Rice: War on Terror Is Not War on Islam

Yahoo! News - AP Cabinet & State ^ | Sun Oct 19,12:22 PM ET | Yahoo! News . Com

[Caipirabob]

Dr. Rices comments were responded to by the Militant Muslim community who assured her that their "World-wide Jihad" was not a statement of dissapproval of Christian and Jewish societies and promptly invited her to share some "bagels and lox" one Sunday sometime soon down on "the strip"...

[risk]

Why is it any different with Islam?

The answer is quite complex, and it has to do with conscience.

A war in which the enemy combatants are not linked by nationality poses new challenges not seen before. We can't just "nuke Damascus" and finish the war.

We have to think about the futures that are still possible today. One of them involves an escalation that ends in total war. Others end with some loss of life on both sides, but a gradual modernization of Islamic countries.

Right now the choice is ours. While it still is, we have undertaken to keep our options open.

It's instructive to think about why we used atomic weapons in our war on Japan. Even if we have regrets, one thing was clear: fewer casualties occurred because we did. Now is no different. We're civilized, and we're a moral people. And so we measure our responses in terms of actual benefit to humanity, not just our passion for revenge.

OBL wants total war on all fronts. Right now we've chosen to limit our engagement to known terrorists. A lot of innocent Arabs, South Asians, Southeast Asians, and South Pacific peoples have their lives in the ballance. We must not let OBL and his ilk steer us in a direction that leads to massive death and destruction. We still have a choice, and we're making it every day: right now we can still win fighting in the most humane way possible.

This is why the president has my confidence.

[William Terrell]

Ok, then what's the latest on our efforts against ALF, ELF and the IRA. Oh, none? But, terror isn't Islam and Islam isn't terror, right?

[BnBlFlag]

While Christianity may not be at war with Islam, Islam is surely at war with Christianity.

[tubavil]

General Boykin is right.

islam is a filthy, murderous, satanic cult.

It is not a religion and the 'god' of islam is NOT the G-d of Christianity or Judaism.

The Prime Minister of Malaysia, addressing the leaders of 57 islamic countries representing 1.3 billion muslims, just called on muslims to unite against Jews towards a "final victory."

[foreverfree]

bump

[wizardoz]

Anyone who tries to make Islam into our enemy is only carrying water for Bin Laden.

Well then, most Muslims are carrying water for bin Laden. But we knew that. That's the problem.

[risk]

But Bush and Rice are correct in refusing to use Islamic fundamentalist terms to describe how we're fighting this war. They can describe it any way they like, but we will use official terminology that doesn't pander to their sick world view.

[NutCrackerBoy]

Well then, most Muslims are carrying water for bin Laden. But we knew that. That's the problem.

I find some anti-Islam sentiment here on FR over-the-top. But it would be nuts to pretend there is no support in American mosques for the militants.

[William Terrell]

Every militia nutcase who commits murder is likewise convinced he is doing some great religious deed for God.

You're saying that Islamics are equivilant to your conception of a militia "nutcase"?

[meema]

I'm really sorry, but my stomach ties up in knots every time an Administration official says these words...as though by saying it is a peaceful religion will make it so...
If Islam were a peaceful religion,it would be unneccessary to say it repeatedly!!!

[risk]

I find some anti-Islam sentiment here on FR over-the-top.

There's a time-honored tendency for human beings to want to identify their enemies and dispatch them. The association of anti-Americanism with Islam goes way back for anyone who remembers the 444 days of the Iranian hostage crisis, the fatwa against the West that came out of Rushdie's Satanic Verses book, and the 243 Marines who were killed in Lebannon.

We will always remember that the people who did these things to us did them in the name of their religion. That's supports Bush's argument that we should not fight wars in the name of Christianity.

[Cindy]

Ms. Rice is absolutely right.

I have said repeatedly, this is a war against terrorism.
This is a war against terrorists.

Generally and statistically speaking, most Muslims are not terrorists.
It just so happens that the terrorists (for the most part) claim Islam as their religion. And so it goes....

[Grampa Dave]

Excellent clarification and summary of this war of words.

[tubavil]

It just so happens that the terrorists (for the most part) claim Islam as their religion

It is NOT happenstance, as you claim, that the terrorists are muslim.

They are terrorists because they are pious muslims. Every dead Christian and Jew they kill is murdered in the name of allah.

[tubavil]

I have said repeatedly, this is a war against terrorism.

Terrorism is a tactic. You can't have a war against tactics.

[wizardoz]

I find some anti-Islam sentiment here on FR over-the-top. But it would be nuts to pretend there is no support in American mosques for the militants.

Yes. A lot of the remarks I see here (and some of the ones I make) are just expressions of extreme frustration and outrage. I'd wager that only 1 in 100 of us really would nuke Mecca if we could. Or at least, many of us would evacuate the area first before making our smoldering statement. ;^)

[wizardoz]

With all due respect, that statement is completely naive and foolish.

Not to mention full of $#it.

[risk]

You can't have a war against tactics.

"Terrorism" is an official euphemism. Using this code word helps us focus our responses without using indiscriminate hate.

[Prodigal Son]

That series of McDonalds pictures you have on your member page is funny ;-)