Hi
18 Sep 2001, "Samuel W. Heywood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
[...]
>> But we have to understand why they did it, so that we can prevent
>> further attacks.
SH> This is something that defies understanding.
SH> I don't think it will ever be possible for us to understand why the
SH> terrorists who attacked the WTC and the Pentagon did what they did.
SH> I don't think we will ever understand why Hitler and his followers in
SH> the SS did what they did.
This is not necessary.
Hitler was a madman, the terrorists are as well.
But among the millions of followers Hitler had, there were very few
mandman.
And it's the same with the hatred against america in arab countries.
There are excelent documentaries, which describe why it was possible for
Hitler to attract such huge masses of people.
And exactly this has to be done for america as well.
Example:
Germany and France allways hated each other ... now they cooperate, and
everything is fine.
Their economies are so close to each other, that a war is no longer
possible. (it would ruin the countries own ecenomy, too)
SH> I don't think we will ever understand why Jack the Ripper and and the
SH> Milwaukee Cannibal did what they did.
There are excelent people at the FBI who do exactly this.
So it's possible. (they helped our government, with the letter bombing case
here, a few years ago.)
SH> The only way I can see to prevent further attacks is to improve
SH> security and intelligence gathering.
my 2 cents:
Absolutely impossible.
You can NEVER prevent a madman to smuggle some kilos of lethal bacteria
into a town, and blow this infectious load into the air.
NEVER ... this is absolutely impossible.
It is still easy to hijack planes. (at the moment not that easy, but in 1
year this will be manageable again easily.)
(and there are many, many other scenarios, which can hardly/never be
prevented)
Your second argument is also bogus in my point of view: (at least what the
communications part is concerned)
Terrorists will never use phones, unencrypted email, fax ....
A 'college' of bin laden was killed by the soviet, while he was phoning via
a GSM mobile phone. They traped his communication, and launched a rocket at
the position they got ...
And to ban cryptology is also a bad idea.
to quote Phil Zimmermann:
"If cryptology is outlawed, only outlaws will have cryptology"
SH> The problem with this approach is that it would encroach upon
SH> personal privacy and it will create considerable inconvenience and
SH> annoyance and unjust accusations and suspicions against the innocent.
And it is against basic human rights.
(there are some of this thoughts too in germany.
Most of them are by politicians, who don't understand what they speak
about. Crypto regulations will only strike innocent people.)
SH> Nowadays any kid caught carrying a pocket knife to school is expelled
SH> for carrying a dangerous weapon.
Thanks god that this is not the case here ...
but we also hardly have pupils shooting at other pupils with weapons ...
SH> A fellow list subscriber, Or Botton of Israel, has made the same
SH> observation. He says that his government is ineffective in trying
SH> to suppress terrorism simply by killing off some known terrorists.
SH> He says others will always soon pop up to take their place and the
SH> slain terrorist leaders become martyrs for the cause.
yes ... and exactly because of this the ROOT of the problems has to be
addressed.
With isreal and the palestinensians (sp?) it's not easy.
If many families lost a member, than it's hard to hear on reason.
(and so the wheel of terror continues ...
3 isrealis killed by snipers - 10 palestinensians killed by isreali
revenge - 12 isreali killed by a terror attack - 20 palestinensians ......
You got it.
Hardliners on both sides make the situation even worse.
In the light of the terror attack on the US, Arafat proclaimed a cease
fire. (and palestinensians should even not shoot in self defense)
We will see if there is a chance of peace.
Isreal when heared this, also proclaimed cease fire.
But this is only a little step.
The big problem will be Jerusalem, and the many religious symbols there.
Both sides want it ... and I see little chance, that they can share it ...
>> Why does somebody hate the US so much, that he will kill himself,
>> only to kill US citizens.
SH> Some people say that the terrorist has been deluded into thinking
SH> that if he dies while killing some evil-mongering infidels (i.e.
SH> Americans) he will go directly to heaven and he will wake up the
SH> next instant in a pleasure palace with 40 virgins to serve him.
If you lead a good live, than you will not believe in such things ...
if you have nothing to loose, than ...
