Republican talking point: Bringing the terrorist to Iraq - Civilians?

[OKNancy]

Seems that this is the latest talking point for the neo-cons. The “terrorists” are flooding into Iraq, but that is a good thing because we can fight them all in one location. It’s better to fight them there than in our country. This is ridiculous on so many levels, but I’d like to focus on one factor. What about the Iraqi civilians?

Here we have a population that was already struggling under Saddam, and the US sanctions, then they are pounded with a war not of their own making. I’m talking about the everyday person. The people like one finds everywhere. Most people don’t get involved in political intrigue, they just care about food, shelter, family, love, sex, and their god, not necessarily in that order.

So we have a population that has not only lived through shock and awe and foreign occupiers, but now they have to contend with outside terrorists flooding in to fight the occupiers. They are caught in the crossfire, but what can they do? It may be that ordinary citizens will become radicalized. In order to protect themselves they might have to choose a side. All I can see is more death and destruction for innocents and the US just doesn’t seem to care. Hey, as long as it is them and not us.

I keep thinking about a computer game that I enjoy in my attempt for mindless activity. It’s like Age of Empires. The Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians and Egyptians are all fighting and the poor villager who chops wood and harvests the berry bush is the weakest and is always the first to die. It’s not a game and that is real blood on the ground in Iraq.

[rooboy]

1. Remember the full page ad...

that had a picture of Osama bin Laden saying "I want YOU to invade Iraq!" ???

If that's the Repuke talking point, then it just proves they walked into a trap, nothing else. Al Qaeda must be laughing their butts off.

[OKNancy]

2. Yes, I remember thinking that

We have done bin Laden's bidding. So many people predicted it too including Pitt, Ritter, and half of DU. Even me, a middle-aged Okie-housewife/dance teacher.

[La_Serpiente]

3. Yes

I explicitly remember them saying that. David Horowitz, Liberal turned conservative, was arguing this point with the Nation's editor Katrina Heuvel on Hardball. He said that Iraq is attracting all the terrorists into Iraq and they will kill them all in one fell swoop.

Now, I don't know if you remember Afghanistan during the 1980s, but Mujadeen fighters were coming from all over the world into Afghanistan to fight the Soviets from taking over. The Mujadeen, with the help of the US at the time also, defeated the Soviets.

Now, it appears the Mujadeen have enough ammo since the US is not guarding their ammunations supplies and because of the leftover from the Sadaam regime.

Whether the US wins or not, one thing is certain. Iraq WILL be a battle ground that the Iraquis didn't ask for.

It kind of makes me think, "Have the Republicans run out of things to spin?"

Imagine telling the mothers and fathers of those serving in Iraq that their sons and daughters have become sitting ducks for terrorists from around the world.

Apparently, the neo-cons weren't being up front with the American people.

[KharmaTrain]

4. Even Sicker Spin

I heard Cliff May try this whopper the other day:

"We're stopping the terrorists in Baghdad and not on the streets of New York & Washington...would you like want dead people on OUR streets" This is paraphrased, but I know I'm not far off...it was a jaw dropped. Then last night I saw Luntz almost try the same crap on Tweety.

They must be getting desperate to pull the old "reds in the bed" stuff, but does the worry of another domestic attack still resonate in "sheeple land" so that this regime can use it to deflect any criticism? Even worse are we being set up for...nope, not going there...I have no tin hat nearby.

[OKNancy]

5. It just seems so heartless

What am I thinking?....I'm talking about Republicans.
Who cares if a few hundred or thousand Iraqi children get shot up? As long as it isn't us, we don't care.

Humble foreign policy my ass.

[KharmaTrain]

6. I Told My Son Last Night...

...the answer to the whole Iraq mess is just drain all the oil, then we'd treat those poor Iraqi people with the dignity and respect we do to all those fine folks in Africa and Central America :evilgrin:

[LittleApple81]

7. I have been incensed about this for quite a time. The Repug

Senators have used this arguments on the floor of the House and the Senate several times. They call Iraq, with almost glee, "the cockroach motel" for terrorists. Yeah, my friends, Iraqis are just either our cockroaches or our bait for the cockroaches.

[RapidCreek]

8. Yea well, they're just a bunch of Satanic, Idol worshipping ragheads...

better to crap up their country than ours! We wouldn't wanna piss off the Saudis....cause they have sleep overs with AWOL George.

Sarcasm...of course.

