Re: TERRORISM: Seriousness and potential strategies

From: Mike Linksvayer (ml@gondwanaland.com)
Date: Sat Sep 15 2001 - 14:10:21 MDT


On Sat, Sep 15, 2001 at 09:55:56AM -0700, Robert J. Bradbury wrote:
> > "For over seven years the United States has been occupying the lands of
> > Islam in the holiest of places, the Arabian peninsula, plundering its riches,
> > dictating to its rulers, humiliating its people, terrorizing its neighbours,
> > and turning its bases in the peninsula into a spearhead through which to
> > fight the neighbouring Muslim peoples . . . ."
>
> > Bin Laden called upon Muslims to fight against the United States and its
> > people "in accordance with the words of Almighty God." (19)
>
> So, for people on the list who would argue moderation, one has to
> recognize that "war" has been declared on us.

For those who would argue immoderation, one has to recognize _why_
"war" has been declared on us.
 
> Now, the article claims that bin Laden may have obtained up to 20
> nuclear warheads that are being turned into suitcase bombs. If that
> is the case then it is *very, very* serious. What is needed is
> greater investigation as to the reality that the Chechnyans may
> have been able to obtain these resources. It seems somewhat implausible
> because one has to ask why wouldn't they have used them against the
> Russian's themselves? (A lack of technological sophistication is one
> possibility.)

Regardless of whether Bin Laden or similar has nukes now, the
situation is extremely serious. The US is gearing up to create
thousands more terrorists and tens of millions (at least) more
sympathizers, and possibly destabilizing secular governments
throughout the Muslim world, which Islamists would absolutely love.
And they _will_ have WMD sooner or later. How'd you like to live
in a world with a dozen Taliban-style states and accompanying
terrorist camps and attacks?

> Does anyone see any flaws with this type of approach?

What's the range and lifespan of these self-flying spies? I doubt
that we could make an uncooperative society nearly transparent on
a personal level with current technology. Even if we could, it
appears that terrorists cells don't rely on much open activity.
I suspect they'd operate well even from real prisons, let alone
virtual prisons of transparency.

BTW, I recall someone wondering in the past few months whether Ian
Goddard had fallen off the face of the earth. Nope, in
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig2/goddard1.html he asks "Was United
Airlines Flight 93 Shot Down By U.S. Fighter?" Guess he just fell
into a pigeonhole.

--
  Mike Linksvayer
  http://gondwanaland.com/ml/


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