the expansion of the
service sector."

But Lorraine Homer from McDonald's said the firm felt the definition
was "out of date and inaccurate".

The fast food chain is planning a public petition to try to get the
definition changed.

The word McJob was first used in the US in the 1980s and was
popularised by Douglas Coupland's 1991 book Generation X.

It first appeared in the online version of the Oxford English
Dictionary in March 2001.

Runge1

Crosspost crap


"John Rennie" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de news:
[email protected]...
>
> snip
>
>> And the absurd theory of all this is that the U.S. is sending its
>> young men to Iraq so the terrorists can kill them there rather than
>> have the terrorists try to kill them in the United States. That's the
>> simplification of the silly slogan that the United States if fighting
>> terrorism "over there."
>>
>
> And the moral is: When you're in a hole stop digging.
>

asclero

"Pajamas O'Donovan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:
[email protected]. com...

>I thought the Evleths in France would be interested in this additional
> comment in the comments section:
<snip>
>
By JOHN CURRAN
Associated Press Writer
3/21/2007

MONTPELIER, Vt.- Thirteen-year-old Katharine Tuck's sneakers are equal
opportunity offenders. They smell as bad as they look. Now, the Utah
seventh grader is $2,500 richer because of it: On Tuesday, she out-
ranked six other children to win the 32nd annual National Odor-Eaters
Rotten Sneaker Contest, stinking up the joint with a pair of well-worn
1 1/2-year-old Nikes so noxious they had the judges wincing.
"I'm so proud of the little stinker," said her mother, Paula Tuck.

Ah, the foul smell of success.

The contest, which was founded in 1975 as a sporting good store
promotion and is now sponsored by the manufacturer of anti-foot odor
products, pits children from around the nation who have won state-
level competitions for the generally cruddy condition of their
footwear.

Kyle Underwood, 9, was in from Las Cruces, N.M., with his low-cut
black Starters, the ones with the blown-out toe on the right foot.
"These are bad," sighed judge Andy Brewer. "Ooh, these are really
bad."

Michael Nduka, 9, of White Plains, N.Y., was there, too, with his
ratty black-and-white low-cuts, which-like the others-were passed from
judge to judge for inspection. Judge William Fraser, who is
Montpelier's city manager, held one up using the tip of a pen, like a
crime scene investigator trying not to taint the evidence.

Eleven-year-old Alex Clark's sneakers had tape over the holes in the
toes, and the instep of one was blown out. When judge George Aldrich
took a whiff, he coughed and then handed the sneaker back to Clark. "I
saw you flinch," Aldrich said to him.

"As a parent, you want to hide," said Kathy Midgley, 48, of Berkeley
Heights, N.J., who was there to watch her 8-year-old son compete.

Clad in Odor-Eaters baseball caps and Odor-Eaters T-shirts, each
contestant had to jump in place once and then make one full turn in
place before taking off his or her shoes and handing them to the
judges. It was 24 degrees outside, but only one of them wore socks-
since foot sweat is a boon not a bane in this game.

Odor-Eaters paid to fly eight contestants-each with a parent-to
Vermont, but not all arrived on time. Devin Koivisto, 12, of Phoenix,
didn't make it due to travel complications.

Tuck almost didn't, either: Her flight to Newark, N.J., was delayed,
forcing she and her father to miss a connecting flight to Vermont.
They drove the rest of the way, but their luggage still hadn't arrived
Tuesday.

But her mother had the foresight to warn Tuck not to ship her prized
shoes in her checked baggage, lest it get lost en route.

Mercifully for airport security screeners, she didn't wear them,
either, opting to carry them in her purse.

For these sneakers, the smell was only the half of it. Ripped on the
right toe, with red and yellow duct tape holding one together and
frayed laces on both, they looked like something from a landfill.

She has used them to play soccer, basketball and other sports, hiked
in them and waded into the Great Salt Lake, where they became
infiltrated with brine shrimp.

"People ask me why I don't get new ones and why I would enter a
contest like this," she said before the judging started.

Once it did, she called her mother on a cell phone and kept the line
open so Mom could listen in. Once Fraser got a look-and a whiff-of
Tuck's Nikes, he took the phone from her. "Do you actually let her
wear these in public?" he asked her mother.

After the judges' decision was announced, Tuck shyly granted
interviews. Was she proud? "Yeah, I guess."

"She's going to put this on her first job application," said her
father, Michael Tuck.

"I am?" she said.


Return to Top.
What a disgrace.
Shame on YOU.
Recommend Abuse.