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Friday, 15 March, 2002, 11:53 GMT
Can the US win the war in Afghanistan?
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US-led forces in eastern Afghanistan say they have killed hundreds of the al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters holding out in mountains south of the town of Gardez.
The Americans say they wiped out around half of the rebel forces, and seized one of their cave complexes.
However the battle in Gardez has been the cause of the worst US casualties in combat since the war in Afghanistan started, with Washington's opponents described as "well armed and capable of offering powerful resistance."
Some analysts say that the war in Afghanistan could now go on for months, if not years.
It has been six months since the 11 September attacks on New York and Washington. How do you think the world has changed? Can the international coalition can win the war in Afghanistan? Or will the US and its allies get bogged down in another Vietnam-style military operation?
We discussed these issues in Talking Point ON AIR, the phone-in programme of the BBC World Service and BBC News Online. Our guest was Mara Rudman, former Chief of Staff in the US National Security Council.
This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.
Brendan McGowan, Ireland
KW, Australia, Oh God I've just realised your right. Better tell Mr Blair to break out the bombs and missiles straight away time to bombing Belfast. How could he have been so stupid as to try and negotiate a peaceful political solution, what sort of a monster is he? I say we take the Israeli approach straight away. Oh no wait, no I don't just remembered I'm sane.
What has happened since Sept 11th? The media have bombarded us with the "War on Terrorism" yet Osama is still free. Despite failing in this objective the USA is now turning it's sights on Iraq.
It seems many Americans can't understand why the rest of the world isn't with them in mourning and action. I suggest they ask themselves how they felt when other terrorist attacks and atrocities were happening in other parts of the world. Rwanda, the Balkans, Omagh - for most of you these events were too far away to affect you. This is a self-preservation mechanism, for the majority of us to care that much about all the troubles in the world would depress us so much that we could not cope, therefore there is no guilt.
Some contributors to this page seem to think that Sept 11th is all the excuse the US needs to carry out whatever military actions it likes. Unfortunately as the USA is the sole world superpower there is little the rest of us can do to stop you. Keep fighting and you'll find no shortage of people who wish to fight you. Some as desperate, fanatical and misguided as those who flew those planes into history.
The answer to the question clearly
depends on how you define victory.
To my mind the U.S. has already won
by having the moral strength to respond
to 9/11 with military force. Negotiation
and compromise have their place but
religious fundamentalism and intolerance
must be fought by whatever means
wherever it exists. One can't get
bogged down in the inconsistencies and
ambiguities of previous foreign policy to the point
that one fails to act, for failure to act timely and
decisively has cost the free world dearly in the past.
I am not a war monger but I am immensely proud
that my fellow countrymen are fighting side by side
with Americans in Afghanistan today. The difference
between right and wrong can blur at times, but this time
The question should not be 'Can the US win the war in Afghanistan?', but 'Can the World afford for the US not to win the war in Afghanistan and against terrorism?'.
If the next atrocity kills millions instead of thousands will the so called 'intelligentsia' finally come round to believing that force must be used to combat this threat, and that some of our civil liberties must be reined in.
Timothy T.Tweedy, Long Island, NY, USA
A war or terrorism will be a never-ending war. Unless the needs of every person on this planet can be satisfied, terrorism will always exist.
I think that the USA aren't hitting the right target, if winning the war against the terror is their true objective. I think that poverty is the right target. To show that you are strong, help the weak. We all know that the US has a super military supply, then if USA is the right way, show us some non-lethal power, please. Until that, there is war,
Although I disagree with President Bush on virtually every other issue, I think the U.S. is doing what needs to be done to make the world a safer place for all freedom-loving nations. When you compare the freedom and democracy of American society to the societies that breed the kind of religious militants that we are fighting, then you see the values that are clashing. The current world-wide spread of freedom and democracy, which began with the founding of the United States and was accelerated with the US-led defeat of Hitler and Japan, is what these religious extremists are against. Sept. 11 will become known as the day that changed the world for the better. Countries of the world are uniting against terrorists now. There is no more sitting on the fence; you are either for freedom and democracy or for terror and totalitarianism; the middle ground is gone. What Pakistan did is an example; it became a better country almost overnight. We will win this war too, and world will again become a better place.
