Even some of my most hawkish friends have been expressing deep worries about the recent attacks in Falluja, which they consider part of the wider problem of poor post-war planning and are concerned might undermine US commitment to Iraq. I really want to write a long post about this, but things are hectic at the moment.
Briefly, even the BBC acknowledges that the town is a basket case and I personally believe that, while the US administration’s “strategy” has been shoddy, they aren’t going to give up on this one. All I can say is that, if I had the time I would make a proper case. For the moment I am limited to a Guardian-opinion-piece-style unsupported assertion.
I look forward to the full case. ~C.
More unsupported opinion: the response will be dramatic, but not collective. Terrorism’s tactical goal is to create over-retaliation, thus gaining more support and causing more unrest (or the converse, no retaliation and/or retreat, enboldening the movement). However, swift public trials and executions are not without merit in this case. I am starting to think that Blackjack Pershing’s solution to muslim terrorism in the Philippines is worth reviving.
In all fairness, good ol’ Blackjack was part of an imperialist American army that extended their war against Spain to the subjugation of the Philippines (Philippine-American War 1899-1902). The Moros/Muslim insurgents fought until 1913 — when Blackjack finally clobbered them — despite the fact that the cause was pretty much hopeless by then.
While this is a war on terror, and living in Manila you can bet that I’m all for it, you can’t blame the extremists for using the rhetoric of the old war for the new one.