Some rays of light in the LA Times (Yahoo version here):
"Losing Faith in the Intifada
RAMALLAH, West Bank — When Abu Fahdi joined a Palestinian militant group and took up arms against Israel, he thought he was serving his people. Now he believes he did them only harm.
"We achieved nothing in all this time, and we lost so much," said the baby-faced 29-year-old, who, because of his status as a fugitive, insisted on being identified by a nickname meaning "father of Fahdi." "People hate us for that and wish we were dead."
...Among Palestinians from all walks of life, there is a quiet but growing sentiment that their intifada, or uprising — which broke out four years ago today — has largely failed as an armed struggle, and lost its character as a popular resistance movement.
And more optimism, from France this time, by way of the WaPo's David Ignatius:
Are the Terrorists Failing?
...For all the mayhem the jihadists have caused, [distinguished French Arabist named Gilles Kepel] contends, their movement is failing.
Rather than waging a successful jihad against the West, the followers of Osama bin Laden have created chaos and destruction in the house of Islam. This internal crisis is known in Arabic as fitna: "It has an opposite and negative connotation from jihad," explains Kepel. "It signifies sedition, war in the heart of Islam, a centrifugal force that threatens the faithful with community fragmentation, disintegration and ruin."
Rather than waging a successful jihad against the West, the followers of Osama bin Laden have created chaos and destruction in the house of Islam.
Aaah, I get it. This has been the Bushies' brilliant plan all along. To make AlQaeda so popular among the Muslims that it would destroy 'the house of Islam' from the inside. Clever, very clever. I was a doubter, but I am a doubter no longer. I can see the light. I think.
Posted by: abb1 | September 28, 2004 at 04:47 PM
Yes, this is how we win, both in Iraq specifically and in the larger war on Islamic terrorism. By constantly pushing back, constantly pursuing offensive operations, constantly checking them whenever and wherever, by refusing to surrender, refusing to quit, refusing to let up, we take away their chances for victory. More importantly, as we raise the cost of their actions on them, their allies and local (i.e., moderate Muslims and similarly situated “by-standers”) fence-sitters, we take away their hope, and we leave them two options: surrender or die. That's how we win.
So, in light of this, why would anyone think Kerry would pursue this strategy? It requires us to be single-minded, constant, aggressive, assertive, resolute and, dare I say so, unilateral and preemptive. Kerry possesses none of those qualities or subscribes to those policies. Electing Kerry means adopting the failed strategies of the Clinton years and the Oslo Agreements. A recipe for failure, a dead-end in which only more dead Americans will be found.
Posted by: Tim | September 28, 2004 at 04:57 PM
Yep, abb1 has no plan but to vote for the guy whose plan is to enlist allies who've just announced that no matter what, even if Kerry is elected, there is no way they're sending troops to Iraq. Voting for the appeasement candidate is no answer, but that won't stop abb1 from throwing stones...
Posted by: Tim | September 28, 2004 at 05:06 PM
But Tim, you didn't base your post mainly upon snarkiness or use the cutesy term 'Bushies'. abb1 wins.
Posted by: MoDo | September 28, 2004 at 07:04 PM
abb1, zarqawi's sock puppet speaks again.
So abb1, do you have all the terrorist and serial killer trading cards yet. You know all that gum is bad for the indigestion.
I've given up trying to debate him and just prefer just to bait him. All you get out of abb1 is garbage anyway. Capital T troll, he is.
Posted by: capt joe | September 28, 2004 at 11:58 PM
That's how we win.
There are no moderates anymore. In places like Pakistan, Jordan and Syria Usama bin Laden now enjoys popularity rating of over 60%. Bush - 1%. Get real, man.
Posted by: abb1 | September 29, 2004 at 02:17 AM
And who got the other 39% abb1? Satan?
Posted by: RMcLeod | September 29, 2004 at 04:08 AM
At last abb has made his preference clear--voting for bin Laden is the choice. Congrats. (Not that it was in doubt.)
Posted by: Forbes | September 29, 2004 at 03:38 PM