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He knows poverty doesn't cause terror. But that doesn't stop him. "U.S. defense chief declines to say which side is winning the war on terror," by Robert Burns for AP, with thanks to Kaosktrl:
SINGAPORE (AP) _ Declining to say whether the U.S. and its partners are winning the war on terror, Defense Secretary Robert Gates called Saturday for more focus on combating poverty and other underlying causes of extremism."I think we are still early in this contest," Gates said in a question-and-answer session with attendees of a conference on Asian security, an annual gathering that took on an unusual dimension with the participation of a senior Chinese general who offered a pointed defense of his country's military buildup....
A member of the audience later asked Gates whether he thought the United States is winning the terror war.
He cited areas of progress, including the elimination in late 2001 of Afghanistan as a haven for al-Qaida. But he also said the Islamic extremists have managed since then to expand their recruiting grounds.
"On the negative side of the ledger, I think we have not made enough progress in trying to address some of the root causes of terrorism in some of these societies, whether it is economic deprivation or despotism that leads to alienation," he said.
He called for more "creative thinking" to address the root causes of Islamic extremism, but he added that even those efforts will not be the complete answer to winning what he called a long war on terrorism.
I think there has been too much "creative thinking" about root causes already, and too little realistic assessment of the evidence.
"One of the disturbing things about many of the terrorists that have been caught is that these are not ignorant, poor people," he said. "These are educated people, often from professional families. So dealing with poverty and those issues is not going to eliminate the problem, but it certainly can reduce the pool of people prepared to give their lives for this cause."
So the jihadists aren't poor, but dealing with poverty will reduce their number? Huh? Here's just one of many pieces on the poverty/terror myth.
In his exchange with members of the audience _ primarily government officials and security experts _ Gates was asked how long U.S. intelligence agencies think it will take Iran to build a nuclear weapon."The general view of American intelligence is that they would be in a position to develop a nuclear device probably sometime in the period 2010-2011 or 2014 or 15," he said, adding that some think it could be as early as late next year....
On Iraq, Gates spoke positively of the Bush administration's new troop buildup and counterinsurgency effort.
"The immediate goal is to create the breathing room necessary to allow reform and reconciliation to go forward _ steps that will give all of Iraq's communities, majority and minorities alike, a stake in that nation's future," he said.
Posted by Robert at June 3, 2007 12:47 AM
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This guy Gates is a lunar-tick, where did they come up with him, and why does he have a job...?
Posted by: duh_swami![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at June 3, 2007 12:52 AM
Gates needs to be introduced to Jihad Watch. Even rich men can be poorly informed.
Posted by: champ at June 3, 2007 12:54 AM
There was a full-page ad in the Times of India yesterday. Something about spread of knowledge and culture (the exact words used were very generic in nature) through some foundation. The foundation is founded by some arabian sheik and has earmarked 10 Billion dollars for India. They are receiving money from saudi arabia, and our own seem hell-bent upon financing our own destruction.
Posted by: arjun.sevak at June 3, 2007 1:03 AM
Use the money to buy everyone a copy of "Islam: What The West Needs To Know"!
(Books are good to but watching tv is easier.)
That will help a lot.
Hello Arjun! How are you?
Dawn the sowdis. They are all over the place with their money!
Posted by: Gramfan at June 3, 2007 1:27 AM
Gstes. like many of our "representatives" in DC has the idea that if only there was more money spent on public works projects, then all the jihaddis would put their weenie-nerd glasses back on, and stop murdering people.
Absolutely brilliant !!!
I believe it.
Don't you????
Posted by: joeblough at June 3, 2007 1:49 AM
What Gates and a lot of people have trouble understanding is why so many people believe in what they do, when what they believe in is so toxic. The natural impulse is to devise disuasive techniques, such as improved economic and political infrastructures or foreign aid as ways of showing them that we're really nice people, and ensuring their contentment.
The flaw in this reasoning is the assumption that the toxic beliefs stem from anger over objective circumstances, and are not just accurate interpretations of toxic religious doctrine.
It's an understandable mistake when you don't know anything about the religious doctrine. And a costly one.
at June 3, 2007 2:24 AM
I don't think they want to win the war. They are fomenting it. Think about it. More spending for the military and associated construction business. An agitated population that will go along. We should not assume they are stupid, but corrupt.
Posted by: Swissy at June 3, 2007 2:29 AM
I suppose to be in the Bush cabinet you have to share his clueless world view. I was hoping for an independent thinker after Rumsfield but no such luck.