Amanda, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Can the US win the war in Afghanistan? Probably. Can the US win the war on terror? Absolutely not. By furthering the brutality we are only producing the next generation of terrorists. It may be somewhat of a cliché by now, but violence begets violence. If the US truly hopes to end terror, it will have to explore new possibilities
This comment is specifically to our "friends" in Europe and the UK that has decided the US is an ignorant bully in retaliating after being attacked. Even though your cynicism will never let you admit it to yourself, the US does want to rebuild Afghanistan and help the country grow into a participant in the international community. We realize the mistakes we made in deserting the Afghans after the Soviet withdrawal. You Europeans should know better than anyone that the US learns from its mistakes - do you recall the Marshall Plan? Axis-Europe and Japan were rebuilt largely with American money and help.
The most dangerous thing in a war is not the enemy himself but not knowing the enemy.
History repeats itself and the US is headed for defeat just as it did in Vietnam.
While the "war against terror" by itself is an acceptable cause, the hard line, arrogant and unilateral stand that the US is taking will be its undoing.
While it can be stern in its approach, it should not make its allies feel that their interests and opinions are sidelined.
Continued US support for this state only serves to reinforce the perception that the US is evil - I believe the US is not evil, but it is hard to justify that in the face of unconditional support of a state that prefers oppression over international advisors, peacekeeping forces, and international observers - that's all the Palestinians ask.
In answer to the question, I am not convinced that the US can win "the war" in Afghanistan. Reading the comments in this section, there is clearly an awful lot of hatred in the world. If I decided to rid the world of burglars, it would be a life-long battle. The new war on terrorism is exactly that. This will be going on for the rest of our lives. Perhaps it is time that the United Nations acted as it was intended, or get rid of it entirely, since it seems to be a massive bureaucracy, costing millions, that hides away during conflict. The Palestinian people have a right to their own homeland, with secured boundaries and national laws to protect themselves, as Israeli people have had for many years. Fairness in society is the key to end violence.
I am afraid of Bush more then any other terrorist on the face of this planet. In the past year he has crushed civil rights. He called himself the education president and cut education funding for a war on idealism. How can you kill an ideal such as terrorism that has always existed? You cannot, especially with force. We have learned this in the past. We failed to stop communism. How can we blindly follow a man who brings down the economy, annoys every ally, and starts a "Shadow Government" (which must be somehow unconstitutional?) but we do. I am sure we shall learn the hard way as all empire and nations did throughout history.
How can the US win a war it has already lost?
By using proxy forces to perpetrate a war against the Taleban, the US has created something far worse. The Taleban wasn't the worst thing in the world. Hell is in Afghanistan now. Tribal war is the least of your concerns, just wait until you hear about the little girls being sold into sexual slavery. Post-Taleban Afghanistan is no better, women's rights are not assured, what IS assured is an oil pipeline across the country giving the US access to Caspian oil reserves. What a coincidence that the "War on Terror" should reap such benefits for the oil thirsty West.
If this "war" is truly about freedom of speech, religious beliefs economic freedom and all the rest of America's hackneyed excuses for flattening peoples homes, I wonder why the world's largest oppressor of some of the most basic of human rights - China is not commanding any attention from George Bush.
Maybe because China's economy will become the largest on the planet in the next 5 years and the US is already the largest foreign investor. I don't know, it's just a thought!
Secondarily, I have found it interesting why some people, in their comments say America is unpopular in the Middle East. Some people have said it is to do with the USA's foreign policy. Let's face it, that was some cause of concern in Britain last year when Bush was going to be elected, and did not speak much on improving America's foreign policy. Some say it is to do with their heavy handiness or the way they have supported countries or regimes in the past, and then turned their back on them. Whether these are true or not doesn't matter. The fact is the perception is still there, especially in the Middle East, so although I obviously support military action, I am in favour of the notion that if America impressions are going to improve from people in other countries, they will have to review their foreign policy.
Fear creates hatred, desire fuels greed, all our human weakness are magnified by technology. Our social structures MUST change, we must CHANGE.
I do believe we are doing the right thing to get rid of the Taleban in an effort to hamper the terrorists from committing another violent act -- we were really given no other choice, what could we do? Say, "Thanks, can we have another?" however, we must also look outside of "war methods" to deter another attack like Sept. 11th. The US needs to support the peace plan that Prince Abdullah has put forth, and retreat from the Saudi Arabian peninsula. Because our interest in the Middle East seems intimately tied to our interest (or, rather, dependency) on their oil, this will entail either: 1) looking for petroleum alternatives ("smart" cars, natural gas, etc.) to "fuel" our dependency on oil, or 2) looking to other countries from which to buy petroleum (i.e. countries in South America, Europe, or Russia).
Neil, Swindon, UK
Refresh your minds.
