From the Taipai Times, with thanks to Counterterrorism Operations:
The US is pouring more soldiers and millions more dollars into its anti-terrorism campaign in Africa, including in Algeria and chaotic Nigeria, both oil-rich nations where radical Islam has a following.A new north and west African effort outlined Wednesday in a statement from the US Embassy in Senegal proposes spending US$100 million a year over five years to boost security in some of world's least policed areas, starting with a joint military exercise in the region next month.
An earlier anti-terror exercise with a budget of just US$6 million focused on troop training in four west African nations. The new campaign will target nine north and west African nations and seek to bolster regional cooperation.
Analysts were waiting to see if the program would be fully funded -- but said the intended budgetary increase shows the US is taking West Africa more seriously.
"If they're turning the corner to US$100 million, that's graduation into something much larger," said J. Stephen Morrison, Africa director at the Washington DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "It's still modest, but it's a dramatic step up."
Major Holly Silkman, a US military spokeswoman, said underpopulated border areas in the region could be sanctuaries for "terrorists or would-be terrorists."...
"We're concerned with the radical movement," said Silkman. "Islam isn't the problem, it's only the radicals."...
Great, Major. Now please explain to us how you propose to tell the difference.
From a strategic point this is a huge mistake, Africa is to big a problem for any one nation to solve.
Get the U.N to get off there fat lazy subsidy bloated asses and do something.
"We're concerned with the radical movement," said Silkman. "Islam isn't the problem, it's only the radicals."...
Yeah, thats what "they" all say...as soon as I can figure out who "they" are, I will get back to you...
Pegcity - keep the UN out of it. The UN is nothing more than a corrupt left wing organisation who is against the US and her allies.
I have seen Reuters cameraman footage of the Mad Muslim Terrorists in Gaza using UN Red Cross and Red Crescent (no surprises there) to ferry these scum from one part of Israel to the other - with full knowledge from the UN.
The UN supports terror, not freedom. Lets not also forget that the UN turned a blind eye to UN people stealing from the Iraqi kids with the Oil for food - including Kofi's son.
As for that Maj Silkman, he obviously doesn't know how to win a war. The first step is in identifying your enemy.
One hopes that Major Silkman is practicing Western taqqiya and knows the real formula: "NO Islam, NO radicals". Which will hold until the Great Muslim Reformation resumes- after being derailed around 1000 A.D. when ijtihad (reinterpretation of the meaning of the Koran) was essentially forbidden.
Once we get the hell out of Iraq- and let the Muslims kill one another over fine points of Mohammad's thought- troops will be available to return to the hunt for Osama and the Taliban remnants in Afghanistan, and some battle-seasoned veterans can help in this African operation.
Chaos needs to be reined-in where possible, since, as Afghanistan proved (after the U.S. abandoned it to the post-Soviet maelstrom), areas without some force of law will degenerate into nests of jihadist vipers.
It's a long battle, but anything but ultimate victory would mean the death of freedom.
Bigsleep - I don't think that any of the "reinterpreting" of the Koran is suffice.
I mean, look at the comments of so called 'moderates' here. IA, Shukri, and Brownwonder all approve of child sex.
As for Thomas (who I reckon is a good bloke at heart - he's just caught up in a mad cult), again, his comments are confused at times.
Reinterpreting the Koran will only postpone the inevitable terror it brings. Especially in light of Mohammed's (may pigs piss be upon him) life. Mo lived a life of terror.
Lets not forget that the Nazi's also did a lot of good, and if you measured the personal life of Hitler (a tea totter) against the personal life of Churchill (a drunk and a tobacco addict) one could easily come to the conclusion that Hitler was a good leader, and a good bloke. To be a good conman, you must have some good in order to sucker people in.
But in reality we all know that Hitler was scum, and Churchill was worth his weight in gold. What am I saying?
Just like there is is no such thing as "Moderate Nazism", there is no such thing as "Moderate Islam". Both idealogies, despite the good they have, ultimately lead to destruction and supression of people.
3dtime: Again, my solution for the problems of Islam is the mass conversion of Muslims to Christianity. If there are international interventions in Islamic countries which do not end with genuine religious pluralism and liberty in them, then the thing's ultimately in vain (even if some short term solutions are gained).
