Mass Bombings cannot Defeat Terrorism
(We are surprised that the first version of this article, a very poor, computer-generated translation
from French , is one the most read article in this webpage. We made the following better translation
for you)
02/02/2003 - An open war against a government absolutely becomes a war against the people. An open
war against a State is a war against the people. It was demonstrated, since the first war on Iraq, that the
famous "surgical strikes? with laser precision" are just pure lie, that civilians are those who are massacred by
the American blind bombings. Even in Afghanistan, how often did we learn that targets were missed and
that civilians were massacred by bombs?
The war of Afghanistan is a failure
Despite all these disasters, Ossama bin Laden had been left there, as well as the leaders of the Taliban
government, who were supposed to be eliminated in the name of war against terrorism. Such a disaster was
absolutely useless. What is its cost? What is the cost of the war on Afghanistan per capita of American
taxpayer? And how much does the positioning of American troops in Afghanistan cost to the American
taxpayers? How much does the positioning of American troops throughout the world cost the American
taxpayers?
Consequently, instead of obstinately pursuing with the obsession to make war to Iraq, then to North Korea,
and after that to Iran - it is not known which other State would be selected next -, it is time for the Bush
administration to recognize that its strategy of the massive bombings and military field battles to fight
terrorism was a failure in Afghanistan, will be a failure in Iraq, and will remain a failure in any other country.
All what the American soldiers - including the higher percentage of American Africans thus sent to the
slaughterhouses for a cause defended by a crippled strategy - will do is execute massacres of civil
populations, which will open other incurable wounds in Arabs? and Muslims? hearts, other hates, and other
potentials, anti-American terrorist attacks. Is this what the Bush administration wishes?
Ossama bin Laden capitalizes the wounds the American soldiers will create in Iraqis? hearts and will easily
channel the Iraqi war victims? and survivors? anger towards hatred against America and Israel. He will
explain to these victims that the only way of healing the wounds in their hearts will be to join the "holy war",
to engage in preparing and executing terrorist acts against "the unfaithful enemy", to sacrifice oneself while
executing these attacks that will terrorize Americans and Israelis? and they would have the reward of going
to the "Haven" and of becoming martyr.
Because any open war against a government or State thus cannot avoid being a war to the people -
amongst which Ossama bin Laden easily draws and trains fanatics -, current strategies will never stop
terrorism. On the contrary, any war against Arab or Muslim people proves Ossama bin Laden terrorists
right and feeds even more hatred against the Americans and Israelis within the Arab and Muslim world.
It is imprudent to believe that, once the Saddam Hussein regime falls, Iraqis eating from now on sufficiently
and democracy having been imposed as the system of government, the Iraqi people would unanimously
pour forth recognitions for the United States. Reality could reveal that the Iraqis, and more generally the
Muslims, do not see happiness in Western opulence but often instead in the satisfaction of the secular
needs, such as the achievement of the "Will of Allah". We often do not understand their "Will of Allah".
Our troops would be striving to survive, like Israel vis-à-vis the Palestinians, within an occupied society that
is hostile to them.
It is time for Bush to recognize his errors
Instead of obstinately pursuing with a logic of war, which most of all is not convincing - it is not proven that
Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi people have ties with Al-Qaeda - it is time to listen and understand the
French, Russian, Chinese and German positions opposed to any resolution of the UN Security Council
approving the war against Iraq and its people.
If the Bush administration does not understand that there is a deep divergence between his own interests
and those of the American people, the French, Russian, Chinese or German leaders on the contrary feel
obliged to listen to their street people?s cries. A war on Iraq or on any other country would put the
American people more in insecurity than ever. Even if the security were perfectly ensured on the American
homeland - which is very questionable -, it is clear that Americans overseas, including our diplomatic
representatives, will remain defenseless targets of terrorists. Their assassinations will keep splitting our
hearts in the years ahead.
The strategy of open wars against foreign countries, of massive bombings massacring populations, and of
imposing the United States? henchmen to head conquered countries, is definitively doomed to fail and to
exacerbate insecurity within the American people.
Terrorizing the Terrorists
After acknowledging the obvious failure of the logic of war as a solution to the terrorism issue, it is
necessary to consider the more serious work of developing new strategies. Instead of remaining deaf about
them, as the Bush administration has done until then, it would be necessary to accept the precondition of
taking into account the Al-Quaeda?s claims, doctrines and methods of combat.
Not finding answers to their claims for the withdrawal of the American troops would make it difficult to
choke terrorism the way the American people want it. Not stopping, or at least keeping secret, the U.S.
support to Israel would make it impossible to overcome a terrorism rooted on the Arab or Muslim nation.
It is necessary to counter, by all the means, Al-Quaeda?s and terrorist groups? hate doctrines and terrorist
attack methods.
The last strategy that may prove to be able to yield the results the American people want would consist in
terrorizing the terrorists. The United States has a history marked by the reign of terrorism during Mafia
times. We overcame that terrorism using suitable solutions. The American people today deal with a kind of
terrorism that has nothing different with Cosa Nostra except the dispersion of terrorists throughout the
world.
