The problem with this screaming for vengeance is that the actions proposed will result in terrible suffering for
millions of people who had nothing to do with the act being avenged. I make no excuses for terrorists. The people actually responsible for the destruction of the WTC should die. But the few
hundred people actually responsible, or few thousand at most, are scattered all over the world in small, hidden Groups. Usama Bin Laden is only the visible tip of a very large underground network. Even if we get him there will still be an entire organization out there capable and quite willing to carry out more of the same actions. This is not a task that needs bombs and missiles, but intense investigation and law-enforcement work. If you find a nasty weed in your lawn, do you napalm the whole lawn? Or dig the d*mn weed out? The napalm will kill the grass, but the weed has deeper roots and will probably be the first thing that grows back.
Careful, intelligent use of military force to get compliance from states who are either in secret cooperation with the terrorists or just not strong enough to resist them alone will probably be necessary. But even then we don't have to destroy the civilian population. I hope the current chest-beating by the US is just part of a game of 'good cop/bad cop' but with our past history I guess we can't know. There has been a noticable return of reason in the mass media these Last few days. More and more programs I've listened to on the radio point out that if we just drop thousands of bombs on Afghanistan it will only recruit more terrorists. Others who still watch TV will have to report on what is happening there.
I hope this rationality is also returning to the minds of our government and military officials.
Re: OT: War Bill, write your congress......
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