Veloci
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Originally Posted by VelociMorte
Eva, I am NOT advocating that the United States Military adopt the same tactics as the insurgents. I AM advocating that we give the Iraqi people the tools (ie. training, weapons, and Intel) to rid themselves of the undesirables.
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To me, there is very little difference between asking an American soldier or an Allied Iraqi soldier to do this. Certainly the world will judge America by the actions of her allies. The end is still the same. A person trained and equipped by the United States executing our foreign policy through violence. I am not opposed to this concept, but I am opposed to there being no central authority or reponsibility...
Perhaps a version of the US Marshalls that is focused on insurgency? I seem to recall that various PDs had sent reps to Iraq to help train the police force.
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Originally Posted by VelociMorte
I am NOT advocating the "extermination" of anyone based on race or religion. I AM advocating the extermination of terrorists and everyone associated with them. Remove the support base and organization, and all you have left is a bunch of unorganized, angry individuals trying to make bombs out of matchsticks.
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Originally Posted by VelociMorte
If you cut off the head, ie. the Financiers, the madrassas with their hate-preaching clerics, the bomb-makers, the supportive village elder, the border-crossing guard who takes bribes to look the other way, the forger....everyone who makes up a terrorist cell or network and everyone who supports them, then the snake will die.
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Is this even possible though?
While I am not an expert at terrorism and how cells are formed/operate, from what I do know, cells are formed from groups with little or no knowledge or connection to each other.
My understanding is that cells are designed to operate with a broad objective but no central command authority. That way if one is rolled up, it does not compromise the other. A network "central authority" does not know the exact numbers and capabilities of its own organization to protect itself, other than in a general manner?
Weapons and bomb making materials are easy enough to procure in almost any country in the world. Knowledge of how to produce weapons must be disseminated, but in a world composed of such broad communication networks we must realize that taking out every training camp in the world, were it even possible, would only be a temporary impediment to the education of individuals in these skills.
The French discovered this the hard way in Algiers. They had elite commandos who managed to crush cell after cell until they completely rolled up the primary group that was instigating the "terrorist attacks". They took out the entire organization. They won. Yet within a few years Algiers was in chaos. An shortly thereafter, a new government in place that was totally hostile to the French.
When we discuss the elimination of terrorists, we must look to successful models where insurgency has been crushed. Can we cite even one? The classical European methods of maintaining empire have found little success in a post 1950 environment. I believe the US had the right idea, with hearts and minds but if we are to help these people build a country where lawlessness is punished, then we must teach them to act as a force governed by laws and not a mob IMHO.
The door for civil war is open in Iraq. Civil wars are always the worst. And something I feel America opened the door for when we had no "Marshall Plan" for the reconstruction of the country after we won the conventional war there. (And if we had a Marshall Plan, it sure as hell didn't seem to get things done very well) When you give people reason to be dissatisfied, it makes them look for alternatives.
In this case, several religious fundamentalists saw an opportunity and siezed it. We cannot kill them all anymore, because it would mean we would have to find them all and that is exactly the kind of thing these small organizations are trained to avoid! Being found.
Give the people of Iraq a reason to believe in their government. Make them want to help us. Protect their neighborhoods, make sure they have running water and power. Make sure their schools have air conditioners. Make sure the people have jobs and a safe way to get to/from them! When insurgents are thought of as criminals in an area, they will get the same treatment as criminals in the USA. If the government and military show they care about the welfare of the people, then the people will have reason to support the government.
Of course, it's easier to make people angry and harnass that. That's what today's insurgent leader is able to take advantage of. They aren't good at rebuilding, at providing infrastructure, they're only good at destroying. You can see this in examples of cell leaders in places like Serbia and Chechnya when the fighting stops. The people love them but they are useless at organization, etc and they fail.
So many people are sheep and they need a leader, be it religion or a political party or whatever. Something that will shepard them to a greater good. If we do not make ourselves the best option, then we will never be able to bring these people peace.
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