My mates in England think the Al Qaeda problem can and should be tackled the same way the IRA problem was (apparently) tackled: by negotiation. I have no idea why they think that will work (not to mention what they think can be negotiated). Perhaps they're just trying to avoid the miserable alternative of "blood, toil, tears, and sweat."
One other thing, part of the 'edge' between the Brits and Yanks regarding the War on Terror comes from their still-simmering anger at Americans for sending funds to the IRA. That's what changed with 9/11, they say, and what finally enabled them to end their War on Terror.
8 comments:
What is it we should offer al Qaeda? Manhatten?
BTW hasn't trying to appease radical Islamists landed the Brits in a dicey situation within their own country, if we are to believe the recent documentaries on radical mosques?
that documentary is what started the discussion. not enough of a wake up call it seems.
maybe we should beat them to the punch and offer AlQ England?
Or put al Qaeda in the same room with the IRA and "negotiate" with the winner.
The situation is so dicey that even if the government over there wanted to inform their citizens of the differences between al Qaeda and the IRA they couldn't.
It's up to the British citizens to figure it out for themselves.
This is frightening.
It's a perfect storm, syl.
our leaders need to figure out how to force the issue, domestically. what it looked like the Pope was trying to do there for a bit.
If the Brits are pissed about funds to the IRA they need to take it out on Ted Kennedy not George Bush.
BTW, if anyone ever bothered to do a poll in the USA on what they think of the IRA, the Brits might be surprised at how few people think they are anything but murderers.
And let us not forget that whole root cause thingee. If the Brits would just stop occupying Ireland and stop meddling in its affairs, etc.
In truth I have never met or known or talked to come into contact with an American who supported the IRA. There might well be some folks from Ireland who came over here to make money who sent some support back to the old country, but the government of the United States and the people of the United States never supported the IRA.
As for negotiating with AlQaida. Well I think the Brits will have even less success negotiating with AlQaida than they did negotiating with the IRA. After all the likes of AlQaida have made their terms known, submit or die. You might as well try to negotiate with a spree killer holding a gun to your head. He don't care.
i agree on their chances (slim to none) but there's no question plenty of cash flowed from places like Boston and NYC to the provos
exdem:
That was what my reference to Kennedy was about. People like me living in places like rural Indiana were pretty much oblivious.
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