US Still Unprepared For Terrorists! (mission, Article, reform)

[Ardent Listener]

Originally Posted by Darkdale

The idea is to attack the root of terror... Oppression.

The problem is Darkdale, the terrorist think they are doing just that.

[Darkdale]

Originally Posted by Ardent Listener

The problem is Darkdale, the terrorist think they are doing just that.

ok, well, they need to do a better job.

[greatcalgarian]

The fighters termed by US as terrorists thought that US is the oppressor , and they are fighting US to liberate their people from Uncle Sam (I have not seen this term used for a long long time).....this must be Ardent Listerner point of view.

On the other hand, Darkdale is of the opinion that America is THE only great champion and defender of democracy and freedom , and is fighting those terrorists who have been oppressing those people of the middle east, and it is the holy duty of US citizen to shed their blood to fight these terrorists.

Make sense?

I think I am confused.

[Darkdale]

Originally Posted by greatcalgarian

On the other hand, Darkdale is of the opinion that America is THE only great champion and defender of democracy and freedom , and is fighting those terrorists who have been oppressing those people of the middle east, and it is the holy duty of US citizen to shed their blood to fight these terrorists.

Yeah, so, how is that wrong?

[bartdanr]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...w130754S30.DTL

Has the Bush Administration really made the US safer from terrorists, or is that just hype? Is the reason we haven't had an attack since 9/11 the efforts of the Administration, or have we just been lucky? What do you think?

Thanks for the thread, Sunstone.

I doubt if only luck was involved in keeping the US safe from terrorists since 9/11--remember, that's four years ago. Four years without a major terrorist operation successful in the US...more than luck is involved. I don't believe in luck, and I don't believe that the terrorists are just patiently waiting for us to let down our guard. (And if they are waiting for that, then it's obvious our guard is up.)

Don't forget the invasion of Afghanistan (the forgotten war)...this denied Al-Qada a safe base of operations and has them running and hiding...and as an added bonus, liberated millions of people from a mideval theocracy.

I would say that the biggest undone thing is the securing of the US boarders. The swiss-cheese boarders allow relatively unmpeded access by terrorists into this country. A beefed-up boarder patrol (combined with some kind of guest worker program) would help let people who want to work legally in, and keep terrorists out. (Before you think of this as some kind of xenophobic comment, consider that I'm married to a legal Latin American immagrint.)

We need to persue (and I think to a limited degree, are persuing) a two-pronged approach on the war on terror: (1) secure the homeland and (2) attack the terrorists where they are by (a) denying them a base of operations, (b) denying them funding, and (c) improve conditions that otherwise breed terrorism. The last one is probably the most difficult and long-term, and results won't happen quickly.

The Iraq question of course is hotly debated, whether this ultimately will make us safer or not. In my opinion, the jury's still out. It is obvious that blunders were made in the intelligence assessment and in the prosecution of the war.

Peace

[greatcalgarian]

The conspiracy theorists proposed that 9/11 was allowed to happen with the tacit/passive "permission" of some US authorities so that the US nation can be awaken to fight the "Islamic" enemy, and also allow the US government easier to pass law, and to make wars. Once that objective is achieved, then there is no need to allow any more terrorists events to happen again at US. That is why US has peace from terrorist attack on the homeland for the past four years. This is because the US did and do have the ability to prevent any big scale terrorist attacks from happening at the home land. However, if the US citizen support of the war is seen to wane,then those pepetrators may allow another 9/11 to happen under again their controlled way of unrolling.

This conspiracy theory is very frightening.

[bartdanr]

Originally Posted by greatcalgarian

The conspiracy theorists proposed that 9/11 was allowed to happen with the tacit/passive "permission" of some US authorities so that the US nation can be awaken to fight the "Islamic" enemy, and also allow the US government easier to pass law, and to make wars. Once that objective is achieved, then there is no need to allow any more terrorists events to happen again at US. That is why US has peace from terrorist attack on the homeland for the past four years. This is because the US did and do have the ability to prevent any big scale terrorist attacks from happening at the home land. However, if the US citizen support of the war is seen to wane,then those pepetrators may allow another 9/11 to happen under again their controlled way of unrolling.

This conspiracy theory is very frightening.

Hi Greatcalgarian, thanks for the post.

The trouble with most conspiracy theories is that they depend on too many people staying silent for too long. Government officials are notorious blabbermouths, in order to make themselves look good to the media...because they're little egos were hurt...or because they have pangs of conscience, or whatever.

I find this theory, like nearly all other conspiracy theories, as unbelievable and not backed up by a shred of evidence. That won't stop "true believers" from believing in it, just like those who believe that until someone proves to them that there isn't an invisible purple dragon living on the far side of the moon, they'll still believe it.

Peace

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by GreatCalgarian

This is because the US did and do have the ability to prevent any big scale terrorist attacks from happening at the home land.

This ascribes to the US Government a level of competence that is admirable, but mythic.

[Darkdale]

Originally Posted by greatcalgarian

The conspiracy theorists proposed that 9/11 was allowed to happen with the tacit/passive "permission" of some US authorities so that the US nation can be awaken to fight the "Islamic" enemy, and also allow the US government easier to pass law, and to make wars. Once that objective is achieved, then there is no need to allow any more terrorists events to happen again at US. That is why US has peace from terrorist attack on the homeland for the past four years. This is because the US did and do have the ability to prevent any big scale terrorist attacks from happening at the home land. However, if the US citizen support of the war is seen to wane,then those pepetrators may allow another 9/11 to happen under again their controlled way of unrolling.

This conspiracy theory is very frightening.

awww c'mon. It's not that frightening. It's a little funny to think that the next time terrorists decide to kill americans the nutjobs will actually blame our government... but I don't think people are going to buy that nonsense.

[CaptainXeroid]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

...Has the Bush Administration really made the US safer from terrorists, or is that just hype?...

With the attack on the Taliban in Afghanistan, yes. With the subsequent failure to find WMDs in Iraq and control its borders after the invasion, I would say 'NO'.

Originally Posted by Sunstone

...Is the reason we haven't had an attack since 9/11 the efforts of the Administration, or have we just been lucky? What do you think?

One important thing to remember is that on 9/11/2001, there had not been a US plane hijacked in eleven years. These hijackers exploited specific weaknesses that we believe have since been addressed.

I would not say that the efforts of the Bush administration are 100% responsible for our not having an attack since 9/11. The terror networks were certainly disrupted through the Afghanistan invasion and arrests here and abroad, but much like we adapted to a new threat, it is certain they will as well. True, they are not as well funded as the US government, but for lack of a better term they don't have the overhead.

For all we know, they are regrouping and planning the next attack as we post. The problems in Iraq seem to have given ammunition(pardon the pun) to anti-American groups to recruit future terrorists.

The challenge will be if our government has infiltrated these groups or at least has a better 'ear to the ground' to anticipate whatever they might be planning next.