Six months ago George Bush declared his war on Terrorism. His aims were to catch the masterminds behind the s11 atrocity and to usher in a new era of freedom and democracy.
Now six months later, Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar are still at large, the list of 'terrorist' states grows by the day, Israel and Palestine are in all out war, and today we find out that the US is prepared to use nuclear weapons on Russia and China. So much for freedom from terror - I hope we are all still here in another six months to chat about this
They will never win the war on terrorism, all this fighting is only going to initiate more hatred amongst people, creating more "terrorists".
I am responding to some of the comments made by so-called patriotic Americans who say we should blindly follow President Bush in the fight against terrorism. First of all may I reminded you that Mr. Bush was elected in the smoke filled rooms of the United States Supreme Court and not by the will of the American people. In short he stole the election. Second Mr. Bush was/is a draft-dodging coward! Who didn't have the guts to fight his own war when he was a young man; you remember Vietnam. If you recall the coward got his daddy to get him in the Texas Air National Guard. Poppa wanted to ensure his little boy didn't go anywhere near the real fighting. Now Georgie Boy (President Bush) wants American's poor white, black and Hispanic men to go fight a war that he myself would not. And the only thing Mr. Bush is going to give our veterans when the come back wounded and hurt is an Unemployment line? For all you so-called Patriotic Americans who say we should stand tall over there a fight, I say you should quit your job and join the Army and Volunteer for Afghanistan. Just remember the Army's slogan: Be all you can be.
The world was a safe place, but the way that it is going now, it would not remain a safe place any longer. Instead, it would be destroyed by man.
We are aware of our
history, Simon. We
write books, make movies
and mini-series about
it. Last month was
Black History Month
in the U.S. People
across the ocean
from us don't seem to
realize that "Americans"
didn't just wander out
of the depths of the
Atlantic and begin the
great land-rape of the
continents, it was
Europeans. As British
colonies, we did not
sail to Africa for slaves,
we traded with the
Royal African Company
for them. Liverpool
and Bristol became
major cities because
of the slave trade.
Slavery was not abolished
in Britain until 1807
and in all British
colonies until 1833 -
a vast 32 years before
it was abolished by
an amendment to the
And to those of you
who say that Bush is
treating this war like
a game - this
may have its truth, but
you're treating this
like another type of
game where America
has been tagged and
now must quietly sit
out the rest of the
game. The U.S. has
been a juggernaut for
many years - a shameful
one in many ways - and
September 11 has given
it a significant jolt.
Just don't be so naïve
as to think it will
just come to a grinding
Most of the Americans that are speaking for the war are so ignorant they don't even know their own history. It was Americans who wiped out millions of Indians for land, it was Americans who went across to other contrives to rape and pillage the land and enslave millions of people just because they were black. How despicable these Americans are! And then they turn round and say they are just in what their doing.
America has to reassess its foreign policy, otherwise it is doomed. Bin Laden has got them running around in circles, I think the US have underestimated how much support he actually has.
The current military conflict in Afghanistan is a battle which the US will win, but the "war against terrorism" is not one which can be won or lost. The Islamists will always have new recruits willing to fight America, and the US forces may be able to contain them locally, but this is a struggle to be endured.
I wonder what damage the Americans are doing to their own freedoms in this conflict. The right of free speech and dissent are being eroded.
George Milton, Italy and US
I think that USA can win war against Afghanistan. I think that the world can win the war against terrorists. But it will not happen before the USA stop the war in other countries, like Israel and Palestine, India and Pakistan.
Violence is caused by a lack of basic necessities, or by those who have these basic necessities, but still desire more. There is enough on this world to go around - let's make it happen. As David of Maryland said, "We all need to understand that all humans want the same things such as peace and food." We could alleviate the world of much violence if we could provide adequacy for each other. Don't think you need a government institution to let you help.
Many in the UK got it completely wrong when they said that Afghanistan would be another Vietnam for the US. The only person I've seen admit it was Simon Jenkins of the Times. Now, many more will have to change their tune when the terrorists finally succeed in what they've been trying all along- to blow up large parts of London and Paris. Some people persist in their beliefs no matter how many times they're shown wrong.
Robert Farrell, New York USA
By all means America has to win this war against terror. But the only problem is the advisers/allies like the Pakistanis who can never be trusted. These guys inwardly support the terrorists. America should understand these double talkers better. Even those who live a better life in the west still are emotionally and culturally tied up with the terrorists. If they wanted, they could save the life of Daniel Pearl.
