Another 9/11- opportunity missed?

[manker]

I think an attack on the UK would have the opposite effect. I do not think it would encourage us to removing troops, quite the reverse. I think the popular feeling would be that of revenge, find the guilty and their associates and make them pay for this.

It would also make it more personal, more "our fight" and would prolong UK involvement in any ongoing action. I think that the main terrorist organizations realize this, however that does not necessarily mean that they will not attack here.

That is the thing that I'm afraid of.

However, I don't believe it would be the case as the IRA threat was not quelled by troops, thoughts of revenge and gung-ho action. It was mainly done through talks, deals and patience.

I would hope that our experience of that would mean that the UK would not go down the route that the US has taken but would be rather more cerebal about matters and try to act upon the cause of any bombings (foreign policy) instead of trying to root out and kill every terrorist in the world, because that can never happen.

The emotion of revenge is a strong one, granted, but as a country I don't think we have the same mentality as that in the US. We don't think that we can take on the world and win, there is also the case of being a 'junior partner' to the US in anything military, which rankles with many.

All in all I have enough faith in our society to believe popular opinion would be to address the political cause rather than to attempt an exercise in futility - which more military action would surely be.

[bigboab]

All in all I have enough faith in our society to believe popular opinion would be to address the political cause rather than to attempt an exercise in futility - which more military action would surely be.

Popular opinion did not stop us going to war in Iraq, did it?

[manker]

Popular opinion did not stop us going to war in Iraq, did it?

No. More's the pity.

That's not to say it doesn't matter tho'

Even Blair wouldn't ignore it again, particularly if we'd lost lives on home soil ... would he

[Biggles]

No. More's the pity.

That's not to say it doesn't matter tho'

Even Blair wouldn't ignore it again, particularly if we'd lost lives on home soil ... would he

Who knows? He appears to pay little heed to the UK public.

He does, however, correctly identify the Palestinian problem as the cornerstone of any lasting peace. It is encouraging that this is once again to the forefront - what is now needed is some indication that there is substance behind Bush's talk of healing and peace. I am at this point unconvinced but would be delighted to be proved wrong.

[vidcc]

Manker
i didn't really put everything in my original post, but my thinking was put more or less showing the difference i see in the UK and USA by Fugley, i feel that the british would take a harder resolve if attacked, but they wouldn't have the reaction of the USA. I believe a lot more could have been achieved sooner in NI without the bombs.
Probably the biggest difference i note is the reaction. The USA as i said is new to attacks at home and even though it's the right thing to do they were like new parents with their first born, going around boiling or disinfecting everything the baby goes near. By the 4th child sanitation consists of wiping with shirt tails. (thanks baccyman for the example) the 4th child grows up just the same in fact possibly more immune to germs.
we will get there

[manker]

Manker
i didn't really put everything in my original post, but my thinking was put more or less showing the difference i see in the UK and USA by Fugley, i feel that the british would take a harder resolve if attacked, but they wouldn't have the reaction of the USA. I believe a lot more could have been achieved sooner in NI without the bombs.
Probably the biggest difference i note is the reaction. The USA as i said is new to attacks at home and even though it's the right thing to do they were like new parents with their first born, going around boiling or disinfecting everything the baby goes near. By the 4th child sanitation consists of wiping with shirt tails. (thanks baccyman for the example) the 4th child grows up just the same in fact possibly more immune to germs.
we will get there

That's a great analogy.

I do like it and share your opinion, I also think that an attack at home would strengthen our resolve but maybe not in the same way as you and others.

It would strengthen our resolve to get our foreign policy right. It would strengthen our resolve not to get involved in overseas conflicts that could have a heavy implication to our national security because it impinges on the rights of the inhabitants of the countries that we have ridden roughshod over.

Of course the above is my opinion, you can probably substitute the 'woulds' with 'shoulds'.

I would be worried that it isn't shared by the Government but I do believe it would be shared by most people.

I do see the point of view that the converse could be true. The revenge element. I also think that if an attack coincided with an election that the country as a whole would get swept up in rhetoric and that pledges would be made to further align ourselves with the foreign poicy favoured by Bush.

I just hope that we never get the chance to find out for sure ...

[vidcc]

Mank

you are correct with one huge point you raise.....NI was home politics....iraq isnt...that's the wild card

[hobbes]

Or nothing was planned for the election by the terrorists.

I have to be realistic and say that no matter what we do we can never secure ourselves totally from an attack and the likelyhood of another attack is determined upon our foriegn policy far more than our homeland security.

Vidcc,

I imagine you would be a terrible terrorist.

9/11 was a very symbolic attack on America. It essentially said, "You're not all that".

To pull off a terrorist plot right before the re-election of the very man who declared "War on Terror" would be the penultimate statement that Bush can't touch them.

"War on Terror, my ass, I just bombed your election!"

They missed the Mother of all Symbolic Attacks opportunity.

[vidcc]

Vidcc,

I imagine you would be a terrible terrorist.

9/11 was a very symbolic attack on America. It essentially said, "You're not all that".

To pull off a terrorist plot right before the re-election of the very man who declared "War on Terror" would be the penultimate statement that Bush can't touch them.

"War on Terror, my ass, I just bombed your election!"

They missed the Mother of all Symbolic Attacks opportunity.

So they missed what you think was the ideal opportunity...not really my point, which was they may not have planned anything.
But then did they really need to? after all Bush was doing their job for them. The main theory behind terrorism is to create fear...911 set it up and Bush nurtured that fear. AQ must have been watching with big smug smirks on their faces. All this fear and they didn't have to do a single thing.
The IRA figured this out a few years ago, all they had to do was make a phoney phone call warning a bomb was planted (but just approximately where) and parts of England were cordoned off as a safeguard...even though the IRA were just pranking...maximum chaos...minimum effort.
Bombs are just one weapon in a conflict..... brains are far more dangerous

[hobbes]

So they missed what you think was the ideal opportunity...not really my point, which was they may not have planned anything.
But then did they really need to? after all Bush was doing their job for them. The main theory behind terrorism is to create fear...911 set it up and Bush nurtured that fear. AQ must have been watching with big smug smirks on their faces. All this fear and they didn't have to do a single thing.
The IRA figured this out a few years ago, all they had to do was make a phoney phone call warning a bomb was planted (but just approximately where) and parts of England were cordoned off as a safeguard...even though the IRA were just pranking...maximum chaos...minimum effort.
Bombs are just one weapon in a conflict..... brains are far more dangerous

What fear? Nothing has happened since 9/11. Everyone is back to business as usual.

Basically, by not attacking Al-Queda said, "The war on Terror IS working".

I actually thought about this topic AFTER the election. I thought "Hey, the election went awefully smoothly, somebody did their job."