Stop terrorist attacks? Stop our gov't & allies using terrorists as a tool of foreign policy

[yurbud]

None of these groups could do anything without money and weapons, and nearly all of them at one point (or even still) were supported by us or our Gulf allies like Saudi Arabia as a way to undermine secular governments like those in Libya and Syria.

Whatever you think of the leaders of those countries, it had been a while since Libya did any terrorist attacks we blamed them for, and I can't remember Syria ever doing any.

In fact, Syria fought on our side in the first Gulf War, and after 9/11, Bush sent prisoners to Syria to be tortured and interrogated, which is not something I approve of, but if Washington ain't going to prosecute the Bushies for it, they have to acknowledge it as cooperation at least.

Some of Hillary's leaked emails revealed the real reasons we turned loose the terrorists on Libya, and none of it was worth the blowblack like we just saw in Belgium and will likely see elsewhere.

To "win" the war on terror, we and our allies need to stop using terrorists groups as a weapon and then acting surprised when they don't stay on task.

[villager]

1. But it's not "blowback" for them if the "bonus" is the willing relinquishing of civil liberties

They doubtless view it as a "win/win," in that case.

[yurbud]

3. I agree. I left that out because

cognitive dissonance might kick in and people who otherwise agree with the post might dismiss it.

A lot of people still can't believe their own government and those of our European allies would allow (or even hope for and induce) harm on their own people.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

2. K&R YOU GOT THAT RIGHT...

To "win" the war on terror, we and our allies need to stop using terrorists groups as a weapon and then acting surprised when they don't stay on task.

[yurbud]

4. HOPEFULLY it's a matter of them not staying on task rather than...

being given an extra task.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

5. K&R and here is your 5th rec to the greatest page

the same "terrorist" groups could be supported by China...

[MisterP]

6. stop funding them because some vainglorious SoS wants to "make a mark" on dictators or "look tough"

against a party of rabid inbred maniacs

[yurbud]

7. I think it's bigger than that. Pols and SoS's are not leaders, they are servants

just not ours.

I happened to read the Daniel Yergin's THE PRIZE, a Pulitzer Prize winning history of oil, shortly before 9/11.

The one take away from that book is when oil companies and equally large businesses call presidents, senators, and secretaries of state, they don't ask for favors, they give orders.

Most of the time, the difference between the two parties is how they follow those orders rather than whether.