Israel Think Tank Determines War In Iraq Does Nothing For War on Terror

Chris_Sanders · October 11th, 2004, 06:51 PM

I said this at the start of the war in Iraq...

Quote:

Think Tank: Iraq War Distracted U.S.

Mon Oct 11, 2:10 PM ET Middle East - AP

By MARK LAVIE, Associated Press Writer

TEL AVIV, Israel - The war in Iraq (news - web sites) did not damage international terror groups, but instead distracted the United States from confronting other hotbeds of Islamic militancy and actually "created momentum" for many terrorists, a top Israeli security think tank said in a report released Monday.

President Bush (news - web sites) has called the war in Iraq an integral part of the war on terrorism, saying that deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) hoped to develop unconventional weapons and could have given them to Islamic militants across the world.

But the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University said that instead of striking a blow against Islamic extremists, the Iraq war "has created momentum for many terrorist elements, but chiefly al-Qaida and its affiliates."

Jaffee Center director Shai Feldman said the vast amount of money and effort the United States has poured into Iraq has deflected attention and assets from other centers of terrorism, such as Afghanistan (news - web sites).

The concentration of U.S. intelligence assets in Iraq "has to be at the expense of being able to follow strategic dangers in other parts of the world," he said.

Shlomo Brom, a retired Israeli army general, said the U.S.-led effort was strategically misdirected. If the goal in the war against terrorism is "not just to kill the mosquitos but to dry the swamp," he said, "now it's quite clear" that Iraq "is not the swamp."

Instead, he said, the Iraq campaign is having the opposite effect, drawing Islamic extremists from other parts of the world to join the battle.

"On a strategic level as well as an operational level," Brom concluded, "the war in Iraq is hurting the war on international terrorism."

In other findings, Jaffee Center experts disagreed with the Israeli government's statements that its four-year struggle against Palestinian militants is part of the world fight against Islamic terrorism.

Yoram Schweitzer, who wrote the chapter about the Iraq war, said the local conflict is a "national struggle," while international Islamic militant groups like al-Qaida target not only Israel but also the entire Western world.

After interviewing Palestinian militants, including some in prison, Schweitzer said they do not consider themselves part of the al-Qaida campaign. "Many of them are critical of Al-Qaida and its methods," he told a news conference.

The Jaffee report found that Israel has succeeded in reducing Palestinian violence against Israelis.

Feldman said the motivation of Palestinian militants to attack the country remained unchanged, but praised the work of military intelligence in preventing many attacks.

"The only reason these (anti-terror) operations succeed is that we have better intelligence," he said.

Feldman said the weekend attacks in the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula aimed at places where Israelis gather did not figure in to the assessment. Thirteen Israelis were among at least 34 people killed in two car bomb attacks Thursday.

"We regard the attacks in the Sinai in a different category," he said, likening it to an attack at a hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, last year that killed 10, including three Israelis.

The report includes statistical breakdowns of the military forces and their capabilities in the Middle East, as well as analyses of regional issues.

40yearfan · October 11th, 2004, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Instead, he said, the Iraq campaign is having the opposite effect, drawing Islamic extremists from other parts of the world to join the battle.

This is what I consider to be one of the best parts of the war. We're getting them to congregate in one place. It's a lot easier to kill them that way and as long as they are there, they're not here trying to blow stuff up.

AzCards21 · October 11th, 2004, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 40yearfan

This is what I consider to be one of the best parts of the war. We're getting them to congregate in one place. It's a lot easier to kill them that way and as long as they are there, they're not here trying to blow stuff up.

Pretty much my thoughts. Why not draw them in instead of chasing them world wide?

Chris_Sanders · October 11th, 2004, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AzCards21

Pretty much my thoughts. Why not draw them in instead of chasing them world wide?

The Iraq war is basically one giant terrorist recruitment campaign.

Buseinspectrum · October 11th, 2004, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 40yearfan

This is what I consider to be one of the best parts of the war. We're getting them to congregate in one place. It's a lot easier to kill them that way and as long as they are there, they're not here trying to blow stuff up.

Sure, we are drawing some in, but that's a drop in the bucket. How many millions of Muslims are watching their brothers and sisters get tortured, maimed and killed on TV? Not just the terrorists, but the civilians, women and children, we read about in every story about an airstrike.... They may not show that on TV here in the US, but in the arab world. You better believe that the anti-US elements are having no trouble recruiting jihad fighters who believe that they are in the right. This War is the most foolish foreign endeavor that our Country has ever involved itself in.