As for Afghanistan, I'm sorry, but for such a venture to succeed, we need to lean on those very frail reeds of Pakistan and Uzbekistan--to say nothing of Afghanistan's own messy and chaotic tribal and sectarian divisions. While we need to win now that we're in, it would've been better had we settled for rebuilding intelligence capabilities, letting the CIA talk with lowlifes, and, watching until OBL get cocky, climbs on a plane--and then pull the trick done with the Achille Lauro hijackers.
Since it always gets down to Muhammad's pedophilia, I say the following:
Sure, my Christian fundamentalism, which looks on marriage as one man and one woman trying to build a family, can condemn sex with a child easily enough. But would someone kindly explain at what point the secular constitutional jurisprudence of the United States, which will probably give us homosexual "marriage" by judicial fiat before long, can possibly say "no" to a fifty-year-old man doing a seven-year-old girl, if the girl herself can be made to "agree"? Or, why not group marriage and bestiality, too (what was that Dutch term?)
Im only 23 and i've lost my faith in humanity, what a sad world this has become. Im wondering if i should start building the fallout shelter now.
Im only 23 and i've lost my faith in humanity, what a sad world this has become. Im wondering if i should start building the fallout shelter now.
After the first war with Saddam I was hoping that the US and Europe would do more to become energy independent. Sadly instead our demand for foreign oil has increased with far more cars on the road, more flight etc.
If we really put our minds to it, I'm sure we could. In Brazil for instance they have cars that run on alcohol which can be fermented from almost any plant substance. Otherwise we could have electric cars whose batteries are charged by solar or wind power, plus more to be done to encourage cycling by for example building more cycle paths so people can ride to work and school in safety.
During World War Two one of the slogans was 'Dig For Victory' which meant grow your own vegetables, this could apply to today because the very transportation of food uses up vast amounts of petrol.
right. if 3rd time's idea of a utopian world consists of mass conversion OUT of islam, then im sure many radicals such as you support such ideals; and yet, the world is kind of going OPPOSITE to what you believe and the number of muslims is exponentially increasing. doesnt do too much to support your argument, does it. and you cant say that because of this, the world is a worse place- majority of those you consider terrorists are locked up in guantanamo with their personal and religious rights being desecrated every single day. what kibd of pathetical, infinitely immoral prisonkeepers smear muslim prisoners with menstrual nlood so they aer unable to pray, since muslims cannot pray in a state of certain impurity. if that isn low down refolting, i dont know what is. you can go on listing atrocities committed by muslims and i can adequately respond; so basically all youll say is that those actions do not represent america and therefore, neither does any terrorist activities by the muslims.
muslim,
Some of us are onto the truth, so save your whining for another place.
The atrocities committed by Muslims far surpass any ALLEGED descecrations at Gitmo. As to Abu Ghraib, well, this is war. Let's see you try to justify sawing off the heads of humanitarians in Iraq. I believe that the one humanitarian I specifically have in mind was a woman named Hassan, who had worked for some twenty years trying to help needy Iraqis.
pegcity,
I agree with you. The U.N. is the problem!
kepha,
Amen!
muslim, the point you make is:
1) that there are atrocities on all sides. Good observation, I don't debate this. We are all a pack of sinners.
The big point however, is that your "holy" book condones such evil.
The Bible doesn’t.
As for the Muslim population growing, why wouldn't it? You kill and intimidate, and the West is basically a pack of pansies (especially our leaders).
Then again, plenty of Muslims are converting to Christianity also. Why? Because Islam forced them to convert - its not of the heart.
That’s why many Christians die for their faith, being martyred (in the true sense of the word) as opposed to Muslims who kill (this is not being a "martyr" its called being a murderer).
For Christians who believe the Bible, it’s of the heart, not through works that they get to heaven. Unlike Muslims, Christians don't need to kill for their God. God doesn't need us, we need Him.
As for your numbers of converts - don't believe everything you hear on TV.
muslim - I actually consider anyone who believes in the Koran as a potential or actual terrorist. So they are not all locked up in jail.
I would much rather be in jail under the US than an infidel in the Sudan.
Give me USA mercy anyday over Islamic mercy.