Unless the cause of terrorism is understood and dealt with appropriately, war cannot be won.
It amazes me that some Americans, including George Bush, can be so self-absorbed and naïve as to think they were attacked because of their wealth & freedom. If the US is hated by some in the Middle East it's because of US government actions and failures in the Middle East and has nothing to do with envy of the wealth and freedom of the American people. It's not really arrogance on the part of Americans, it's the opposite. They naively feel wounded and shocked that anyone could hate them so much, and they genuinely don't realise how much power and influence they have in the world. Wake up Americans! You can't be the world's only super power and still have an isolationist foreign policy! It's one or the other, you can't have both. If the US is going to be policeman to the world, then you need to stick around and enforce international law and order and justice for all, not just send out punishment raids when US interests are threatened. And if you don't want to be policeman to the world, then you should stand aside and give some back up and support to the United Nations so they can do the job.
Andrew S., San Francisco, USA
I hope US will not win. Bush is a terrorist and he will kill civilians in Iraq, Iran... and so on. I hope Afghanistan is another Vietnam and this terrorist can learn that no bombs can destroy the freedom of a people. US are invading Afghanistan, no one call for his bombs. Goodmorning Vietnam!
I don't understand. The CIA created the Taleban, and now they want to destroy it. Who could believe this story? I cannot. There must be something that we don't know. History shows us that you can't occupy a country. Probably, in future the Afghan people, not the Taleban, will stand against USA.
Would I be out of order if I suggested that war is like Tik-Tak-Toe!
Conclusion is that if you want to win- DON'T PLAY, or have I misunderstood the moral of the film "War Games"?
I will continue to support US military involvement in the Middle East... because, hey, it's worked out so well in the past ...right? I mean, when has violence ever FAILED to solve a complex and delicate world issue?
But, to be serious, there needs to be some criticism regarding US strategy; we are attempting to treat this problem symptomatically rather than addressing the real issues at work.
Aaron Kauffman, US
There is no way America has the right to kill any al-Qaeda or Taleban regardless of what they did. OK so was it really that bad, what they did? The answer is both yes and no. Ask a civilian from the west - they will reply "it was wicked". Ask any Afghan - they will tell you they were simply doing what they thought right, they truly believe they will go to heaven. Also, you need to think of what America has done to them. Ask anyone in the west if America was wrong to give money and military to other countries - they will say it was ok. Ask an Afghani - they will say it was wrong and it had nothing to do with them. Both Afghanistan and America should apologise to each other and get on with it. Also, Tony Blair should not interfere.
The complaints of anti-Americanism in this post display a petulant unwillingness to even consider that current American policies are at least partially to blame for the terrorist problem. As long as America arrogantly hides behind its white veil of perceived perfection, it will gain enemies faster than it can kill them. The tragic situation in Palestine vividly illustrates that a policy of eliminating the symptoms rather than identifying and addressing the root causes of terrorism is bound to fail. America must realise that in spite of its immense military and economic power, it must learn to coexist and engage in meaningful dialogue with all the cultures and religions of the world. Engaging in a selfish worldwide war to rid the world of any and all opposition to America will eventually lose it the support of even its closest allies.
What if, along with those aeroplanes that crashed into WTC, other planes crashed into buildings in your country? Suddenly your anti-Americanism would turn to Buddhism.
Reading some of the comments here quite frankly frightens me almost as much as George Bush does. There are reasons why the US is hated, but instead of trying to deal with these reasons Bush simply tries to kill anyone who disagrees with him. This will only result in more hatred. Religion and national pride are two very dangerous things.
Americans are concerned about their safety and freedom, do they forget how USA interfere in other countries affairs and try to be like an international policeman, also neglecting all UN's parameters. What a selfishness!
USA trained these so-called terrorists, now Cut what you grew, baby!
Anyway, We want peace.
Given its technological superiority the US may win the war in Afghanistan, but this war is not about terrorism. It never was. It is revenge pure and simple.
Revenge is a sentiment that puts into motion a cycle. And that is something the US, with all its superiority will not be able to stop.
The US knows that. Maybe that is the reason why it is not in a hurry to disengage. They want to leave Afghanistan, if at all they ever do, after ensuring that they have permanently disabled the enemy.
The temptation is too strong and that I believe will bog them down in a war that they will find hard to win, perhaps impossible to win. Because Al-Qaeda and the Taleban will soon be joined by forces inimical to the US. The US is not famous for making friends, if anything.
There are a lot of entities waiting in the wings for a shot at them.