Dback Jon · October 12th, 2004, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 40yearfan

This is what I consider to be one of the best parts of the war. We're getting them to congregate in one place. It's a lot easier to kill them that way and as long as they are there, they're not here trying to blow stuff up.

Problem:
1) We are creating more terrorists - tens of thousands more than before.
Wouldn't it have been better to have have CREATED the terrorists in the first place?

2) We don't have the resources to hunt down and kill em all. They are intermixed with the civilian populations.

3) They are learning how to strike the US - they won't stay in Iraq forever.

CaptTurbo · October 12th, 2004, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_Sanders

The Iraq war is basically one giant terrorist recruitment campaign.

Good get all the people that would consider joining in Iraq so we can kill them now. You know how much it costs to move an army?

Plant it in one spot and let them come to us.

SUTTILL · October 12th, 2004, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swd1974

Good get all the people that would consider joining in Iraq so we can kill them now. You know how much it costs to move an army?

Plant it in one spot and let them come to us.

Newsflash: The Arab/muslim world extends beyond Iraq; Not all terrorists will flock to Iraq; Many future terrorists are in the other arab countries watching us kill their people, including the innocent women and children.

CaptTurbo · October 12th, 2004, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SUTTILL

Newsflash: The Arab/muslim world extends beyond Iraq; Not all terrorists will flock to Iraq; Many future terrorists are in the other arab countries watching us kill their people, including the innocent women and children.

ummm duh. Not all but the majority for sure. And please we are not killing the innocent women and children in a concentrated effort. We have the best weopons possible to keep that to an absolute minimum. We should be but we are not...at least on the scale your implying.

chickenhead · October 12th, 2004, 10:36 AM

I don't see how we are keeping the war on terror in Iraq. Bin Laden is not in Iraq; al-Zawahari is not in Iraq; Sheikh Mohammed was not captured in Iraq. Al-Qaeda's attacks involve long-term plans spanning years--why should we assume they have aborted all operations to focus on Iraq, when the war is only 18 months old? Almost 3000 died because of 9/11, and now we have lost an additional third comprised of US soldiers largely fighting al-Zarqawi and al-Sadr, two individuals whose reputations we have essentially made during this conflict.

SUTTILL · October 12th, 2004, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swd1974

ummm duh. Not all but the majority for sure. And please we are not killing the innocent women and children in a concentrated effort. We have the best weopons possible to keep that to an absolute minimum. We should be but we are not...at least on the scale your implying.

So in the eyes of the Arab world, what do you think is an appropriate level of killing or maiming innocent Iraqui women and children?

CaptTurbo · October 12th, 2004, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SUTTILL

So in the eyes of the Arab world, what do you think is an appropriate level of killing or maiming innocent Iraqui women and children?

Could care less what theirs is. Whats important is what our should be. 10 million for every one of us sounds about right?

In your way of thinking Sutill you must wet yourself everytime you see a japanesse or german person. I mean they should want our blood alot more than the arabs.

Difference? Those cultures have education and contribute to the world.

40yearfan · October 12th, 2004, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dback Jon

Problem:
1) We are creating more terrorists - tens of thousands more than before.
Wouldn't it have been better to have have CREATED the terrorists in the first place?

2) We don't have the resources to hunt down and kill em all. They are intermixed with the civilian populations.

3) They are learning how to strike the US - they won't stay in Iraq forever.

Dback, I disagree. I think that by showing these people we are not afraid to take the fight to them, a lot of them are rethinking their positions. They might hate us, but they are also scared to death of our fire power and well trained army. How many of them do you think want us in their country? With GW in there, they know they will be next on the list if they screw with us. Sometimes a big stick is much more effective than a kind word, especially when dealing with this kind of fanatic.

chickenhead · October 12th, 2004, 01:37 PM

The jihadists are not scared to death of our superior army - they relish the chance to engage it, and hopefully the glory of taking our lives with theirs. Foreign governments have shown they at times they will capitulate to our demands, but that's a totally different situation.

Again, though, I ask, how does this defend us from Bin Laden and the senior al Qaeda leadership? Are they unable to attack because every able bodied jihadist is in Iraq? Of course not. Last time, all it took was 19.

slinslin · October 12th, 2004, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swd1974

Good get all the people that would consider joining in Iraq so we can kill them now. You know how much it costs to move an army?

Plant it in one spot and let them come to us.

Umm I believe what Chris is trying to say is that just killing terrorists can't be the answer because every death or the war in general plants new seeds of hate and there will be "new" terrorists.