>> The attackers have to be punished ... no question.
SH> They don't care if they are punished. They have a religiously
SH> motivated persecution complex. The more punishment they suffer
SH> for their righteous cause in the present life, the greater their
SH> reward in the hereafter.
so what to do ?
>> And massive bombings will only worsen it.
>> Thanks god that it now looks much better.
>> The US has cooled down a bit, and can now thibk out some strategies,
>> that will hurt the terrorists. (bombing up some tents does not
>> impress them, but if the people behind, supporting them are
>> scared/imprisoned/whatsoever this will hit them very hard.)
SH> In order for any measures to be effective, they have to hit them so
SH> hard that they will begin to question the validity of their religious
SH> beliefs.
In my point of view EXACTLY the way that will lead to WW3.
You can't do that.
Either they are all dead (and millions of innocent arabs as well)
or the remaining people will say that they allways knew that america was
the real satan ...
The other way is a wise foreign politics.
Bush has the world behind him.
If he shows the UN evidence who did the cruelties in america, than the
world will help the US to catch them.
And it would be very hard for any government not to help also.
The quotes above show pretty much what I think.
Starting a war will be easy, and americans seem to support it.
But it will only worsen the situation.
Acting wisely will be much harder ... but it will have long term effects.
=== Begin file ===
Anger...fear...aggression. The dark side of the Force are they.
"Is the dark side stronger?"
"No...no...no. Quicker, easier, more seductive."
=== End file ===
>> If Bush makes things all right, he has even the majority of arabs
>> behind him. (most of them are as shocked about the attack as the
>> rest of the world) (on the other hand one of Bush's well known "slip
>> of his" tongue can ruin that support)
SH> Bush's "slips of the tongue" are a result of his Texas heritage
SH> and a carryover arising from his respect for the ways of his
SH> cowboy ancestors who lived according to the "Code of the West",
I did not speak about these new ones.
But this is not really relevant now.
(only to quote a satire:
clinton: "I did not have sex with that woman"
bush: "I did not push the bombing button" )
For most europeans it was really very hard to believe how a person with
such lack of knowledge and sensitivity can be elected.
(I have seen an interview with him before the election, and I personally
did not know if I should laugh or cry ...)
But this is only my personal point of view ...
SH> In his anguish Bush sometimes loses sight of the fact that we are no
SH> longer living in those bygone times.
again a personal comment:
to loose sight, you will first have to FIND sight.
SH> He has his able advisors standing by to remind him of that and to
SH> tell him about how things are in the present era.
THANKS GOD !!!!
This prevented another huge catastrophy.
But how long will he listen ??
SH> You need not worry about what Bush will actually do,
Whole europe does ...
Most europeans are MUCH more conserned by americas reaction, than they are
that a terror attack hits europe.
Most think that bush is absolutely unpredictable ...
And to be honest I'm one of them who think so.
(and many questions on the news sound like:
"Will america use the atomic bomb ?"
"What is the propability that Bush's actions lead to WW3?"
I don't think that any of the above scenarios is very likely, but it shows
about what people here are concerned.
SH> Such are common among cowboys and they like to laugh with each
SH> other about these things while sitting around the old camp fire.
no problem with that ...
But why have the republicans chosen him as presidential candidate ?
He may be a great cowboy (I don't know, neither do I care ...)
but according to many wise people, he does not have the
knowledge/sensitivity to deal with such situations.
(and this was ABSOLUTELY clear after his TV interview ...)
I was expecting that the would withdraw he candidancy (?) after questioned
about the MOST BASIC things, and NOT KNOWING THEM !!!!!!!!!
THis is like asing what's your name:
Aehh .. ehm ... aee .. wait ... i know ... i think ...
hmm ... did it start with a "B" ???
But this is all not relevant at the moment:
fact g.w. bush is president.
And he has to deal with the situation.
Let's hope that he and his advisors do it very cleverly ...
SH> Sam Heywood
CU, Ricsi
--
|~)o _ _o Richard Menedetter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> {ICQ: 7659421} (PGP)
|~\|(__\| -=> Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever... <=-
