The War on Terror, How Bush got it wrong.

The War on Terror, How Bush got it wrong.

 

I am going to focus on al qaida because this is the terrorists group that attacked the US on 9/11.

 

The Al qaida network was a terrorists network that had terror cells in many countries throughout the world. Some countries had higher concentrations on terror cells than others.

 

Some countries turned a blind eye on the active terror cells and activities within their countries. In doing so, these Administrations did not become targets of Al qaida. Pakistan is an example of such an arrangement before 9/11.

 

Afghanistan under the Taliban gave sanctuary to Al qaida and it's main leaders. Thousands of Al qaida members were known to be in Afghanistan.

 

This is the quick background sketch of Al qaida operations worldwide.

 

After 9/11 Bush declared war on Terrorism and those who supported terrorist. The world rallied around Bush and this noble cause.

 

The first target was Afghanistan. The Taliban refused to no longer harbor Al qaida. This wasn't about a few dozen terror cells, this was about recruiting, training, propaganda and a base of sanctuary to launch attacks.

 

The world launched an attack against Afghanistan with the help of afghans who were anti Taliban and anti Al qaida. With the help of the Afghans as guides translators and troops the war went extremely well and both the Taliban and Al qaida were dealt significantly destructive blows.

 

As the noose was closing on the remnants of Al qaida and the Taliban, Bush made his first major mistake, he didn't focus on the final kill but diverted attention to a secondary target.

 

In doing this major components of Al qaida and the Taliban were allowed to slip away to reconstitute themselves.

 

Bush diverted troops material and funds to a secondary front. That front was Iraq.

 

Bush's reasoning for invading Iraq was about Iraq's ability to supply WMD's to terrorists.

 

Earlier in 2001, Bush's Administration had declared Iraq no longer a military threat.

 

Bush told of Iraq's connection with al qaida, a connection that could be said to be true of most regimes in the middle east. Most countries had a tacit agreement with Al qaida which was 'we will leave you alone if you leave us alone.' It was debatable but certain members of terrorists groups claim sanctuary in Iraq, but these individuals were not organizing terror cells or terror attacks from within Iraq. In remote areas of Iraq it was believed that terror training camps were in operation. These were conducted with the knowledge of Saddam but not with his support.

 

Saddam knew he was ultimately a target of Al qaida being a Secular Regime. Al qaida was more concerned with Israel and foreign intrusion into the Holy land. Iraq was low down on the list.

 

Bush's second mistake was launching a conventional war at an unconventional target in Iraq. There was no significant presence of Al qaida membership in Iraq and AFTER the Mission Accomplished celebration.

 

In destabilizing Iraq, Bush gave Al qaida a NEW safe haven in which to launch, recruit and organize terror campaigns. Unlike Afghanistan there was no internal support from the Iraqis for the invasion or Al qaida. For the most part the Iraqis were a population waiting to see what the outcome would be.

 

Saddam maintain national rule through terror. Decades earlier, with the support of the US he engaged in a war against Iran, America's enemy. After the first Gulf War Iraq was left in the control of Saddam, and the military watched and did nothing as Saddam ruthlessly put down an internal revolt after the conclusion of the Gulf war. The US unintentionally gave Saddam permission to use Gun Ships to put down the uprising.

 

Based on these past events, the Iraqis population kept a neutral stance for the most part.

 

Bush should never have invaded Iraq. Iraq had no WMD's, Iraq by the Bush's own Administration was not a military threat. Iraq was not an active supporter of Al qaida.

 

Any terror cells within Iraq before the invasion could have been dealt with the same way terror cells are being dealt with in other Arab countries. Police actions, surgical strikes or pressure of the administration to deal internally with the threat.

 

Bush's third mistake was releasing the name of the captured al qaida operative in Pakistan before on the Al qaida cells in England could be rolled up. This shows Bush's fundamental fault in fighting the terror war.

 

Bush's war on terror is being fought as a conventional war when in fact it is a war of unconventional means. The Terror War is a war similar to the war fought in Algiers. One of capture, interrogation, information, coordination, observation, capture, interrogation, information......

 

This type of war is not about flash and awe, which is how Bush is fighting the war, but about quiet relentless pursuit. A war Bush has no political need for, but one America needs to have to stay safe.

 

If people only knew the facts, they would not be fighting for the 'RIGHT' to be screwed over.

+ $1,751,132,130,359 Social Security Trust Fund
– $7,805,708,317,936 The Gross National Debt

Time will tell all the Truth.
VT

Sean Lewis/VirtualTruth/VT

Founder
OpenDebateForum
http://VTSL.blogspot.com


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