It is necessary to fight Al-Qaeda and the other terrorist groups throughout the world the way we fought the
Mafias in American streets. We did not raise armies against the American Mafias. We faced them in the
streets where they reigned, reinforced laws to subdue them, and overcame them. It is necessary to apply
the same methods to Al-Qaeda and other international terrorist groups.
Instead of extravagantly spending the American taxpayers? dollars to finance heavy war efforts doomed to
bring only more insecurity to the American people, it would be more suitable and more effective instead to
use the money to support anti-terrorists groups working for the United States and in charge of operating
within cities and villages in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Nigeria, Sudan and other countries
sheltering terrorists.
It is necessary to use the American taxpayers? dollars to recruit and train anti-terrorist cells within countries
where Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups are anchored. It is necessary to answer to terrorist acts by
terrorist and sabotage acts targeting terrorist cells. It is necessary to track thoroughly, arrest and present to
justice, or eliminate Al-Qaeda?s and terrorist groups? leaders and brains when there are no other
alternatives. It is necessary to arrest and present to justice, or eliminate religious imams and other preachers
who preach hatred against other people when there are no other alternatives. The mosques, where hatred is
taught against other people, should be destroyed.
The objective is to send the religious teaching of hate back into underground, to install the fear of terrorist
speeches within the people, to raise these people up against hate leaders and preachers, to choke off any
terrorist vague desire everywhere in the world.
In parallel with these spot actions, the American diplomacy must use of all, including corruption, blackmail
on U.S. and international assistance, and threats, to force foreign governments to engage in a domestic war
against terrorist cells, in particular by supporting the anti-terrorist groups? actions in their countries.
Private newspapers, television and radio channels should be installed within Arab and Muslim countries with
the principal mission of contradicting terrorist and hate speeches, and to demonstrate to the people that hate
leads to chaos.
Fighting terrorists where they hide, and not the countries that shelter them, is a solution that would prove to
be most effective in stopping current terrorism. All means should be put at work to prevent Ossama bin
Laden to become a hero for the Arab and Muslim children. One can effectively do it only by combating
Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups within the very societies where they reign and where their hate
doctrines are taught.
(Original version)
Massive bombardments cannot defeat terrorism
An open war against a government absolutely becomes a war against the people. An open war against a
State is a war against the people. It was demonstrated, since the preceding war against Iraq, that the
famous "surgical strike? with the laser" are only pure lie, that the civilians are those who are massacred by
the American bombardments. Even in Afganistan, how much time did we learn that targets were missed and
that the civilians were massacred by bombs?
The war of Afganistan is a failure.
Despite all these disasters, Ossama bin Laden had been left there, as well as the leaders of the Taliban
government, who it were supposed to be eliminated in the name of the war against terrorism. Such a
disaster absolutely was useless. What is its cost? What is the cost of the war of Afganistan per capita of
American taxpayer? And how much does the positioning American troops in Afganistan cost to the
American taxpayers? How much does the positioning of American troops throughout the world cost to the
American taxpayers?
Consequently, instead of obstinately pursuing with the obsession to go in war against Iraq, then against the
North Korea, and afterwards against Iran, and it is not known which other State will be thereafter selected,
it is time that the Bush administration recognizes that its strategy of the massive bombardments and arranged
military battles to fight against terrorism was a failure in Afganistan, will be a failure in Iraq, and will remain a
failure in any other country. All what the American soldiers (including the higher percentage of American
Africans thus sent to the slaughterhouses for a cause defended by a crippled strategy) will do is execute the
massacres of civil populations, which will open in the hearts of the Arabs and Musulmans other incurable
wounds, other hatreds, and others potentials, anti-American, terrorist attacks. Is this what the Bush
administration wishes?
Ossama bin Laden capitalizes the wounds the American soldiers will create in the hearts of the Iraqis and
will easily channel the anger of the victims and survivors of the Iraqi war towards hatred against America
and Israel. He will explain to these victims that the only way of curing the wound in their hearts will be to
join the "holy war", to engage in preparing and the executing terrorist acts against "the unfaithful enemy", to
sacrifice oneself at the time of these attacks that will terrorize Americans and Israelis? and they would have
the reward of going to the "sky" and becoming martyr.
Because any open war against a government or State thus cannot avoid being a war against the people (in
which Ossama bin Laden easily draws and trains fanatics) will never stop terrorism. On the contrary, any
war against Arab or Moslem people gives reason to the terrorist theses of Ossama bin Laden and feeds still
more hatred against the Americans and Israelis within the Arabs and Moslems world.
It is imprudent to believe that, once the regime of Saddam Hussein fallen, the Iraqis eating from now
sufficiently and the democracy imposed as the system of government, the Iraqi people will unanimously pour
forth recognitions towards the United States. Reality could reveal that the Iraqis, and more generally the
Moslems, do not see happiness in Western opulence but often rather in the satisfaction of the secular needs
such the achievement the "will of Allah". We often do not understand their "will of Allah" and our troops
would be striving to survive, like Israel vis-à-vis the Palestinians, within an occupied society that is hostile to
them.
N.S.
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