All of you America hating libs can only bitch and complain about how evil and wrong the U.S. is when it comes to defending our nation, and, ultimately our alies as well, yet I doubt any of you bring a plan to the table that would be any better. I'd like to here all of your ideas. What should the U.S. and the rest of the freedom loving world do to stop the spread of terrorism? What should be done in Iraq NOW to end the predatory insurgency. And what should be done here to avoid another attack? Oh man this should be interesting. Maybe even funny. If all I get is a bunch of irrelevant links and quotes I'll be dissapointed, yet, not surprised. Anyone?.......
First off, it would be nice if nothing but pure might and power were the solution but history is filled with empire after empire who's might and power faded and in due time over run by what was considered the least among them. As for Osama and Al Queda, their attentions only turned to us after Saddam invaded Kuwait in late 1990' and Osama's request to the Saudi royals to allow Al Queda to go to Kuwait and repell Saddam was denied over allowing an international alliance led by the US do that job. This job also caused in many muslim eyes a greater insult of a permanent US military presense in the Holy land of Saudi Arabia. As a side note, the international alliance was needed because of the oil. Using today as example, we currently import 60% of our oil but a 4% drop in output production of foreign oil to us would double the price of oil to $120 per barrel. You think about. A 4% drop in our current import total and we pay double. You may not read the book so rent the movie Dune by Frank Hurbert. Man is it ever telling!
As for the US and it's allies being choosen over Osama and company and this event never happened I contend completely the 9/11 and the WTC bombing in 93' by Al Queda would never have happened. We forced ourselves in because the spice must flow!
Al Queda is chiefly lead by the Muslim form of Wahhabism which is a predominate form of the Muslim Sunni faith in Saudi Arabia. This is also why the bulk of the 9/11 terrorist were from Saudi lands. Sometime back I said it was of utmost importance to understand what are the Sunnis. Shia, Wahhabies and many of the other players of the region. Why did Saddam invade Kuwait? Sure, oil played into it but why since Iraq has so much? Sure Iraq has lots of oil but the vast bulk of it sits under Shia lands and remember Saddam and his bunch were Sunni. But there's another connection. Kuwait prior to the redrawing of national bounderies after the surrender of the Ottoman empire to the victors of WW1 and in this case specifically England and France, Kuwait and Iraq were of one land and not 2 seperate. What about Syria and Lebanon? Prior to the end of WW1 they also were of one land. Starting to see a pattern here?
Now comes Israel. Because of the horrible events of WW2 we are absolutely terrified to have any kind of open and honest discussion about Israel and it's presence in the Middle East. Politically I'm no fan of Jimmy Carter but I do believe the man doesn't have a warlike bone in his body and many pundits beat him to death as a result. He's recently written a book on the situation with Israel and Palestine and the beating he's taken as a result is to be quite frank, "absolute bullschitt" IMO. The way some talk, you'd think Jimmy was calling for the reopening of Aushwitz or something to that effect.
However, the Israeli's aren't without blame here as it concerns the use of terrorist tactics. A major terrorist attack by jewish extremists on July 22. 1946' when they bombed the King David Hotel was a major turning point that led to the end of British control of this area in accordance to post WW1 surrender treaties and led to the indepenent State of Israel. This bombing by the jewish extremist group Irgun was ordered by their leader Menachem Begin who would later become the Prime Minister of Israel. Many people rant on Arafat for being a terrorist, and rightfully so but he was not the one who set the standard of a leader with a terrorist connection. Now in defense of both Begin and Arafat, I'm sure the great British Empire also called many of our most cherished founding fathers, "rabble, terrorists, radicals, extremist, etc. so perspective here is also key. Regardless, violence is not something new to the theater that only extremist muslims have brought on board.
Another factor with Israel is it's expansionist policies under the guise of security. Now do jews have the right to live in peace and practice their lives as they see fit? Oh hell yeah but so do the arabs, christians and other secular and non secular folk of the region. The problem since 1948' when the State of Israel became official is the ever growing specter of the fulfillment of Genesis 15:18-21. It basically promises to the decendants of Abraham all the land which is current Israel but would also include from the Nile in Egypt to the Euphrates river in Iraq and in effect would include all of the following based on the historical text and descriptions used: West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golen Heights, Jordon, Lebanon and much of Syria, Iraq, Kuwait and parts of Saudia Arabia, Egypt and Turkey. At the time of King David' death circa 971 BCE, the Land of Israel comprised of basically the current lands plus all of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan plus a portion of western Iraq down into a partial area of Saudi Arabia.
Map of Israel at King David's death Image
avids-kingdom.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I know it's another encyclopedia link Big but it's just a small one so cut me some slack!
When you consider the historical Kingdom of Israel at it's glory and that it's return to it's glory days must also at best include these lands, then you begin to understand the Arab perspective in all of this. Now if you use the 1947 UN Partition Agreement as the starting point for the State of Israel, one can only conclude that in the past almost 60 years, the State of Israel is in fact attempting to expand in accordance with the promises to Abraham as found in Genesis 15. There have been many UN resolutions condemning Israel and it's expansions but has the US & the UN used the same even handedness with Israel that it used towards Iraq? Many on the Arab street will say no and they have grounds to do so. At every turn the US appears a willing agent towards fulfillment of Genesis 15 from the Arab perspective.
What about Iran? They look east and see America at their border via Afghanistan and they look west and see America at their border in Iraq and they consider past performance by the US. Now, as an American, you might applaud this but for just one moment consider that you are an Iranian muslim and that you know of the history of the region and what it was prior to the treachery of England and France via post WW1 and the end of the Ottoman empire. As you look east and west and see America, which is seen as the advancement footsoldier for the concept of greater Israel (remember, in the west the Israeli via it's religion and place with God are considered his choosen people by the vast majority of so-called Christian peoples) you begin to fear that you also will become absorbed by this new version of David's Kingdom and therefore even though within the last few years you had started to personally embrace western ideals of free thinking, you are willing to embrace muslim extreme leadership out of the belief that this is the lesser evil when confronted with what you believe are Zionist expansionism. Oil is a wealth commodity that's seen as a means of living and livelyhood but the underlying real issue never discussed in open proper company is the religious and expanisionist and in the case of western ideals, the belief of self fulfilling God's prophesy and being his instrument for good.
Before you even begin to plan a resolution to a problem, you must first know all there is to the problem itself. Americans are pulled back and forth, in and out of one after another bad foreign policy move because we have the attitude of I'm right because I'm American. I posted sometime back that you need to know the difference of Sunni and Shia for starters and several of you just poo-pood the idea. Well like I said, poo-poo learning that 2 plus 2 equals 4 and then don't complain when you can't balance your checkbook out to the correct balance!
You just can't resolve this as long as all the facts, all the history are buried away and denied discussion or in some of your cases, the refusing to take a few minutes and learn the history. You will never, ever get it right if we/you continue this course.
Texas Congressman Ron Paul has 2 good articles that are a beginning IMO towards resolving these conflicts at least as they relater to America itself.
Who Makes Foreign Policy?
The Original Foreign Policy
But by 11th grade history I had become the Boytoy of this awesome blonde in the class and 30 plus years later I still am and love every minute of it! 
