What is the most effective way to fight terrorism? (Earth, America)

[The Seeker]

The Second Boer War was fought between the British Empire and the Boers of South Africa from 1899 - 1902. In 1900 the British captured the Boer capital cities and victory appeared imminent. The following excerpt is copied from Wikipedia.

Third phase: Guerrilla war (September 1900 – May 1902)

By September 1900, the British were in control of both Republics, except for the northern part of Transvaal. They however found that they only controlled the ground their columns physically occupied. As soon as the columns left a town or district, British control of that area faded away. The huge territory of the Republics made it impossible for the 250,000 British troops to control it effectively. The vast distances between the columns allowed the Boer commandos considerable freedom to move about. The Boer commanders adopted a guerrilla style of warfare. The commandos were sent to their own districts with the order to act against the British there whenever possible. Their strategy was to do as much damage to the enemy as possible, and then to move off and vanish when enemy reinforcements arrived.
The Boers were especially effective during the guerilla phase of the war because Roberts had assumed that the war would end with the capture of the Boer capitals and the dispersal of the main Boer armies. Many British troops were redeployed, and replaced by lower-quality contingents of Yeomanry and locally-raised irregular corps. These proved inferior to the battle-hardened Boers.


Doesn't this sound eerily familiar? The outnumber Boers managed to hold off the British for almost two years before Britain employed a ruthless scorched-earth policy and set up concentration camps for the captured Boers. The Soviet Union also had similar problems with guerilla warfare when the invaded and failed to conquer Afghanistan.




Given that the US can't use the same tactics that the British used for obvious reasons, I would like to pose the following questions.


1. What is the best way to fight terrorists?

2. Do you believe the "troop surge" will be effective?

3. Is it possible for the US to defeat the insurgents in Iraq?

[cardero]

What is the most effective way to fight terrorism?
Be not afraid.

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by cardero

What is the most effective way to fight terrorism?
Be not afraid.

[Shadow Wolf]

I would ask first, how does one define a terrorist, and how do you know exactly who is a terrorist?
America sees Al Quida (spelling) as terrorist, but some Middle Easterners see them as freedom fighters, and see the American forces as the terrorist.

Also, people will always result to violence and exploiting fear to try and sway those in charge. The best weapon against that is to not be afraid, and to stand strong and not sway.

[not4me]

I would ask first, how does one define a terrorist, and how do you know exactly who is a terrorist?

Exactly!!

America sees Al Quida (spelling) as terrorist, but some Middle Easterners see them as freedom fighters, and see the American forces as the terrorist.

No wonder, this has always been the case between the invader and the freedom defenders. As long as America continues its unjust policy in Iraq and towards the middle easterns, there will always be those who stand up and defend the rights of their own people even if their souls were the price, it's expensive price but it's worthy. I would never call who fight injustice and oppression "terrorists".

[Reverend Rick]

Originally Posted by Luke Wolf

I would ask first, how does one define a terrorist, and how do you know exactly who is a terrorist?
America sees Al Quida (spelling) as terrorist, but some Middle Easterners see them as freedom fighters, and see the American forces as the terrorist.

Also, people will always result to violence and exploiting fear to try and sway those in charge. The best weapon against that is to not be afraid, and to stand strong and not sway.

Great question Luke! I could threaten to do harm to you and be guilty of terroristic threatening. I guess by law that would make me a terrorist if I was to threaten someone. To me a terrorist is a person who does not fight under a flag and wear a uniform of a certain country.

When you have a war, there are rules. If you are a rogue group, you honor no such rules. Women and children can some times be collateral damage in war, but to intentionally target innocent unarmed civilians to disrupt and terrorise, to me makes you a terrorist.

Honor in war is becoming a fleeting thing any more. If we were men of honor, we might duel in the street and try to kill one another, but we would never shoot each others children. Honor is taking prisoners instead of killing people who give up and surrender. Honor is abiding by agreements such as using full metal jacket ammunition and not using chemical weapons.

If you go to a school and shoot a whole bunch of people, you are a terrorist. If you bomb a building full of women and children, you are a terrorist.

How do you know who is a terrorist? You don't until something bad happens.

Freedom fighters? On their soil, you may have a point. If your going to invade a country, you need to declare war and wear a uniform defining who you are.

People who sneak into a country and pretend to be civilians and attack innocent folks are not freedom fighters.

Alquida, could be looked upon as freedom fighters if they wear a uniform and engage in battle with armed forces.

[gmelrod]

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

When you have a war, there are rules. If you are a rogue group, you honor no such rules. Women and children can some times be collateral damage in war, but to intentionally target innocent unarmed civilians to disrupt and terrorise, to me makes you a terrorist.

Does this include the allied firebombing of Dresden, Germany in WWII. or the Atomic Bomb. I am not calling US troops terrorists only critiquing your definition.

However I do not feel that you can call AL Quaida (sp?) "Freedom Fighters" because they are members of an organization whos stated aims are the spread of an Islamic empire and the imposistion of strict Sharia Law on all nations. And in my opinion that is not an organization devoted to the cause of freedom. You can call them resistance fighters of gurilla fighters (though I think that the US gov avoids that term due to its connection with the vietnam war) As to how to finght them you have to out last them. Bottle them up until the more moderate belivers of islam tell them to cut the crap. I think that any member of the Islamic faith has a responsibilty to refute what others do to their holy texts. If the shoe was on the other foot and it was christian terrorists I would feel obligated to stand up and try and stop them. It can only be brought down from within. Just like the Soviet Union. The US did not win the cold war we just managed not to lose it first.

[Jaiket]

Ceasing to fund and participate in it would be the ideal first step.

[Jaiket]

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

Alquida, could be looked upon as freedom fighters if they wear a uniform and engage in battle with armed forces.

Personally, I could never regard religious groups seeking to impose totalitarian rule as freedom fighters. The same goes for fascist Baath party members. I made the error early on in the war in Iraq of viewing resistance to the coalition forces as a legitimate one against imperialist invasion. We live and learn I guess....