I would like someone to tell us when in the history of humankind anyone has ‘negotiated’ with such barbarians and wound up with a result other than having one’s own hands tied for a period of time, until the barbarians have regrouped and hit even harder. (Ask any Russian over the age of sixty what the results of their Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact ‘negotiations’ with Hitler were; or ask anyone with half a brain to name the peace accords that have been signed with Arafat/the ‘Palestinians’ that have resulted in anything but further atrocities being committed against Israel … ).
Every time I hear these cretins called ‘insurgents’ my blood boils. An ‘insurgent,' by definition, is a generally non-belligerent ‘rebel’ whose non-violent actions simply defy a ruling political party/government. These savages are way beyond insurgency. Yet the media have decided to label them as such, and way too many people are picking up on their purposefully mild description of these sub-human monsters.
(Note: These are the same media that are appalled when our Marines close down an Iraqi newspaper that is calling for ‘death to the American pigs’ – because a ‘legitimate’ journalism outlet has been denied its ‘rights of free speech’.)
No insurgent tortures, burns, and mutilates innocent people, and then hangs their decapitated, broken bodies in public while dancing in celebration. That is pure, vile malevolence. No insurgent kidnaps innocent people, and then releases some, tortures others, and brutally murders others, seemingly at random. No insurgent holds knives to the throats of kidnapped missionaries and women, and threatens to burn them alive if conditions are not met.
Barbarians do not (ever) honor peace/ceasefire agreements. They simply use them to their strategic advantage.
We have it within our power to see to it that not one more Marine is killed in Fallujah. We have it within our power to see to it that our supply lines (both military, and those sustaining the Iraqi people) remain uncompromised. And I have yet to hear a better plan to accomplish those necessary goals than yours, Jeff. It’s quick. It’s decisive. And its success is a virtual certainty.
It’s time to stop prosecuting this war with one hand tied behind our back (we employed that particularly masochistic brand of military strategy forty years ago and we’re still suffering the consequences). We’re paying the price for the current insanity with the lives of our men – one, two, three or more a day. And we’re voluntarily tying that hand behind our back for two insane reasons:
(1) We’re afraid of rubbing world opinion the wrong way. We don’t want the ‘cowboy’ Bush adjective resurrected any more than it needs to be (and would ‘jingoism’ be far behind?) Nor do we want human rights groups barking all manner of charges at us.
(2) We’re afraid of giving the domestic screamers, whiners and hand-wringers any more ammunition with which to tar and feather this President and his military advisers. The Ted Kennedys and John Kerrys of this republic would be portraying our military men and women as cold-blooded murderers, and the barbarians who defiantly refused to leave Fallujah during your twenty-four hour grace period as victims of Bush’s unnecessary brutality (and, make no mistake, Halliburton will somehow share complicity, too :).
The screamers and whiners (especially those whose political ideology invariably trumps their concern for the safety of our troops) aren’t fit to shine the shoes of the average American or coalition soldier. So let both the world and domestic screamers scream. They’re doing it anyway. Why not give them good reason, and save several hundred American/coalition military and/or civilian contractor lives in the process.
Your MOAB and ARLITE bombing is exactly what is needed. It’s time for a no-holds-barred retaliation. Self-defense is a basic human right. And the time to be concerned with collateral damage in Fallujah is long past. Evacuate the innocents. Give the barbarians a day to surrender, and then commence leveling.
The only (tiny) change I would make to your brilliant strategy is that I would have the first part of the aftermath sign read:
Here stood Fallujah and the barbarians who once took refuge within. May the ghostly presence of those who committed atrocities against the United States of America and the Coalition Authority serve as a warning to others who would consider following their example.
Thank you, Jeff.
~ joanie
(1) We’re afraid of rubbing world opinion the wrong way. We don’t want the ‘cowboy’ Bush adjective resurrected any more than it needs to be (and would ‘jingoism’ be far behind?) Nor do we want human rights groups barking all manner of charges at us.
(2) We’re afraid of giving the domestic screamers, whiners and hand-wringers any more ammunition with which to tar and feather this President and his military advisers. The Ted Kennedys and John Kerrys of this republic would be portraying our military men and women as cold-blooded murderers, and the barbarians who defiantly refused to leave Fallujah during your twenty-four hour grace period as victims of Bush’s unnecessary brutality (and, make no mistake, Halliburton will somehow share complicity, too :).
Exactly right!
...and I really like your version of the first line on that sign and will incorporate it into an article I intend to write that includes my recipe for a response in Fallujah.
It is senseless and shameful to sacrifice and spill the blood of our finest there when we do not need to do so. Most Iraqis know what is going down there and most of them would respect and applaud it if we forcefully finished it, after giving those who want to leave clear and unambigous opportunity to do so.
I believe that we would only have to make one or two such examples of these animals and barbarians (as you rightly call them) in order to see the so-called insurgency dry up like a wisp and blow away. My giess is the Iraqis who support us (the vast majority), upon seeing our steely seriousness and commitment to their long-term freedom and their nation, would quickly take care of the rest of it for us. To this point, and proportional to the amount of kit gloves we use with these animals...that majority is still wondering about our long term commitment and questions it IMHO.