War on terror

The war on terror is most properly thought of as a race against terrorists determined to find and deploy weapons of terrible destruction against civilisation.

9/11 was foreseen

“We live in a world of three billion men and hundreds of thousands of nuclear bombs, missiles, warheads; it’s a world of extraordinary germs that can be harnessed and used to kill whole populations, a world of extraordinary chemicals that can be harnessed and used to do the same.” Three billion men, and it takes only half a dozen bright and evil ones to harness and deploy. What are the odds it will happen? Put it another way: what are the odds it will not? Low. Non-existent, I think.

When you consider who is gifted and crazed with rage... when you think of the terrorist places and the terrorist countries... who do they hate most? The Great Satan, the United States. What is its most important place? Some would say Washington. I would say the great city of the United States is the great city of the world, the dense, ten-mile-long island called Manhattan, where the economic and media power of the nation resides, the city that is the psychological centre of our modernity, our hedonism, our creativity, our hardshouldered hipness, our unthinking arrogance.”

This – from There Is No Time, There Will Be Time – was written by the brilliant Peggy Noonan three years before September 11th, 2001.

Peggy Noonan’s piece was a wise, early warning of ‘the gathering storm’. She rightly predicted that whilst the world had always been populated by evil men – in our age they had access to weapons with the potential to cause unthinkable harm.

On 11th September 2001 Osama bin Laden’s terrorists provided a wake-up call to the whole world. Some people and nations - 9/11 people and nations - woke up. Others – particularly Old Europe - are still asleep. What 9/11 people woke up to was the reality of terrorists who would stop at nothing to destroy western civilisation.

The 3,000 innocent dead of 9/11 was shocking enough. But Chechen terrorists, bin Laden, al-Zarqawi and other terrorist fanatics aspire to much worse. If any terrorist was to get hold of a dirty nuclear bomb – or other terrifying weapons – 9/11 would, almost unbelievably, seem a let-off.

The race against terror

The war on terror could more helpfully have been described as the race against terror. The terrorists are racing to get hold of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction and civilisation is racing to stop them forming a deadly alliance with rogue nations and useful idiots.

The pre-emptive war against Saddam’s Iraq has been much more bloody and much more difficult than its proponents had expected. It is possible that it will be a war that isn’t won for many years. It is also possible that it won’t stop some terrorists winning the race to get hold of devastating WMDs from another source. The only certainty in the race against terror is that the terrorists will win if no-one takes them on.

Comments

[David Sextoin]

The only justification for attacking Iraq was to prevent the acceleration of a global war between the extremists of Islam (from Europe though the Middle East to Indonesia) and the "West" (whoever they are but they are basically considered Infidels). This is a Global conflict and is a manifestation of how wars will be fought in the future. The error of judgement made by Tony Blair was that there was a link between the leadership in Iraq, WMD and Al Queida. We were privy to this information and took the same position. We may have been misled and in any event it is sufficient for Blair to resign ( as he would be forced to do in business for such an error irrespective of who was responsible). The issue now is that we "are where we are" and our focus should be on how we extract ourselves from this position with minimum collateral damage to either ourselves or the people of Iraq or indeed to the future of the non-Islamic and Islamic world. Secondly some insight on how we deal with the wider situation given the lessons of Iraq is important. Some interesting perspectives on this from our leadership would indicate we are looking forward and indeed appeal to the widening electorate

[Robin]

Perhaps the term "world terror war" rather than "war on terror" would be better.

The current definition of civil law in the time of peace and military law in the time of war are clumsy and unsuited to a "world terror war".

At the moment we are "tightening" civil law against muslim terrorists rather than simply declaring a war on them because under current military law declaring war would create a Viet-kong in the UK muslim population.

However, if we keep on tightening civil law as we are currently doing it will end up abutting or blurring with military law and it will mean losing any real civil status.

Semantically the best option is to create a third type of law for "civil-war" - rather than try to extend civil or military law. Doing otherwise plays into the hands of the terrorists.

[John]

Dear Robin,

I thank you for your searching views on the unjustified attack on Iraq: wrong person, wrong country, nothing to do with 9/11 and basically no WMD or direct way to attack the US. I would appreciate your views on why President Bush didn't attack the right person, Osama Bin Laden in the right country, Afghanistan. And why Bin Laden can't be caught. Is our military not quite as capable as the movies and TV shows portray. From experience I know the police and courts are somewhat incapable and ignorant, unfair and often lie.

Below I present a plan that I was spiritually given which may be the only plan for Iraq and the USA that has a real chance of bringing peace to Iraq and the world. And most of all, shows the proper direction and attitude to the sleeping, arrogant and ignorant US government and many Americans. It's the only plan that will be respected and dignity to the USA and Americans. Bush must be tried. I heard that he bought land in South America where he cannot be extradited.

