Just wondering if anyone the other side of the aisle from me has any theories on why the terrorists all around the world are so happy with our last election results.
Well I am not from the other side of the aisle but it could be that Germany is about to indict Rumsfeld for war crimes.
Oh right. Sorry, I should be posting that in Vitus’ hypocrisy thread.
Why would that be hypocrisy?
Their prosecution of bin Laden is doubtless proceeding well, though I don’t remember hearing about it for some reason.
Have they got Castro in the dock yet?
Just wondering if anyone the other side of the aisle from me has any theories on why the terrorists all around the world are so happy with our last election results.
You mean like UBL’s October surprise in 2004, which is viewed in the intelligence community as an attempt to help re-elect Bush? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Osama_bin_Laden_video
The theory being that a Bush victory would allow more time for the Iraq war to bog down, more opportunity to kill American soldiers, etc. I think AQ was stunned at how effective our response in Afghanistan was. It’s Iraq that’s turned out to be the quicksand they thought they were leading us into in Afghanistan. The irony is that as the response to AQ goes, the Iraq action was unnecessary at best.
As you and I both know that you know, HUMINT on the inside and presence of rapid-reaction special ops units in the hot spots are the only long-term solutions to this problem.
As we both also know, terrorists are politicians of a sort, and they will spin any outcome to their advantage. I find it difficult to believe that you really think the new congress is going to make the climate for extremism more fertile in the ME.
As usual Trey, mostly good points, but you still haven’t answered my question. Unless you think that the terrorists are just spinning to be an answer. That is pretty weak.
Since Bush is supposedly creating terroists by his actions, I would think the terrorists would love to see him and the Republicans prevail.
I differ only with your last sentence. Yes, I do think the new Congress will make the climate for extremism more fertile in the ME, and elsewhere, especially Europe. If you seriously think Ahmadinejad is spinning about his being pleased with the election outcome, you are misreading the situation badly.
I skimmed through your web reference. These theories you come up with 
, are they actually based on something you read, saw or heard or are you just a very imaginative 
silly sausage?
Well the Republicans weren’t able to raise a fist hard enough to take those terrorist insurgence in Iraq down, maybe what the terrorists and us have in common is that we can’t quite see how the Dems are going to pack a harder punch.
Just wondering if anyone the other side of the aisle from me has any theories on why the terrorists all around the world are so happy with our last election results.
I think they are happy because they feel they have influenced our elections, not out of some joy that the Dems will allow them free reign to carry out terrorists acts at will.
{Edited to make some sense}
You really need to send John Howard our way. I know you really like him down under, but we need him.
Yes, I do think the new Congress will make the climate for extremism more fertile in the ME, and elsewhere, especially Europe. If you seriously think Ahmadinejad is spinning about his being pleased with the election outcome, you are misreading the situation badly.
Can you say more about why you think that? Also, I’d be grateful if you could point me to Ahmadinejad’s comments. Your proclivity for reading is tough for a guy to keep up with.
are they actually based on something you read, saw or heard
Mainly from the sources listed in Ron Suskind’s book “The One Percent Doctrine”. From 1993-2000 he was a senior national affairs writer for that lefty rag The Wall Street Journal 
edit: for typo.
Will keep looking for Ahmadinejad’s comments, but here is Khamenei for starters:
“This issue (the elections) is not a purely domestic issue for America, but it is the defeat of Bush’s hawkish policies in the world,” Khamenei said in remarks reported by Iran’s student news agency ISNA on Friday.
“Since Washington’s hostile and hawkish policies have always been against the Iranian nation, this defeat is actually an obvious victory for the Iranian nation.”
Well that’s one person’s rant and that’s a lefty rag … as AJ has pointed out … it’s pretty obvious how the terrorists feel about the outcome of these elections. A browse through some of the Muslim extremist sites will obviate that.
In fact another really crucial example besides the Grand Ayotollah’s joy, is the Islamic poisonous rhetoric and words of joy spewed by Abu Ayub al Masri (Iraq’s Al Qaeda Commander). He is full of enthusiasm and anticipation for more terrorist attack opportunities in Iraq and on US soil resulting from his interpretation of the outcome of the elections. This he announced in a 20 minute presentation amidst chants of Jihad and quotes from the Koran on how Muslims should deal with unbelievers, on the internet the day after elections. Analysts are concerned and saying that while there have been very many hate messages and threats on radical Muslim websites, this is about the most threatening and hateful presentation to Muslims thus far by such a prominent terrorist leader. Security forces in the USA and UK are on heightened alert.
“All” the terrorists are happy? I think you mean some of the terrorists that have been shown on Fox to prove why the Reps should have been re-elected.
There is a general consensus that there is no “winning” the war in Iraq and against terrorism. The place is such a mess that no plan can be drawn to win. That is why no one can come up with a plan of action. The time for strategy is over.
All the “expert” predictions of the US being welcomed as liberators, our occupation being the catalyst for democracy in the ME, the crushing of the insurgency in months (how many times did Rummy tell us we had the “on the run”?) have been wrong. Every one of them have been wrong. So any prediction about what the terrorists are planning, what will happen after we withdraw, are all bound to be suspect, at best.
I just don’t know why people on “your” side of the isle think that we were getting an upper hand on the terrorists. Really, what has been the plan? To wear them down, even though they can outlast us? To kill them all, even though they have an infinite supply of volunteers? To have the Iraqis take care of them?
Why don’t we capture OBL and make a chip in their will? Is it maybe because Bush has conveniently held him at bay for political purposes? That’s not what I believe but maybe the Arab believes that.
Frankly, I would have thought that hawks would have been able to fight and win a war better. Now the democrats have to clean up the mess.
It must have been 1983 or thereabouts when this Aussie cartoonist came up with this very popular pretty rude calendar of sketches for each month depicting world political leaders in the nude. The carricature was very good and the only individual with a smaller weener than John Howard’s (Secretary of the Treasury at the time depicted with his big eyes behind those huge bi-focals) was Margaret Thatcher’s husband!
That’s how John Howard was viewed in those days and only in the last decade or so has he shed that image sufficiently to get voted Prime Minister. I won’t go into how he depicted Margaret Thatcher in her birthday suit.
I just don’t know why people on “your” side of the isle think that we were getting an upper hand on the terrorists.
Maybe their happy because the Bush policy led to the killing of so many innocent woman and children and if the Dems put the brakes on our failing policy, more lives will be saved.
“I won’t go into how he depicted Margaret Thatcher in her birthday suit.”
Thank you, kangaroo. You are a good mate.
Not likely since they are the one’s killing more of their own Muslim civillians daily.
cut n paste especially for me mate YaHey-Hey :
“Well the Republicans weren’t able to raise a fist hard enough to take those terrorist insurgence in Iraq down, maybe what the terrorists and us have in common is that we can’t quite see how the Dems are going to pack a harder punch.”
You said I was making excuses for Rummy earlier … you still haven’t told us what even one of those excuses was. YaHey … you really do go on and on in your typical lefty manner but you really need to show us some basis behind all that vitrol!
“SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!”
we can’t quite see how the Dems are going to pack a harder punch
Pack a harder punch against what? The civil war in Iraq? The “insurgents” in Iraq? The reason I and anyone (including the Reps) can’t come up with a better plan is because no plan is feasible. The place is so messed up that there is no cleaning it up. It doesn’t matter if we toss in another 100,000 or 200,000 troops, or another $6 billion a day. Maybe you could tell me your plan so I can respond with an ecomotion of a smiley face or something. Somehow you think having a “war” in Iraq is teaching the terrorists something, or winning against terrorism.