Who in This Forum is Afraid of the Al-Qaeda Boogiemen Killing Us Here?

[mrd]

IRAQ had nothing to do with the War on Terror. No connections to Al Qaeda. Bush went out of his way to pull some unvetted intel out of his hat claiming Saddam had WMDs and was therefore a terrorist nation in need of a good invasion.

Since we've been there, we helped establish their 'democracy' and we're trying to get them to contractually guarantee their oil fields remain open to corporate control. Meanwhile, we're setting up permanent bases while extremists rally against the US occupation. Al Qaeda has found a fertile recruiting ground there, with the many relatives of Iraqis injured or killed by our army.

We're spending ourselves into oblivion to stay, nations around the world have formed a horrifically negative opinion about the USA, Al Qaeda is growing by leaps and bounds due to our own militarism, Arab Muslims think the US is waging a war against Islam, and the American public at large is clueless about any of it.

Worse, our politicians are either bought by the defense contractors to stay the course, or they tout rhetoric about the necessity of our War on Terror for our protection, completely inverting the true logic of the situation! Ron Paul is and has been the only light at the end of this dark tunnel and I fear where we are headed without his much-needed insight.

 

[michaelwise]

I'll bet MS-13 in our country right now could kick the Al_Qaeda boogeyman's ass in a New York Minute if they entered our soil.

 

[cswake]

How many more people die in auto accidents every year? Have we stopped driving yet?

I see what you're trying to do, but you cannot reasonably compare accidents versus murder. It's absurd because the latter is a crime and justice needs to prevail. Paul just so happens to be giving the truth on how to bring them in. (Letters of Marque and Reprisal) He also has a plan of action to stop giving them reasons to want to kill Americans, unlike any other candidate.

And in reference to the op, the War on Terror is vague in nature just like the War on Drugs, War on Poverty, and War on Cancer. All four of these will never be "won" and do more harm than good.

 

[lucius]

Believe it or not they have been consistent in their attacks:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4677978/

Attacks on our soil:
1993 WTC bombing
1998 US Embassy Bombings
2001 WTC bombing

From the article:

"--Feb. 26, 1993

The first World Trade Center attack and the first terrorist attack on America. A bomb built in nearby Jersey City is driven into an underground garage at the trade center and detonated, killing six and wounding 1,500. Yousef, nephew of Khalid Sheik Mohammed, masterminds the attack, working with nearly a dozen local Muslims. While U.S. officials disagree on whether Osama bin Laden instituted the attack and Yousef denies he has met bin Laden, the CIA later learns that Yousef stayed in a bin Laden-owned guest house in Pakistan both before and after the attacks."

The FBI knew about this attack before hand, could of stopped it and provided viable components for the explosive device used--rubes then, rubes now.

CBS News: FBI Foreknowledge of 1993 WTC bombing: http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...l=4&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

It is increasingly clear that an American police state is no longer some distant event to fear.

 

[Ninja Homer]

I'm much more afraid of modern health care.

Modern Health Care System is the Leading Cause of Death
http://www.advancedhealthplan.com/leadingcauseofdeath.html

 

[JordanQ72]

I have no doubt in my mind that there are Islamic individuals spread across the world working hard on acquiring any of the dozens of nuclear armaments that 'disappeared' from Russian inventories post collapse with the intent of using them against targets inside the United States.

On the other hand, invading Iraq had nothing to do with nullifying this threat.

 

[RockEnds]

No, I'm not afraid of Al Qaeda.

 

[kyleAF]

I have no doubt in my mind that there are Islamic individuals spread across the world working hard on acquiring any of the dozens of nuclear armaments that 'disappeared' from Russian inventories post collapse with the intent of using them against targets inside the United States.

On the other hand, invading Iraq had nothing to do with nullifying this threat.

That's true.

Unfortunately for us, it really is this BLOWBACK that is inspiring such individuals to attack the United States. I suspect if it weren't for our meddling, their having the bombs would be no more a danger to us than China having the bombs.

I mean, do the Swiss have much to fear? Seriously? They've "western" values.

But we're stuck with our past actions and future consequences. That's the crappy part... same as with our economy.

