Originally posted by: hagbard
Originally posted by: Mursilis
Originally posted by: hagbard
Respond to what? Rehash what I've already said?
In numerous statements, they've been quite clear that their goal is an Islamic World Order in which you're either Muslim, or you're dead. The West as we know it, to include such institutions as the democratic vote, equality of the sexes, freedom of speech, religion, etc., will cease to exist.
So why give them ammo? That's exactly what will result from aggressively invading their countries, more hostility, more violence in return. Anyone who dares to disagree with the US is labelled "surrender monkeys" or "Soviet Kanukistan", etc. by the neo-conservative hawks that are driving this war.
You suggest that al-Qaeda would leave the U.S. alone if we left them alone, and they're only attacking us because we're provoking them;
No, but you're helping their cause by doing exactly what bin Laden claims American's do.
I disagree. They've been quite clear that they seek to establish a Muslim theocracy over the entire earth. Show me anywhere that al-Qaeda has promised to cease violence/terrorism if the U.S. withdraws from the Middle East. Regardless of what we do to them, they wish to kill us.
What they wish, and what they can achieve are two different things. If the US pushes it, they'll wind up with a real threat of hundreds if not thousands of bin Ladens all looking to take revenge against the United States. Just look at your history in that part of the world, the more the US interfers the more resentment and more terrorists. Bin Laden is just the Arab flavour of last year. Who knows who will take his place in 2004. Maybe it won't even be someone from the middle east, perhaps it will be some French cheese eating surrender money, or a Columbian guerilla, or a Somalian....