It is this that the US needs to guard against.
About 15 percent of Americans did not and do not support the "war" in Afghanistan. We can assume that this is the same 15 percent who have IQs of one hundred twenty and over.
Kate, Boston, USA
This is a war of ideology. There is no terrorism in the world, except some freedom fighters who want to free their own motherland. No matter under what name US tries to fight Islam, Muslims are ready to response more and more in logic, reason and ideology. So far USA could not prove in it's own court with it's own judge that Muslims did the September 11 incident. Nevertheless, USA already destroyed a country, went to internal affairs of another country, killed it's Government, killed the civilians, put a group of crooked, drug dealer, rapist in power as legitimate government in Afghanistan. History will not forgive USA.
The genie (jinni) is coming out of the bottle. Now that it is out in the open on this forum, let's take it one step further. Is there still anybody out there who hasn't realised that the terrorists could no more act without the complicity and blessing of some Arab regimes than they could fly to the moon? Why do we tiptoe around the subject? Politeness always has its place, but we must be able to have an open, honest dialogue. To that end, we need to unmask the organisations funded by many Arab countries without the express consent of their citizens that contribute to the violence. They deny it, of course. What else are they to do? Efforts to install some transparency and accountability are vigorously progressing on that front at present, thank goodness, but such measures are doomed to fail because where there is a will, there is a way. It is grand that we are striving for solutions, but the sheer variation of people on this earth will always provide a ripe environment for dissension and radicalism. None of us want to be thought of as sheep, so why are we surprised when we act like wolves?
Pavlos Zafiropoulos, UK
We are living in an era victory is gained by losing.
Its seems to me that a lot of people here want to compare this war with Vietnam. I believe it is closer to WWII, when we were attacked by surprise. We are fighting a group that believes they are better than us in every way. And I believe that like WWII we will win this, we have the support of the people back home and with that Americans will never lose. If you want to compare battles, the battle going on now is more similar to Iwo Jima than anything else, and in that one we won. It may take time but we are patient, and we will follow this to the end.
It truly saddens me, being an American, to read most of these comments from other countries. Do you realise that AMERICA is the country that sends help ANYWHERE when it is needed? Do you realise that, much like Hitler, Bin laden and his crew want me, and all of the rest of my countryman DEAD. They don't know me; they just want me dead. Sit back and think about that for a few minutes, then tell me how you would react. People who are not citizens of this country do not understand what it is to be an American. It is something that words cannot express, and believe me, we WILL win this war, just as we always do. I take much pride in our military and economic power.
Hayden J.A. Bellenoit, UK
How do we know beyond any doubt that hundreds of militants have been killed and only 8 American troops? What if America is exaggerating a bit? What if the American troops have suffered more then they are letting on? Is there any way of telling?
According to the Geneva Convention this is an illegal war so it cannot be won anyway. How can a war on terrorism be won? Terrorism is a relative term. It will only be 'won' when the global political/social climate will change (mainly a bit more respect for other countries). I also wonder at the moment how many people actually support the 'war'? I have not met one person yet (apart from my local MP!) who actually agrees with the US tactics. Come on USA, be brave for once and talk peace instead of war! You have not won a war yet, what makes you think you can win this one? This is not fighting for democracy, this is fighting for imperialism.
There will never be a peace in our time. It was a naive dream when Chamberlain first uttered those words and it is a naive dream today.
There cannot and will not be a winning of this war. It is a battle that must be fought against a foe that must be pursued relentlessly--but to assume a final victory is sheer bravado and posturing.
We can at best hope for victories on the battlefield, and negotiated political settlements, but if every cell of Al-Qaeda were dead today, then a new head of the hydra of terrorism would appear tomorrow.
We can hope only for a tenuous peace and baby steps toward understanding and compassion.
Terrorism is a nebulous and ever-changing enemy, and in a world where dislike becomes hatred and political differences are viewed as attacks upon the individual, there can be little hope of resolution.
If today the United States is the object of hatred, then tomorrow it will be Great Britain, or France, or Japan, and the list goes on to include, probably, all 190 nations of the UN and probably some new nations yet to be named.
Even if we today appeased and placated every terrorist in the world, tomorrow someone would rise up and proclaim, "This world is not how I want it, and I and my followers will fight to the death to get our way."
The solution seems so simple: respect for the individual, respect for their beliefs, respect for their way of life. Yet, for all its simplicity, it seems to complex a concept for us to grasp.