Compounding the naivete of the Adminstration with the Senate's knife-edge understanding of Islam and their penetrating review of Gates' qualifications; we end up with a win-the-hearts-and-minds guy in charge of the DEFENSE Dept! In my view this job calls for someone with a kill-the-enemy instinct.
Or maybe I am just old-fashioned.
at June 3, 2007 2:39 AM
Gates said…
"The general view of American intelligence is that they would be in a position to develop a nuclear device probably sometime in the period 2010-2011 or 2014 or 15," he said, adding that some think it could be as early as late next year....
In other words they don’t have a frigging clue.
Thank God we are protected by the ever-diligent intelligence agencies.
Our Islamic enemies must be rolling around the ground in laughter.
How pathetically unprofessional.
Jimmy Bones you’re not old-fashioned, but rather forward thinking by necessity.
at June 3, 2007 4:07 AM
Swissy, like any war I think there is undoubtedly some profiteering going on, it’s part of the human condition, but the notion that the start and/or continuation of the war is entirely for profit is absurd, IMO.
I think Richard Cohen’s assessment that Bush is a neo-liberal is valid.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/28/AR2007052801053.html
And I think that Peggy Noonan has insight on Bush as well.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110010148
On the other hand, considering the amnesty bill, greed is perhaps more powerful than I give credit for.
As for Gates, I’m not sure if he actually believes what he is saying or if he’s following orders. In either case, this administration is involved in a lot of negotiations right now and unfortunately, their strategy seems to be one of open weakness.
I think maybe Gates should consider sending anti-depressants to the Jihadis. Maybe that would help the situation. Perhaps we could spray them with water and they will melt.
Hey, I’m just “thinking creatively”.
at June 3, 2007 4:08 AM
It's hard to know what mindset/ideology Gates is coming from with his philanthropic efforts, which isn't to say he's not doing some good things.
Whatever his beliefs, he doesn't come close to winning the atheist bravery award.
Posted by: jamesforsyth.net at June 3, 2007 4:10 AM
When Carter insulted Bush a while back, I wonder if Bush called Carter up and said something to the affect, “Oh YEAH? If YOU’RE so smart, what would YOU do?”
And then together they say down and drew up the present strategy.
/sarc
Posted by: FloatingRock at June 3, 2007 4:33 AM
Damn, I have a typo in my punch line. I normally wouldn’t correct the mistake but since it’s a joke: “say down” should read, “sat down”.
Posted by: FloatingRock at June 3, 2007 4:43 AM
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Come on FloatingRock
Give people more credit to infer what you meant.
Posting typo corrections (unless absolutely necessary ) is a pet hate of mine.
You do that again and the only PUNCH line will be on your nose
at June 3, 2007 5:13 AM
Once upon a time, we called this sort of thing "foreign aid." Today, it's just "Dane-geld," nothing more. And even if it worked, it would be irredeemably wrong.
Posted by: Francis W. Porretto at June 3, 2007 5:13 AM
Multiculturalism has infected everyone. The old just give everyone a Happy Meal and all will be better.
What better example of the Happy Meal approach can you get than Palestine?
Professional Islam
Doctor- One who spent years studying to make sure there was no way of putting him back together after blowing himself up.
Engineer- Years of study to make sure the Bomb he makes blows him up-completely.
Lawyer- Years of study to make sure blowing oneself up is legal.
Accountant- Years of study to make sure blowing oneself up is cost efficient.
Professor- Years of studying how others blew themselves up and create new ways of doing so.
Imman- Years of study to inspire Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Accountants and Professors to blow themselves up.
Posted by: flowerknife_us at June 3, 2007 8:17 AM
"The immediate goal is to create the breathing room necessary to allow reform and reconciliation to go forward..."
-- from Secretary Gates's statement above
"reform"? "reconciliation"?
Iraq is a society almost all of whose members have been formed by Islam. They were born into it, they were suffused with it. They have not learned the art of political compromise. They have learned that in their Belief-System, warfare and aggression are natural, and the natural outcome of warfare is one of two possibilities: being the Victor, or being the Vanquished. The ideas of compromise, sweet reason, tolerance for each other, a nice sharing of power -- this has nothing to do with Islam.
There is no chance, none, that the Sunni Arabs inside or outside Iraq will ever acquiesce in the takeover of Baghdad, and of most of Iraq, by the Shi'a, those "Persians," those "Rafidie dogs," those meretricious "Infidels" who, some say, betrayed Baghdad to Hulegu and the Mongols.
