[lit-ideas] Re: Text of bin Laden Tape

Last question and I'm done.  What do you think of the military saying this war 
can't be won militarily?


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Lawrence Helm 
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: 1/21/2006 12:15:15 AM 
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Text of bin Laden Tape


No it isn't a non-sequitur.  Yes, I have assumptions as everyone does who 
speaks or argues and you can't divest me of my assumptions for the sake of your 
hypothetical non-sequitur.  I have been arguing based on my studies.  I have 
read all of Osama's speeches and he is sure he can get us to back out.  We 
don't have the stomach for warfare.  We aren't "willing to die," he says.  He 
and the Islamists will win because they are willing to die.  If the pressure of 
the Islamists accompanied by a defeatist press can get us to withdraw 
prematurely, Osama and Al Quaeda would without doubt declare a great victory.  

No one fighting an enemy would advocate withdrawing and leaving the field of 
battle to that enemy.  You withdraw if he defeats you.  You don?t withdraw if 
you are winning.  The History Channel has a series called something like ?Great 
Military Blunders.?  Such a withdrawal would qualify as a military blunder.

As to our troops being the cause of attacks by the Islamists, I haven?t seen 
much discrimination.  They attack the Iraqi government forces more than they do 
ours, but even so and so what.  The numbers aren?t large for a major war.  In 
fact the actual war has been one and we are now fighting the larger war against 
international Islamism over there.  

Who says I?m terrified about anything?  If we were to be forced into a 
premature withdrawal and the Islamists were to win then I think we would 
deserve major casualties in subsequent Islamist attacks.  The stupidity of a 
premature military withdrawal would deserve military consequences.  I have no 
problem with that.  We fight better after we?ve been bloodied.

Besides, you have things twisted.  I think the war is being won, but I think a 
premature withdrawal could turn that around.  If we left early, the fledgling 
Iraqi Army might not succeed in keeping the Islamist invading forces at bay.  

Lawrence

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