[internetworkers] Where are the martyrs for stable and free iraq?
rua at mindspring.com
rua at mindspring.com
Mon Oct 25 00:48:24 EDT 2004
Z,
I didn't mean to confuse the issue by calling some of the fighters in Iraq "terrorists". You say they are fighting for their country and so cannot be terrorists. As far as I know, the cause of aggression does not make someone a terrorist, as much as the tactics do. When a group kidnaps th director of CARE in Baghdad, a lifelong contributor to peace and assistance, and threatens to behead her, I believe they are terrorists. When a group executes 11 Nepalese civilians, (even though Nepal refused to send troops), and video tapes it, I believe they are terrorists. When a group kidnaps journalists, because they don't like a headdress law in France, I believe they are terrorists. I'm sure there are occasional atrocities from our founding as well, but I don't believe the founding fathers set out to kill civilians, summarily execute captured prisoners, etc. They were fighting to have their own elections, and the Iraqi fighters are fighting to prevent their own elections. Falujah fighters know if the elections don't happen, bullets and might will rule the day, and they have bullets to scare normal Iraqi citizens.
The stance and power grab of the Sunni clerics looks much more like the Catholic Church's Inquisition days, where torture and assassination was used to keep power for the church. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree if you think bombing and beheading civilians are courageous acts by freedom loving patriots. I think it is much more similiar to the Sicilian mafia or Columbian druglord technique for getting gaining power over a community. Rule by terror, not by law.
Don
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