Is our current strategy against terrorism working?

[Imran Siddiqui]

But before we pulled out, we should have given them the instruments and institutions of state, instead of forcing them to manage on their own. Can we really be suprised the post-colony nations have lame economies and dictators?

Well, like I said, the problem is that in giving these things, the pressure will INCREASE into leaving early. I mean, that (instruments and institutions) will take decades. Zimbabwe might still be British, if that is what they tried to do . When things get bad, you just want to leave. You don't want to stay and try to build up infrastructure for another ten years when the people want you to get the Hell out.

Most colonial powers weren't as good as the US in the Philippines.

[Whaleboy]

Look up the battle of Algiers. The French broke the primary terrorist network by torturing every terrorist they captured until he gave up the man above him. They kept that up until they got to the big man himself then they shot him.

Which caused resentment in the population, and algerians are still a high-risk population for terrorism.

[Defiant]

Lets use Israel and Palestine,
If Israel was to use maxium effort in their military to all Palestine territory and then settled right behind, over a hundred years, I don't see how Palestine could survive, the obviouse difference being, the rest of the world would not let it happen.

[Whaleboy]

And the Palestinians would not exist as a viable people. Hardly an acceptable option really. What are we going to do, crush Islam?

[Defiant]

I am less sure of this but the history buffs can help me. Pirates were considered terrorists and finally England, America and France had enough and sent their navy to the Barbary Coast(I believe), kicked the snot out of every Pirate ship they could find and then France colonized Libya with 1,000,000 residents and to my knowledge the Pirate era ended.
Maybe the answer to terrorism is colonization!!!!!

[Whaleboy]

But was it sociological crime/terrorism?

IIRC, piracy is still a problem

[Az]

actually, there are lots of examples:

the Phillipines, and Malaya are good ones, also see:

The Great Arab Revolt of 1936-1939.

Another thing: If push comes to shovel, any western military can use a vast amount of weaponary, and still obey the laws of combat.

Even in Iraq, the USA didn't use it's forces to the most capacity. Artillery was not used in cities, for example.

So yes, this is very possible.

[Defiant]

You are right the Palestines would not exist as a people but assimilated into the Israeli community just as the American Indians are now part of Americans.
This is not about destroying Islam unless Islam is the route of all terrorism which I believe nobody would agree to, certainly not me.

[Whaleboy]

Is it acceptable to destroy a culture or alienate the people, in order to stop the actions of a tiny minority of them, that represent little actual tactical threat?

[Defiant]

That is why it is imparative that the terroists look at history, because they are risking their entire history on their actions. Hammas should be visiting Washington every single moment Israel hits Palestine and NOT respond with terrorism, that kind of pressure from the American people to our gov't would have a legitimate state for Palestine in no time and now they can be protected. But every single time Hammas blows someone up, espeically women and children, the Americans will never look soley at Israel for the responsibilty of the Middle East crisis and death and destruction continues.

[Whaleboy]

True, while I dont condone Hamas, I condemn Israel for not using their brains and realising that if they attack, Hamas will attack back and kill Israeli citizens. A governments duty is to safeguard the lives of its citizens which it is negating.

I dont like what Hamas is doing, but I understand it.

[Defiant]

Point is now, that whether Israel attacks or not, Hamas will continue to attack for they want the Zionists purged from their soil and now does it make sense for colonization by Israel?

[Whaleboy]

Not at all, because what Hamas wants and what it will take to stop them are two different things. A palestinian state, with equal funding to Israel, plus peace anda reasonable economy will cause support to fall away from Hamas, in which case, the mostly likely thing is that it will be attacked by the Palestinians!!!

[Defiant]

Elijah,
From your mouth to God's ear, if that is it and Abbas then could control Hamas or eliminate them, I would be all for it.

[Az]

I have no problem destroying cultures. Cultures are just tools to make societies better. And some cultures are obsolete.