And there is no chance, none, that the Shi'a Arabs, the ones who have had such fun in Basra scaring off, or killing off, both Christians and Sunnis, and been determinedly inflicting as much pain, in their revenge death-squad killings, on Sunnnis in Baghdad, that the population of that city, once 40% Sunni, now is down to 15%. And that will not change.
Meanwhile, all the Galula-like notions, the building of a walls around neighborhoods, such as the Sunni Adhamiya, have come to naught, or at least to a semi-halt, because the "Iraqis" themselves oppose them. So what if those walls would make the American task of keeping both sides from each other's throats easier, or at least possible? So what if more American soldiers have to do to fulfill that impossible task? Why should "the Iraqis," Sunni or Shi'a, care about how difficult things are for the Americans? Do they? Are they saddened, in any way, by American losses? Do they give a damn? Do they not, rather, see the Americans as useful, now to one side, over in this province, now to the other side or subset of that side, in that province, and of course we want those American billions, tens of billions, hundreds of billions, whatever we can get -- the Americans can afford it. And we Iraqis can't spare a thing, for we only have those future assured revenues with the second largest, or perhaps larges, oil reserves in the world. What -- borrow against future earnings? Why should we, when the Americans again got all of our Western Infidel creditors, but none of our Arab creditors, to completely wipe out our debts.
And there is all that weaponry, those Humvees and tanks, and night-vision goggles, and all the stuff that should be in National Guard armories in Kansas and Louisiana and around the United States but right now is sitting in Iraq -- oh, we will inherit so much of it. We'll let the Americans build up what they call "Iraqi forces" for a bit longer, we'll string them along, and then, when they do leave, think of all the loot they will leave, willingly or in their haste unwillingly, behind.
And the Shi'a know that they will inherit Iraq. And Al Qaeda knows that it will inherit Iraq. And the local ex-Ba'athist Sunnis know that they will inherit Iraq. And Moqtada al-Sadr knows that he will inerit Iraq. And everyone knows with a certainty that he, or he, or he, will inherit Iraq.
Let them at it. The "chaos" and "catastrophe," Ali Allawi thinks, will not follow. Perhaps he is right, in which case the result desired by this Administration will be achieved. Perhaps he is wrong, and the hostilities, not all-out war but low-level but constant attacks, slowly but steadily draining both sides, and their co-religionists giving them aid, will continue.
Either result is acceptable. But the Bush-Cheney warnings about a "failed state" (a phrase no one quite defines, no one quite explains), and their claimied certainty that "Al Qaeda" will take over - Al Qaeda in Iraq, consisting of Sunni Arabs hostile to the Shi'a and to the dreams of the non-Arab Kurds, and having a few thousand members, in a population of 27 million, at least 80% of those 27 million being non-Sunni or non-Arab.
So just how is Al Qaeda going to do this? And the agents of Iran have no ability to stop them? And even the government of Saudi Arabia, completely indifferent to, or supportive of, what Al Qaeda does to Infidels in Europe or North America or Russia, will have to pour in aid and "volunteers" to help the non-Al Qaeda Sunnis, for Al Qaeda next door is a threat to the family-and-friends rule of the Al Saud.
Posted by: Hugh at June 3, 2007 10:01 AM
Gramfan
Hi ! Depressed but fine otherwise. The saudis are sending billions over here for mosques and madrasas. Have you noticed unusual ads in the newspapers over there re some islamic foundation ? Things were bad enough with our government pouring money into "modernising the madrasas" but with these kind of grants coming in, things are bound to get worse.
at June 3, 2007 10:10 AM
Aaaahhhhh, Aggie Logic...Gotta Love It!
Gates - Coming to you from the school that sells the Aggie Bowling Ball (a brick with 3 holes).
Posted by: Miss_Anthrope at June 3, 2007 11:23 AM
So how many BILLIONS has this government sent in the form of "aid" to the "Palestinians", Jordanians, Egyptians, etc? And these billions do not include the billions of dollars of oil we have purchased from our buddies the Saudis. So it's our problem that these Muslim governments are unable and unwilling to share the wealth the USA has sent in its various forms? Slightly OT, I'm not a big fan of Newt Gingrich, but he made an interesting comment this am on FOX News with Chris Wallace. He was reflecting on how in WWII, this country, its leaders and citizens had the "ruthlessness" to defeat two enemies around the world in less than five years. Love that word - Ruthlessness which is not in the volcabularly of any of our current leaders.
Posted by: HOV Dummy at June 3, 2007 11:53 AM
does Mr Gates receive any compensation from the dhimmicrats?.....it is disgusting to call him an American, not to mention a "Defense Secretary."
