[lit-ideas] Re: Sustaining our Resolve
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 11:31:44 -0700
Must I tell you again, Irene? How many times must I repeat myself? But
perhaps I explained what we have accomplished in Iraq in a long note -- mea
culpa. I'll do this one up front and make the note as short as possible.
Some of the things we accomplished:
1) We removed a Militant Islamic enemy, one who harbored terrorists,
one who practiced his pan-Arabism by invading one of our allies, one who
desired, acquired and used WMDs, and one who has supported terrorist
activities.
2) We enhanced our posture vis a vis the war on terror by showing
certain nations, especially Saudi Arabia that we were more formidable than
Saddam Hussein who claimed victory (and was believed in the Middle East)
after the first gulf war
3) We held Saddam to account for the UN violations -- justifiably
ignoring the stone-walling of France and Russia we now know were in cahoots
with Saddam. They had promised to stop the US in the Security Council.
France & Russia were the chief beneficiaries in the Oil for Food UN Scandal
and made promises to Saddam they couldn't keep.
4) We showed other Militant Islamic nations that we meant what we said
about going after our Militant Islamic enemies. Pakistan had already agreed
to cooperate as a result of our resolution in Afghanistan. Lebanon declared
that we had rescued them from Syrian domination by our actions in Iraq.
Qhadaffi in Libya decided to relinquish his nuclear weapons.
5) We removed most of the bases that Al Quaeda might use for staging
operations: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and north Lebanon were gone to them.
South Lebanon is now in jeopardy as is much of Pakistan. Our actions in
Afghanistan and Iraq were extremely effective in combating Al Quaeda.
6) Al Qaeda's commitment to fighting us in Iraq permits us to reduce
their numbers directly.
7) We have succeeded in setting up a Democratic government in Iraq
that has had elections and been confirmed.
8) We have developed and trained the Iraqi Army such that it can
handle external threats and internal threats of any foreseeable size.
9) We are working on developing the Iraqi police such that they can
handle internal criminal matters.
10) We have done all this with a casualty count much lower than virtually
any major war we've ever been involved in.
Your articles are anti-American and pro-Islamic. Now there's nothing wrong
with that. They as well as your many notes simply mean you have chosen the
side you wish to support. We don't have laws punishing treason in the US
anymore so I guess you are home free. You side with Militant Islam and I
side with America -- no big deal.
If my answers don't meet your anti-American, pro-Islamist criteria, however:
tough.
Lawrence
_____
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Andy Amago
Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2006 6:18 AM
To: lit-ideas
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Sustaining our Resolve
Bernard Lewis is a neocon. He promoted the "they'll greet us as liberators;
they'll greet us with flowers" plan. He also is the author if the "clash of
civilizations idea" three years before Huntington. Basically, we wished our
into this mess with his help.
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/54a/051.html
"Were now viewed as destroyers, and destruction is the retort. This is the
new Middle East that is aborning one of relentless violence if we do not
end our own relentless violence there. The would-be bombers in London are a
reminder of how close it is."
John Tirman is Executive Director of MIT's <http://web.mit.edu/CIS/> Center
for International Studies. His most recent book is
<http://alternet.bookswelike.net/isbn/0061133019> 100 Ways America Is
Screwing Up the World (Harper Perennial, 2006).
http://www.alternet.org/story/40221/?comments=view
<http://www.alternet.org/story/40221/?comments=view&cID=176841&pID=176516>
&cID=176841&pID=176516
Also interesting is, if three years old; he certainly hasn't been proved
wrong:
http://www.topplebush.com/article1_recpres.shtml
I'm still waiting to hear what we accomplished in Iraq, Lawrence.
<http://www.topplebush.com/article1_recpres.shtml>
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