Mmarsh you are right about many things.
But they will continue to see the West and its culture as a threat even if they are successful in creating that Islamic Caliphate as they wish simply because we exist and simply because there will be people within their Caliphate who will smuggle in Western movies, music etc.
Even in Iran, people actually make alcohol in their homes and listen to Western music in their homes... and if no one's looking, they don't pray as required.
There will no doubt be a crack down on this and the fingers will point to the West. They will demand that all of this stop. See, this too will be like as if the West was a gigantic Colombia and the Western influences seeping in would be like cocaine.
This war on terror isn't exactly like the war on drugs etc. though it has many similarities. Iran is involved is now heavily involved and if left alone, they WILL have WMDs. If you allow these groups, Al Qaeda or not, to just sit there and gather power like it happened back in the 1990s, they will get stronger and they will strike again with better weapons, even more determined than now. What's keeping these guys going is that they feel hopeful that they can defeat the US. The leftist rhetoric does not help. Why do you think their speeches are being aired in Iran? Because they feel their strategy on dividing America and making it beat itself is working and they want to show it to their people. "See, America is nothing, we can beat them."
Going over there does put these anti-West elements on the back foot. Their supporting governments and organizations are also bogged down in Iraq making support of groups over here harder.
Al Qaeda is not the only group out there either. They're just merely the most famous.
Radical Islam has attacked the West for whatever reasons they could find. Israel, backing of Governments, cultural pollution etc etc.
What we have here is a conflict between two civilizations.

Originally Posted by Infern0

the only way to truely sideline terror as a tool, is to foster the growth of liberal islam, through prosperity and education.


bombing and invasion will not accomplish this

Sayed Q'Tub. The father of modern muslim terrorists. A school teacher involved in a program to help education and prosperity in Egypt. Check it out. The liberal mantra on this track doesn't hold water Inferno.

Hell we were defending Muslims in Bosnia. Didn't make a lick of difference because THAT is not the problem. The problem is as I stated previously.

And also, the last time I checked, Sweden isn't located in the Middle East. Yet they demand that the country adopt Sharia law. Also in the UK as our friend from the UK has stated, their laws have been creeping into British law. All over Europe you are seeing this problem of radical and even mainstream Muslims trying to change laws based on Western values more towards Islamic laws and values. Now this is a problem because there are MANY groups in the West who adhere to Western values because they are living in the West. The Chinese, Indian Hindus, Koreans... they adjust and live with Western laws. But no, the Muslims MUST convert everyone over to their values, regardless of where they are.
Here lies the problem.
The premise of just making a Middle East under the Islamic Caliphate is true, but everything indicates that it's not going to end there and in fact, if this were achieved, their attack against the West will in fact increase, perhaps even backed by nuclear weapons. That is a scenario I do not want to see.

Originally Posted by bulldogg

Sayed Q'Tub. The father of modern muslim terrorists. A school teacher involved in a program to help education and prosperity in Egypt. Check it out. The liberal mantra on this track doesn't hold water Inferno.

Hell we were defending Muslims in Bosnia. Didn't make a lick of difference because THAT is not the problem. The problem is as I stated previously.

Bet you read Lawrence Wrights' book called Looming Tower.

Looming Tower, Daniel Pipe's work, Power of Nightmares, Obsession... I read/watch it all regardless of who produced it nor which side of the aisle.

Originally Posted by bulldogg

Looming Tower, Daniel Pipe's work, Power of Nightmares, Obsession... I read/watch it all regardless of who produced it nor which side of the aisle.

Same here....

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The New York Times and MoveOn

Thu, Sep 13, 2007 at 12:27:21 pm PDT
Did the New York Times break the law by giving a huge discount to MoveOn.org to run that anti-Petraeus advertisement? Complaint filed with FEC over ‘Betray Us’ ad.

Rudy Giuliani wants the same discount.

The new mainstream voice of the Democratic Party: Daily Kos: Thank you Hillary for calling Petraeus a liar!