Re: How many casultides

[Jeffrey Goldberg <{$news}$@goldmark.org>]

On Sep 11, 2001 C17H21N04 <no.adress@here.no> wrote
   in <supspt4cd9bbl5k6cvpg7t3c2s6im6n4k1@4ax.com>:

> On Wed, 12 Sep 2001 21:36:34 +0200, "Peter Andreas Lund Jacobsen"
> <palj01@civil.auc.dk> wrote:
>
> >I hope that USA are handling this with wisdom and that they don't let them
> >gyde by anger, but ONLY by WISDOM
>
> No way ! This time the US must react with real force : nuke the
> bastards !! They would do the same to the US.

I'm sure that they would if they could.  But the US isn't like them.  And
I for one don't wish to become like "them".

Yes, I do think that clear retaliation is needed.  Particularly against
governments that abetted the terrorists.  Since most the the terrorists
are suicidal anyway, there needs to be a clear deterrent against those
(non-suicidal) people who support the terrorists.

As I've said in an earlier posting

     if (1) the likely suspect turns out the be the guilty party
 and if (2) The US can get strong support from Russia (to set up bases)
 and if (3) Pakistan can have its arm twisted enough to not cause trouble

then there will be a serious war against the Taliban.  But I am far from
certain that all of those conditions will be met.  But I hope that those
conditions are met, and that the Taliban are unseated.  We've experimented
with economic sanctions before, only to learn that after a few years the
support for them wanes.

So I hope that wisdom prevails, but I unfortunately think that wisdom in
this case requires unambigous action that should deter any regime in the
future from supporting such terrorists.

One very unfortunate diplomatic out-come of this is that it will
strengthen US-Israeli ties at a time when the US needs to be weakening
those ties.  The reports of Palestinians dancing in the streets have not
hit the US media here. When it does, it will reinforce the regrettable "my
ally, right or wrong" relationship with Israel.

-j

-- 
Jeffrey Goldberg
 I have recently moved, see http://www.goldmark.org/jeff/contact.html
 Relativism is the triumph of authority over truth, convention over justice
 From line IS valid, but use reply-to.