...completly disgusting....
at June 3, 2007 12:49 PM
Gates unfortunately is parroting the usual misguided view of the state of affairs. The quote from his speech at the ‘Shangri la Dialogue’ conference in Singapore reflects no understanding the real source of geopolitical problems.
The source of the problem is Islam, and not poverty. It is Islam that causes poverty both mentally, and economically. In Asia, Islam is holding back development in Indonesia, in the south of Thailand, in Pakistan or Bangladesh and other territories in the region.
Throwing money at the problem is not going to solve anything. Yesterday similar deluded ideas could be heard at another venue for ‘Dialogue’ in Switzerland. The annual Symposium of the University of St Gall this year was dedicated to “The Power of Natural Resources” and attended by leading captains of industry.
Saturday, June 2, the 37th St. Gall Symposium ended with “a call for more dialogue” in the closing speech delivered by Egypt’s minister for religion. Mutual respect and tolerance are a prerequisite for a decent intercultural dialogue according to Egypt’s Minister for Endowments and Religious Affairs & President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Zakzouk, who held the closing speech: Islam and the West: No Future without Co-operation.
The West needs to accept that even in modern times the Islamic World will remain faithful to its traditional cultural values, the minister from Egypt said.
It is not possible for the ‘West’ to imprint its own values on the entire world according to the closing speech held in St. Gallen by Egypt’s Minister. To combat hate and terrorism, the sources need firstly to be tackled Prof. Dr. Makzouk said, pleading for a peaceful solution of the ‘Palestine’ conflict. This is because terrorists consider themselves as being freedom fighters, according to Zakzouk.
Culture is not the source for extremism, Zarzouk explained. Christianity had brought love to the world, and Islam introduced the concept of mercifulness. But for 70 years, the main driving factor of Muslim anger is motivated by the problem of ‘Palestine’. The sources of Islam’s problem are suppression and poverty, according to Zaruok.
Lecturers to name a few, were the likes of Prof. Sadik J. Al-Azm, Professor emeritus for Modern European Philosophy Damascus University, Peter Day Business Correspondent BBC News London, Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach Vice Chairman Goldman Sachs International, Dr. Seyed Mohammad Khatami Former President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Jeroen van der Veer, Chief Executive Royal Dutch Shell plc, Dr. Tariqullah Khan, Senior Economist and Chief, Islamic Banking and Finance Division Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Jeddah, Mark C. Medish, Vice President for Studies – Russia, China, and Eurasia, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Samuel A. DiPiazza, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, PricewaterhouseCoopers, New York
On Thursday, , Dr. Seyed Mohammad Khatami Former President of the Islamic Republic of Iran opened the symposium calling for “a dialogue of cultures and a culture of dialogues”.
The speeches can be seen on video at:
http://www.stgallen-symposium.org/media/video_streams.htm
Posted by: Hugo Schmidt-Fischer at June 3, 2007 12:57 PM
Here's some creative thinking for Mr. Gates:
Produce, on our now-squandered propaganda dollar, "THE PEACEFUL KORAN", and have it printed (and on video/audio-CD) in every major Muslim tongue (and in those Western languages where Muslims have emigrated in any numbers).
We need to have our own Arabic and religious scholars rationally and humanely change the violent suras (9:5, etc.) of "The Recitation" to poetically/metaphorically harmless ones.
Our translators can exploit the linguistic latitude which Arabic permits, and get the Koran to say harmless and compassionate things ...in place of its calls to terrorize, behead, stone, deceive and dominate.
Make it a Sermon on the Mount-styled revision.
And distribute it free in every Islamic land.
Then let them argue about it.
It might defuse some lunatics, and confound others.
What have we got to lose?
Enough with building madrassas.
You have to re-build the minds, not simply give shelter to their unchallenged fanaticisms.
Posted by: profitsbeard at June 3, 2007 2:20 PM
Secretary of Defense? Heading up our--whatever you want to call it--in Iraq? Not much solace there. Doesn't quite get it, does he?
And this guy headed up the CIA. Do you wonder why things are going as they are?
And presiding over it all is--well, you know who. And waiting to take that one's place in '08 are--
A power-hungry woman
A smooth orator, likening himself to Abraham Lincoln
etc.
On one side.
Hope lies in the Republican nominee
for now
until we know who that will be.
As for the present Administration?
Forgeddabout it.
Posted by: unicorns62000 at June 4, 2007 6:27 AM
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