British Expatriate Network

Ok something that I have been milling round in my mind. Everytime I turn on the news I hear, this war, the war, But is it??? A war is something that is waged against 2 or more countries.

What we face are terrorists and they can range from a single person to a number of people, maybe thousands.

And if this was a war on terrorists why is it not being fought on an equal scale, why were,nt all these new acts being put in place to deal with people like the KKK , Black panthers and all these other fringe groups around the world???

After this is finished are we going to deal with groups like the Tamil Tigers or even the IRA in the same fashion.

My concern is that people are not calling it what it is, scaring a bunch of folks to giving up freedoms which under normal circumstances they would never give up.

Its just a thought.

Me I believe some of the acts done are correct, but I don't believe in casting a net in the hope of finding something that maybe of interest. That give intelligence a bad name.

If there is specific information on an individual then knock yourself out, but that should be held up in a court of law.

I'm waiting for that bloke who said Foggy Bottom should be blown up with a nuke to get arrested myself.

/not holding breath

Yep. And theres no definied ending or victory so we probably 'at war' indefinitely. Then the administration uses it to say 'we're at war, so we can do what the hell we want, everythings so bad because we're 'at war' and by the way, you can't criticise us in a time of war - it's unpatriotic'....roll

In calling this a War the US administration has convinced enough Americans to expect the restrictions that go with any country on a war footing. Most have more to fear from neigbours than any terrorist attack.

In fact the US has been waging a similar war for decades through all administrations. Covert and not so covert action is a way of life for the US. Being such a big part of the world economy has created this situation and I don't see any way out.

The only difference with this administration is that it has developed a Ministry of Fear and is founded in religious extremism.

Acts of terrorism are criminal. This is not a war unless you compare it to the , war on drugs, illegal immigrants, abortion, unpatriotic behaviour, corruption in government etc, etc, etc.

If it was a war, wages would be frozen, taxes would rise and conscription would occur.

It is NOT a war.

I'm not sure any of these things are wars in any military sense.

Basically the whole war on terror was a bit of ill conceived rhetoric and has mutated into an equally ill conceived justification for the executive claiming near unfettered powers to bug, burgle, sneak, peak, torture and mislead with purported impunity. And all in the name of truth, justice, peace and security.

In reality all they did was elevate a bunch of religious fanatics from common criminality to war heros and martyrs.

my point exactly. or maybe we just don't speak amurican properly.


exits being drug off to a vehickle by strange men in black suits. :wink:

Sorry Annie, my bad. :smile:

The term war on terrorism has been in use since about the late 1800's, this being the latest version of it.

You don't have to officially declare a war to call it a war but war has to be declared if you want the legal bounderies of war to apply (The Falklands war was officially a conflict, not a war). And war is defined as a widespread conflict between organisations or large groups of people. As far as I'm concerned the various governments can call it what they like as long as they get the job done.

It's a war on sanity.

Great post Goose. What I see in this is terrorism in Iraq. We are so consumed with terror here we can't see it we we do it to others. A 757 boeing flown into buildings blowing them up is terrorism, a cruise missile flying into a building is....terrorism.

I support the men and women over there that they make it home well, just as I support the men and women of Iraq that they may be well too.

Yes a war is fought from both sides but the US has become a war machine with the finest of technology. I think that terrorist groups learned from Vietnam that they cannot defeat the might of the US military however the American people on the homefront can be swayed. They are fighting guerlla warfare the only way to fight a superior enemy.

But I have to wonder, what were all these mean ole terrorist doing during the cold war. Why are we always at odds with someone? I am aware of Munich in 72(before Spielbergs film made to create more anti- arab sentiment), and the hi jackings of the 80's. There always has to be an enemy.

If we put as much time effort and money into peace as we did into war the world would be a place of over abundant love able to overcome the shortcomings of a few knuckleheads.

Receiving weapons from the CIA in Afghanistan, or US supported training from Iran (Iran/Contra) and doing much the same as they do now but on a smaller scale.

In particular they were attacking US Marines in Lebanon, causing Saint Ronald to cut and run and give the militant islamists the impression that the American public could be intimidated by large casualty figures.

What goes around....

So we created them(which we did)

In particular they were attacking US Marines in Lebanon.[/quote]

If the Marines were in Lebanon, who was attacking who? I could see if they attacked Camp Lejeune. We have no business- Amerika has absolutely positively no business being over there then nor now.

The Marines were in Lebanon as part of a peace keeping mission aimed at ending the the Civil war there. Britain and France were their also. The mission ultimately failed and the war continued until the end of the 80's.

Sometimes such interventions are legitimate and have international support. Sometimes....