Securing our borders is key, as that's the only way they'll get nuclear material into the country. I wish we didn't even have to do that, but we've up and hit the hornets nest... we have to run for some cover, lest we get stung.

Staying in no-win wars in the middle east, and thereby PISSING them OFF more is *not* going to help.

/preach to choir

 

[Akus]

The capability of Al-Qaeda Boogiemen actually inflicting massive harm to our country again is quite remote. A comprehensive congressional and intelligence agency study should be conducted in order to determine the actual combat capabilities of Al-Qaeda.

1) What is their actual combat readiness to mount an attack against us on our side of the planet?

2) What is the size of their army and where are their bases located. Satellite images of their bases should not be difficult to produce.

3) What would be their mode of transport to move their armies to our side of the planet?
a) What is the size and location of their Air force?
b) What is the size and location of their Navy?
c) What missile systems do they control that need to be neutralized.

4) Through what gates of entry into our country would they enter.
a) Hijacked airplanes? What is the probability of this occurrence.
b) Open borders? Ports of entry? What level of head count would make them easily detected? 10, 100, 1000?

5) What level of damage could they actually accomplish given the billions we are currently spending on homeland security.

6) Is the Iraq War justified given the anemic amount of damage the AL-Qaeda could actually do to us currently on our side of the planet?


These and many other questions should be answered in order to justify "killing them there so they don't kill us here", and spending hundreds of billions of dollars doing it.

I have a better chance of hitting the mega-powerball lottery or being struck by lighting than I do of being killed by an Al-Qaeda Boogieman on my side of the planet. This is why i don't live in fear of them.

We spend hundreds of billions on the war on terror with thousands of American lives lost and wounded, you'd think we could spend a couple of million to assess the true nature of the Al-Qaeda threat and ask the question; Is the price justified?

I'm afraid al qaeda might kill us, but not because we leave, but because we stay and make them that much stronger. I suspect bin laden's goons hate each other as much as they hate Americans and their hate for "great satan" is the only thing that unites them.

 

[PlzPeopleWakeUp]

nt

 

[Bold As Love]

"I'm from the Government and I'm here to help"

Ronald Reagan said these were the 9 most terrifying words in the English language.

 

[Revolutn]

You mis-spelled AlCiaDuh.

 

[thePhilosopher]

There really are people who want to kill Americans, but RP has opened my eyes as to why. I believe that the threat is real, but it would certainly be diminished if we moved to a non-interventionist foreign policy. Like most on this board, I currently am more concerned about the government reaction to threats (real or imaginary) than the terrorists themselves.

 

[hvac ak47]

Dont worry NATO will save us, we have to give up our guns first!!

 

[emilysdad]

Not afraid of AQ.

On the other hand, I do wonder sometimes who is smarter. Ya know, in complete secrecy, AQ planned an attack on U.S. soil, penetrating the most sophisticated national defense system on the planet. An attack which lasted about 2 hours, killed thousands of people, caused billions in property damage, destoyed the confidence of a nation, caused a recession/bubble/recession, caused a nation to fear it's shadow, led to deterioration of our constitution, caused a collapsing currency, and all started by 19 dudes.

We (will) have spent trillions of dollars in a foriegn country trying to catch the mastermind while killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people, including our own, over a 5 year period.

No, I am not afraid of AQ.

But, I do wonder who is smarter sometimes.

 

[kickzman]

The idea Alqaida can hurt us is BS, and just to scare the public. The majority of the world see our government on par w/ if not worse than Alqaida b/c atleast their honest when killing ppl.

 

[Bold As Love]

We need to remember that they "hate us for our freedom and prosperity". So the most obvious way to fight them would be to make us both less free and less prosperous.

 

[The Machine]

Comparatively, the US Government is a much greater threat to the 300+ million people that live here and the international community that it continuosly threatens.

Idealistically, our original Constitutional based government was not only a model for the world, but a mechanism to ensure the freedom and liberty of US citizens. We no longer have that form of government; it has morphed into the largest international terrorist organization.

 

[zbus12]

I am more afraid of Clinton, obama, or McCain taking the office of president than any terrorists.

 

[jkm1864]

I am more afraid of our government than I am of the terrorist!