Pentagon Think Tank: Abandon the "War On Terror"

[sun dog]

In 2004, G.W. Bush told a Florida audience (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/03/20040320-4.html), "[John] Kerry said, and I quote, ‘The war on terror is far less of a military operation and far more of an intelligence-gathering law enforcement operation.’ (Audience boos.) I disagree…. After the chaos and carnage of September the 11th, it is not enough to serve our enemies with legal papers. With those attacks, the terrorists and supporters declared war on the United States of America — and war is what they got. (Audience applauds.)"

This was released by the Rand Corporation on July 29th:

"Current U.S. strategy against the terrorist group al Qaida has not been successful in significantly undermining the group's capabilities"

"Police and intelligence agencies, rather than the military, should be the tip of the spear against al Qaida in most of the world"

"...our analysis suggests that there is no battlefield solution to terrorism."

http://www.rand.org/news/press/2008/07/29/

[Pro]

'"...our analysis suggests that there is no battlefield solution to terrorism."


A lot of people have been saying that for years. And it's true. The only way to contain it is through global cooperation.

[Produce man]

A lot of people have been saying that for years. And it's true. The only way to contain it is through global cooperation.God, you're such a pussy. No wonder you're in the tank for Obama...:rolleyes:

[Pro]

The Medialine axiom at work: When you can't refute...insult! :rolleyes:

[Produce man]

The Medialine axiom at work: When you can't refute...insult! :rolleyes:And just how does one refute an asinine and impractical proposition?

[Jax]

The Danger Room blog (http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/07/war-on-terroris.html) talks about this one too...

Many people have said it, but now a respected think tank has put its imprimatur on it: the "global war on terror" is a misguided concept. A major new RAND study look at how terrorist groups have historically ended, concludes that in most cases, political accommodation and infiltration -- not brute force -- broke up the groups. Of course, RAND also notes that political accommodation works when the terrorists' goals are narrow (i.e. RAND is not recommending political accommodation with Al Qaeda, which has far-reaching goals).

"Al Qa'ida," notes RAND, "consists of a network of individuals who need to be tracked and arrested." Rather than blunt military force, RAND suggests that the focus should be on the "Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as their cooperation with foreign police and intelligence agencies."

In the end, policing and intelligence, not military power, should be the focus of counterterrorism, RAND concludes.

[neodeity]

And just how does one refute an asinine and impractical proposition?

Well, you could start by analyzing the proposition then point out what parts are asinine and impractical by offering logical and rational arguments against them, point by point. Instead we get stereotypical labeling, partisan cheerleading and a little respected opinion inaccurately disguised as common knowledge. Of course, I could be wrong.

[Produce man]

I'm going to go ahead and go with the latter.

[Pro]

Of course. You're not interested in a discussion, only name calling. No surprise there.

[sun dog]

God, you're such a pussy.

When you use that term, do you mean it to refer to someone who is not willing to accept that brave young men and women should be maimed or killed for an enormous charade, a byzantine money-grab, which has had absolutely nothing to do with fighting terror?

Maybe we should try to understand the real reasons for getting into this war. As former CIA analyst Chalmers Johnson puts it, "whatever else may or may not have changed after 9/11, one thing has become clear: munitions making and war profiteering have supplanted the energy and telecommunications deals pioneered by Enron and WorldCorn in the late 1990s as the most efficient means for well-connected capitalists to engorge themselves at the public trough. To call these companies "private," though, is mere ideology. Munitions making in the United States today is not really private enterprise. It is state socialism."

[Roy Hobbs]

As former CIA analyst Chalmers Johnson puts it, ...

Frank Bullitt says never trust Chalmers.
http://www.cinemaretro.com/uploads/BULLITT.jpg