RC

[Maudlin]

9. I'm sure Wolfowitz is a big fan of the flypaper theory

now that he's been a target himself.

In fact, it seems to be more effective for high-level officers. Let's just march the whole administration through main street Baghdad and take out everyone who tries to kill them! It's a brilliant stratagery.

Seriously. The 'let's use soldiers as bait' thing is surreal, don't let them get away with it.

[loudnclear]

10. They (the terrorists) can also pick off a lot of Americans also

Which they seem to be doing pretty well these days.

[KharmaTrain]

11. May We Wish This Is As Bad As It Gets

I have that same deep-pitted feeling I did during Vietnam about the fate of the soldiers who are being exposed in a hostile land. Even Tweety seemed honestly alarmed last night as how open and vulnerable our military is as this occupation continues.

My deepest concern is the slipshod planning for the "redestruction" has so compromised our forces that another Beirut or even worse disaster is all but possible.

[OKNancy]

12. Our soldiers

Yes of course, our soldiers are being killed too. I sure don't want anyone to think that because I fear for the civilians, that I don't care about our guys and gals.

( Just responding to your post because it's convienent...not because you said anything negative.)

[OKNancy]

13. Any more input?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

14. Oh, I'm quite sure that the NeoCons want everyone to believe that...

..."terrorists", both internal and external to Iraq, are the only people fighting the so-called "coalition". And if they're not called "terrorists", they're also called "Saddamist dead-enders".

The NeoCons would love to have us believe that there are no ordinary Iraqis that have taken up arms to protect their homes and families from an invader that seems interested only in killing as many Iraqis as possible in order to gain the material wealth of their country. They would also love to have us believe that ordinary Iraqis are not joining the anti-invader resistance in ever increasing numbers.

It seems as if the NeoCons have done this before and just never seem to understand the lesson being taught. It's not the "terrorists" being drawn into one killing field, it's us.

[Cocoa]

15. I was just thinking about this

the recent bombings, and the likelihood that this is the way it's going to be, made me think about it.

I've been hearing that many experts say there is a real danger that the Iraqi population will not stand for it for very long, that if it doesn't get better they will join the resistance just to end the situation.

[OKNancy]

16. and then it WILL be like Vietnam

I've always thought comparisons to Vietnam were overwrought, but now I'm thinking I was wrong.

Is this like 1965?

[Armstead]

17. shock therapy

British perspective, but applies to us as well.


Published on Tuesday, October 28, 2003 by the Guardian/UK
The Seeds of Iraq's Future Terror
Free Market Shock Therapy Must not be Imposed by the Occupiers

by Shirley Williams

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1028-07.htm

EXCERPT:
....Even while serious fighting continues, the economic destiny of the country is being decided - not by the Iraqis themselves, but by the occupying powers and the US-appointed governing council, almost half of whom are exiles.

On the initiation of Paul Bremer, the US head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, a new law, order 39, came into force last month. It permits complete foreign ownership of Iraqi companies and assets (apart from natural resources) that have hitherto been publicly owned, total overseas remittance of profits and some of the lowest corporate tax rates in the world. In short, Iraq's economy has been put up for sale.

...It is extraordinary to hear a Labour (albeit New Labour) government endorsing such economic shock therapy. An extreme market model proved disastrous in post-Soviet Russia, where half the population fell below the poverty line. In Iraq, the effects are already being felt. Rather than repair the Baghdad telephone exchange, which the coalition bombed, the elitist decision has been made that Iraqis should rely on foreign-owned mobile phone networks. Press reports indicate that Iraqi hospitals, once famed as the best in the region, now face plans for privatization.

MORE

[OKNancy]

18. Kick for the evening crowd

any thoughts?

[donotpassgo]

19. The Prez is banking on how stupid Americans really are...

Many of the sheeple can't tell their dark people apart, much less their Muslims, or their terrorists. Knowing the difference between Iraqi counter insurgency and Al Qaeda means reading the paper as opposed to watching Fox, or saying "Bullshit" when Bush constantly sticks 9/11 in the same sentence as Iraq.

[Brian Sweat]

20. This is flawed thinking that assumes that there is a set number of

terrorists in the world. There is not. This action has increased teh number of terrorists in the world. It has descreased the safety of the United States and will continue to do so long after we leave Iraq. We have engendered ill will towards ourselves for decades to come.


Also, the talking point is easily refuted. They are our sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers and friends, not flypaper.