Is that why the USA was in Somalia? To occupy and take control of Somalia? Really?
This, of course, ignores things like the United States saving Muslims in Albania from Serbia. Now, the Albanians are slaying Serbians and no one reports or cares to stop it.
Is backing way, talking to, and pretending that being, nice, ignoring, or showing weakness will work?
Should the world abandon every Jewish person in Israel? What about non-Muslims in the Middle East, and Africa and Asia?
If you sat down with bin Laden, what would you say to convince him to change his course of action?
I cannot think of too many major conflicts where appeasement was a successful longterm tactic. And unfortunately, confrontation is never onesided, even the winning side takes hits. The terrible thing is that conflict brings a loss of life, on both sides. This time however, one side deliberately targets the innocent.
Although I do not agree with everything that President Bush has done, bringing freedom to countries in the middle east region is a step to break the cycle of teaching hatred. One thing it appears that the terrorists are doing is fighting their hardest in Iraq to break the will of the American public. They cannot defeat the American military, but if they can work to wear down the resolve of the Americans, make them retreat before the job is done...they will have won again, and move on to their next objective.
Part of the problem is that many Iraqi citizens who would otherwise assist the USA and allies in rooting out the terrorists and freeing their country, are unwilling to do it...to stick their necks out because of all the calls for pulling out, and that the United States is in the wrong. If they assist and the USA and allies cut and run, they are dead, or worse. The vast majority want freedom to vote and set their own destiny. A small, determined minority hopes to thwart them.
R-Tech