If you look at the history of these terrorists/militants, they always seem willing to negotiate right at the same time as they are facing a strategic loss. See Tora Bora as one example.
Posted by OxyCon at February 29, 2008 12:44 PMTo convince militants to quit the insurgency and to weaken the popular support that allows al Qaida to maintain a sanctuary in the region, the party pledges to build clinics, schools, roads and other infrastructure for the area's 3 million desperately poor people.
Of course, the poor fools who welcomed Rumsfeld's Folly at the beginning of the debacle, the Afghani farmers, peasants and tradesmen, who who were exhausted by war, poverty and crime, expected the Bushies would do just that: build schools, roads, infrastructure and stable markets. They didn't know GW very well. Not only would it have cost precious war profits, it makes sense! Even worse, it would have worked!
Instead, they got NEW warlords, nada in the way of infrastructure and, to add insult to injuries, when they tried to grow food, they couldn't get it to market. When they turned, in desperation to poppies, they got raided and Agent Orange sprayed on their fields. We BushAmericans sure do know how to win enemies and influence friends.
Oxycontin, you may someday be surprised to learn that they just might be willing to negotiate even more often if we weren't always trying to kill them.
Posted by DeminNewJ at February 29, 2008 01:11 PM"if we weren't always trying to kill them." The Bush approach to this whole situation is much like the way our government treated Native Americans in the post Civil War era. Lie to them and then kill them when they found out. Promise them help and then feed them dirt. Take their land for our wealth, and stick them in prisons (aka reservations). No wonder they fight back.
Posted by T2 at February 29, 2008 01:35 PMcould it be that part of the chimp and his criminal cohort's plan IS to take the country back a century? Kill all the injun's, take their land(or oil) and let big business control our entire government. Again: the chimp and his buddies have managed to FUCK UP every single thing they have touched....
Posted by headxray at February 29, 2008 01:45 PM"If you look at the history of these terrorists/militants, they always seem willing to negotiate right at the same time as they are facing a strategic loss."
Isn't that generally pretty much true of most human beings?
Posted by Shirin at February 29, 2008 04:58 PM"If you look at the history of these terrorists/militants, they always seem willing to negotiate right at the same time as they are facing a strategic loss. See Tora Bora as one example."
Tora Bora? You mean where Dear Leader let Osama escape. And hasn't that decision been a boon for Bush, allowing him to use the boogeyman in order to seize more and more power.
Posted by gay veteran at March 1, 2008 02:43 PM