Mark Turner, Plainsboro, NJ, USA
The US may win the battle but the war as currently planned cannot be won. Cultures and ideologies are not changed in the space of a few days, weeks or even years. So the US will score media victories but little real change. A problem is how blind the US is to the world it influences. You cannot be a true global superpower and be largely unresponsive as to what the rest of the world thinks. However 'wrong' the rest of the world may seem to you. Should there really have been so much surprise that the awful events of Sep 11 happened? That there are militants out there crazy enough to act in such horrible ways? If you live in a global existence like this then you will have global reaction and consequences.
It is not arrogant of America to defend herself. It is not arrogant of America to build her economy and defenses into the strongest in the world - bar none. It is, however, ignorant and naive for anyone to think that America will not respond in a violent and deadly way when she is flagrantly and arrogantly attacked by cowards using commercial airlines filled with civilians. The US has never professed perfection. The US knows it has warts - the difference is the US admits to these flaws freely because we are always striving for improvement. That's why millions flood into our nation every year. They know that the single, best environment for them to succeed is here in America - inspite of its warts. If that makes some people in the world angry or resentful - so be it.
Matt Burns, UK
I have read each of the entries submitted here. I am impressed with the variety of opinions and thank the non-US entries for pointing out what most Americans don't know, "Hatred is not about the US but unfair treatment of humans in general" We all need to understand that all humans want the same things such as peace and food. We just need to work together to make it so. I also want friends in the UK to know that there is at least one American that would prefer to live under a government such as yours. Keep the UK the same, its great!
I agree with the sentiment that wars are never won. The path that those who desire peace must take is a difficult one: both complex and risky.
Not only must the resources available at our disposal be used to "fight terrorism" (i.e. act to promote humility, scepticism, awareness and rationality both at home and abroad), but also to build trusting and confident relationships between all governments, organizations and individuals. As these objectives are gradually achieved, we will find ourselves more and more in a position to plan for the future, and to allocate the resources that we have in such a way as to best benefit mankind, rather than waste them in conflict.
Despite numerous claims in this forum to the contrary, the average American is not oblivious to the manner in which our nation is viewed throughout the world. It saddens many Americans such as myself, who truly love and respect my country. I would like to remind everyone that arrogance and knee-jerk reactionism are not traits possessed exclusively by America. Nonetheless, I wish everyone who criticizes current US actions would truly re-examine this situation: there IS a clear line between right and wrong here. US foreign policy may occasionally blur that distinction, yet the truth remains: terrorism on the scale we witnessed on September 11th cannot go unanswered. We are not dealing with rational individuals with whom you can negotiate. These terrorists preach unmitigated violence, and are no less interested in peace than Hitler was in 1939. To all the member states of the EU, stick with America, unless you consider the alternative (Islamic fundamentalism and savagery) more appealing.
As an American, I would like to address a few of the anti-American comments that I have been reading on this site:
1. "US arrogance and foreign policy were the cause of the 9/11 attacks" - The fact is that the cause of the attacks, as everyone knows, but will not admit, is religious bigotry. We were attacked because we are infidels and we infidels are too close to someone's sacred pile of dirt.
2. The US thinks it can solve every problem with military force - This is, of course, nonsense. If that was the case, believe me, we'd be at war 24 x 7 x 365. However, at least we can recognize when force is required.
3. America doesn't care about innocents. Comments of this type are the most disturbing. No military force in the history of warfare has done more to avoid civilian deaths than America's. Unfortunately, war is a messy business. .
Rest assured, we will win this war.
The US-led coalition cannot pick and choose who they go to war with. All terrorists must be targeted and stopped. This includes the IRA. How can the British government be taken seriously if it is freeing convicted terrorists in Northern Ireland? The campaign in Afghanistan must be backed up with consistency and resolve.
Cam, Reading UK
I am referring to the statement of David, USA. What is if there IS a reason? If there is some one out there hating America because he/she has suffered or seen destruction, pain and malice caused directly or indirectly by the USA or at least perceives it that way? What could it be?
Well said Zach Beacham! I travel frequently to the USA on business, and I'm frankly amazed at the news coverage available to you. It's relatively well reported in Europe that there are, in fact, soldiers from 6 countries, including Germany and Italy (but not the UK) involved in the current battle at Gardez. Is this even being reported in the USA? If not, it's hardly surprising that the "average American guy" gets to feeling a little isolated, and thinks the world is against him.
Mario Gutierrez says "There are many Americans like myself who don't give a damn what the rest of the world thinks." As long as Americans have this attitude, attacks on them will continue.
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