Wes Clark: Al-Qaeda has changed; Bush strategy also needs to shift

[FrenchieCat]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-07-10-london-clark_x.htm

Al-Qaeda has changed; Bush strategy also needs to shift
By Wesley K. Clark

Snip
Preventing attacks probably can't be accomplished by the administration's preference for taking out "state sponsors." And it's going to be very difficult to employ military means. National intelligence efforts, special police activities and local community policing efforts, which focus on identifying and targeting terrorist individuals and organizations, are required.

Defeat the ideology

But fighting terrorism at home isn't just a matter of "killing terrorists." Terrorists aren't born that way. They are created by their interaction with their surroundings. To win this war, we must defeat the ideology of terrorism, depriving angry young people of their ability to justify their hateful actions in the name of Allah.
Snip
In addition, the London attacks remind us how much more devastating even decentralized terrorist strikes could be were they to have employed biological, chemical or radiological weapons. The most profound threat we face is a nuclear weapon in the hands of terrorists. And yet, despite the president's call to "prevent the worst people from getting the worst weapons," efforts to halt the proliferation of weapons have received short shrift. The latest example has been the administration's failure at the recent review conference to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The United States should also intensify efforts to end the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs, and bring increased resourcing to the control of Russian fissile materials. In addition, we should be working to develop and implement a verifiable biological weapons treaty and strengthen the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Snip
The United States will win the war on terror when we bring to bear all the elements of our power — not just our military might, civilian workforce and diplomatic skills, but also the power to persuade our allies in general and those in the Muslim community specifically to engage the culture of hate and terror and change it to reflect the best in all of us.

[maquisard]

1. The man obviously doesn't comprehend the nuances of Repuke strategy

It's all about staying the course, just keep bashing everything with a hammer until nothing's left moving. Stands to reason that somewhere in the charred smoking ruins afterwards, the evildoers must have gotten clobbered along with everyone else - it's foolproof!

[Totally Committed]

3. Welcome to DU, maquisard!

Nice to have you with us.

TC

[FrenchieCat]

5. Sarcastically speaking.....

I personally don't understand the "nuance" of the Repuke Strategy either, cause there ain't none....is there?

Or is the Repug strategy like?....if your house has termites, just wired it up real good and push the button to demolish it with explosives. That does sound like a Repug's prescription, doesn't it?

[maquisard]

6. Ah, but you have the satisfaction of knowing...

... you didn't yield an inch to those termites, but rather blasted the evildoers to atoms, along with your house, the surrounding town, about a 150,000 innocent bystanders who happened to get caught in the blast wave, and so on... now that's a gun-totin' 'murican's true-blue, god-fearin' solution to a problem! Yee ha!

[Totally Committed]

2. A very intelligent roadmap

that the entire Democratic Party should be adopting as their own.

Very intelligent, and well-thought-out (as always), Wes Clark proves to be the the foremost Foreign Policy/National Defense voice in the Democratic Party.

If Bush were even 1/10 this Presidential, the US would not be in Iraq at all right now. WTG, Wes!

Another great article.

TC

[GainesT1958]

4. As usual, the General is insightful, in-depth, and in touch...

Above all, we need WISDOM in the White House in the next go-round! (Along with a generous dose of verve, of course!) :eyes:

You know, many parts of the world are in as much need of a "Clark Plan" as Europe and Japan were the Marshall Plan after World War II. One way or another--whether at the very top, or as Secretary of State--here's hoping a "Clark Plan" will be the AMERICAN plan starting in 2009!:D

B-)

[FrenchieCat]

7. Yes....this is some excellent and very timely advise

for the Bush admin....which of course will ignore it all!

That's why the War on Terror will be with us forever....cause the GOP have absolutely not a clue!

[Texifornia]

8. Wes Clark is a Democrat ...

...who has a plan and a strategy for success, and he's not afraid to put it out there for scrutiny.

Republican hacks can put that in their pipes and smoke it 'till they choke!