My experience includes service in the Vietnam fiasco, civil engineering in the Middle East and unique gifts. I gave up engineering due to my dysfunctional memory caused by pain in my back and down the right sciatic nerve to the age of 44, it was a blessing in disguise. I became one of the best CNA's (certified nurse aide) in the San Francisco Bay Area since I've often been used by my varity of spiritual helpers (Buddah,the Great Spirit Jesus, Mohammed,

About two hours after the planes Kamikazied into the Towers I woke up, went outside to see what the laborers were doing and was then told about the attack. The first image that I was spiritually given: "a young boy of about fourteen dressed in dishelved clothes, standing in the desert and staring up at the sky." Took about a minute to realize that he was looking at US fighter airplanes and also towards the bombers he wouldn't see nor hear.

Spiritual Iraqie Peace Plan - Preliminary Outline

The US Government and Americans appologize to the Iraqie government and people:

Wrong country
Nothing to do with 9/11
Wrong person
Basically no WMD's, nor a direct way of attacking the USA

Impeach and arrest the following American "war criminals" and send to The Hague for trial:

President
Vice-President
Secretary of Defense, former

Deposit in a Swiss secured account for the rebuilding of Iraq six hundred billion dollars, $600,000,000,000 from the personal accounts/estates of the above.

If the total estates of the above do total six hundred billion, the remaining will be taken out of the estates of all congress members that voted for the attack. Also include generals, directors and next ranking officials of the US Security Service for each service and of the CIA and the FBI unless they were known to be against the illegal, United Nations non-sanctioned Iraq.

The above will be done only if the civil fighting and all fighting stops and representatives of all nations, religious sects, or other groups present in Iraq and that have participated in the fighting meet and sign a cease fighting agreement.

For the insurgents, they must be represented by the known leader and the official leader of their country whether it be a president, king, dictator or whatever. The meeting will take place in a neutral country, such as Sweden with the highest level of security. There are no exceptions, the main leaders, no substitutes. If one president or king cannot or does not agree to come, then the second highest individual for all countries and groups.

During and for about six month before and after reconstruction that will last about 4 years, suffient policing forces will be maintained throughout Iraq to protect the reconstruction personnel, the existing and returning citizens, and to quel any insurgent forces or isolated killers.

All trials of any violent or military associated crimes will be tried by courts set up by the United Nations and the various governments of all nations participating in the reconstruction and the policing so that sentencing individuals be in accordance with that of their country of origin or of last employment of living location. Thus, individuals of the same criminal event could have different sentences for the same offense. e any fighting or n from isolated with suffient reserves including An police army for stopping any fighting or killing of civilians from any country working or visiting during the reconstruction will consist of soldiers and personal with experience in maintaining order. from all countries

Make all of the above known to all people older than eight years in Iraq and in the surrounding countries including the non-Iraqis fighting or living in Iraq.

Most important is to remind all in Iraq that word of mouth be used so that the above reaches all those fighting including the insurgents.
Use all news media in all the languages spoken and read in Iraq and the surrounding countries.
TV, radio, written media, flyers, teachers and word of mouth.

Stop all the excessive propaganda in the news media, movies and on TV that portrays terrorists from Iraq. Show how the US developed a large portion of the terrorists by attacking Iraq, by trying to force the Middle East to do everything the American way or for the Americans. Send people to the Middle East that will mingle with the natives, not live behind high walls, parading around in bikines, drinking and carrying on with their noses in the air like they own the world. I worked in Saudi, Iran, India and Nigeria which means I experienced all that I've said. In addition, how many Americans when they first heard about or saw on TV the attack on the Towers had a reasonable image, not the revengeful, arrogant and ignorant image or reaction? The US forces, military, CIA or other publically unknown groups that have killed easily over 2,000 people including innocent mothers, fathers and kids in unknown attacks or by supporting leaders in foreign countries just like the US presidents supporting Al-Qaeda.
Thousands of innocent kids and families were killed during the initial bombing in Iraq. I've never heard on TV or read in the news that Bush has prayed for any of the kids or innocent people that he has killed in Iraq. When an individual soldier or a few soldiers of a squad or fireteam mistakes and kills innocent families and/or kids they have to show reasons why they make the mistake. When insufficient or unacceptable soldiers have been court martialed.
In conclusion, the world is getting very small, and extremely fast with computers. Mistakes can't be hidden as before. President Bush made the worst mistake of the Century with his prejudiced and ignorant attack on Iraq. No country in the Middle East is going to a plan and really support it.
PRESIDENT BUSH INCREASED THE NUMBER OF TERRIORISTS AND CONSOLIDATED THEM IN IRAQ.
IT IS BEST TO SACRIFICE THE PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT AND FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE THAN TO KILL ONE MORE SOLDIER OF ANY COUNTRY. THIS WOULD MAKE FUTURE POLITIANS MORE THOROUGH !
Not "God Bless America". Nothing but ignorant jingoism. God Bless the World!

very, very sincerely
john

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