On Tue, 29 Jun 2004 10:08:52 -0500, Doug White <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> <CF-Doug's pontification of the day>
>
> One characteristic of "those people" is that the combatants mix in with the
> general populous, which, of course includes women and children, fathers,
> mothers, grandparents, etc. Therefore in defense, when those are attacked, a
> portion of the general populace gets in the way and are victims as well.
>
> This state of affairs is gut-wrenching to any people who have a moral repulsion
> against the killing or injuring so-called innocents. The Arab press, as well as
> the US press widely reports on this and centers on the so-called innocents for
> propaganda and sensationalist purposes. I notice little emphasis on the
> innocents that they are targeting as part of the insurgency. I really believe
> that most of the Arabs in that area do not place the same values on human life
> as most Americans do. They have no compunction at all with killing or
> slaughtering innocents, mainly because out of cowardice, they know the innocents
> do not fight back, and it does have its propaganda value. The big decision of
> any opponent of the insurgents or terrorists is whether not to be as ruthless as
> they are. If we are not as ruthless as they are, then the insurgency and
> terrorists have technically won, at any rate can indefinitely prolong the
> battle.
> Terrorism is the new term for criminals and murderers who recruit from the
> ignorant by offering them a place in paradise. They couch their philosophy is
> religious terms to make them appear to be crusaders and thus a legitimate force.
> Their financial support is vast, and continues.
>
I've never noticed that from my Arab neighbours (had a Syrian family
just down the block) or other Islamic friends and colleagues.
What you characterized as their having a lower value on life I think
instead applies to fanatics of all stripes rather than Arabs. In fact
Islam has very strict rules on involving the innocent in fighting of
all sorts. In a nutshell its strictly forbidden. The insurgency's
recent actions of attacking and killing foreign workers is having a
significant effect. Over the weekend for instance a neighbourhood
militia in Bagdad chased down a group of insurgents and "foreign
fighters" then handed them over to the coalition forces. All the major
Sunni and Sh'ite clerics are now actively denouncing the non-Iraqi
fighters, and more significantly they are calling for the insurgency
to lay down their arms. Even El Sadr is denouncing them. That is
major.
larry
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