Comments on: Mixed Signals in Obama’s Approach to Radical Islam http://blog.kirkpetersen.net/2009/01/mixed-signals-in-obamas-approach-to-radical-islam.html ... for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:52:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Michael http://blog.kirkpetersen.net/2009/01/mixed-signals-in-obamas-approach-to-radical-islam.html/comment-page-1#comment-315 Michael Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:28:00 +0000 http://blog.kirkpetersen.net/2009/01/mixed-signals-in-obamas-approach-to-radical-islam.html#comment-315 Kirk,<br/><br/>Thank you for the post, but in all deference to Dr. Ajami, and much less so to the WSJ, the "Muslim world" is not one country nor even the Middle East. 30 years ago, yes, Iran took hostages and yes, the Ayatollah came to power BUT the reason why the students stormed the American Embassy in 1979 was because in 1953 Muhammad Mossadeq tried to nationalize Iran's oil fields and was toppled by a CIA-backed coup d'etat at the behest of American oil companies. And the Libyan attack on Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, was - again - a single incident ordered by a lunatic who (if memory serves) had long given President Reagan fits (resulting in the bombing of Libya in 1986). During both the Iranian Revolution and the Lockerbie incidents (and the 9/11 attacks) were roundly criticized by Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the rest of the "Muslim world." In fact, on September 12th, Iranian president Mohammad Khateimi held a national day of mourning and used the Iranian army to seal to border with Afghanistan prior to the invasion of Afghanistan. The Bush administration even used the Iranian intelligence agency to communicate with dissident groups in Afghanistan prior to the invasion. It may also be worthy to note that Bush supported Pervez Musharraf who was a dictator who came to power in a coup (and tried to jail dissidents, judges and lawyers who wanted him to give up power), Bush also refused to recognize the duly (and democratically) elected representatives of Palestine (Hamas)[Democracy applies toward governments we don't like as much as it does to those we do], as well as called Iran a part of the "Axis of Evil" after which Khateimi and the centrist Majma-e Rowhaniyun-e Mobarez were swept out of power and replaced with Ahmedinijad and the E'telaf-e Abadgaran-e Iran-e Eslami in the 2005 elections. Additionally, the images of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo bay (as well as extraordinary rendition by the CIA) have far, far outweighed the images of a disheveled Saddam Hussein being scooped out of his "spider hole." To many in the Muslim world, as well as the "rest" of the world, the evil deeds the Bush administration authorized and indulged in left a much more indelible image than the "rightness" of the Iraq war. Kirk,

Thank you for the post, but in all deference to Dr. Ajami, and much less so to the WSJ, the “Muslim world” is not one country nor even the Middle East. 30 years ago, yes, Iran took hostages and yes, the Ayatollah came to power BUT the reason why the students stormed the American Embassy in 1979 was because in 1953 Muhammad Mossadeq tried to nationalize Iran’s oil fields and was toppled by a CIA-backed coup d’etat at the behest of American oil companies. And the Libyan attack on Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, was – again – a single incident ordered by a lunatic who (if memory serves) had long given President Reagan fits (resulting in the bombing of Libya in 1986). During both the Iranian Revolution and the Lockerbie incidents (and the 9/11 attacks) were roundly criticized by Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the rest of the “Muslim world.” In fact, on September 12th, Iranian president Mohammad Khateimi held a national day of mourning and used the Iranian army to seal to border with Afghanistan prior to the invasion of Afghanistan. The Bush administration even used the Iranian intelligence agency to communicate with dissident groups in Afghanistan prior to the invasion. It may also be worthy to note that Bush supported Pervez Musharraf who was a dictator who came to power in a coup (and tried to jail dissidents, judges and lawyers who wanted him to give up power), Bush also refused to recognize the duly (and democratically) elected representatives of Palestine (Hamas)[Democracy applies toward governments we don't like as much as it does to those we do], as well as called Iran a part of the “Axis of Evil” after which Khateimi and the centrist Majma-e Rowhaniyun-e Mobarez were swept out of power and replaced with Ahmedinijad and the E’telaf-e Abadgaran-e Iran-e Eslami in the 2005 elections. Additionally, the images of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo bay (as well as extraordinary rendition by the CIA) have far, far outweighed the images of a disheveled Saddam Hussein being scooped out of his “spider hole.” To many in the Muslim world, as well as the “rest” of the world, the evil deeds the Bush administration authorized and indulged in left a much more indelible image than the “rightness” of the Iraq war.

]]> By: Kirk Petersen http://blog.kirkpetersen.net/2009/01/mixed-signals-in-obamas-approach-to-radical-islam.html/comment-page-1#comment-304 Kirk Petersen Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:05:00 +0000 http://blog.kirkpetersen.net/2009/01/mixed-signals-in-obamas-approach-to-radical-islam.html#comment-304 Hawg, I don't think we'll ever eliminate the need for oil with existing alternate technologies -- we need some sort of scientific breakthrough that radically changes the game.<br/><br/>Paul, I'm grateful, as I know you are, for the quality of the people who serve our country in the military. Hawg, I don’t think we’ll ever eliminate the need for oil with existing alternate technologies — we need some sort of scientific breakthrough that radically changes the game.

Paul, I’m grateful, as I know you are, for the quality of the people who serve our country in the military.

]]> By: PaulsHealthblog.com http://blog.kirkpetersen.net/2009/01/mixed-signals-in-obamas-approach-to-radical-islam.html/comment-page-1#comment-302 PaulsHealthblog.com Thu, 29 Jan 2009 06:39:00 +0000 http://blog.kirkpetersen.net/2009/01/mixed-signals-in-obamas-approach-to-radical-islam.html#comment-302 I watched the presidential inauguration as well as the coverage of the inaugural balls after wards.<br/><br/>During the Military Ball, a handful of our military men and women were asked what one thing would they like to say to their new Commander in Chief.<br/><br/>They replied in unison, "Let us finish the job." I watched the presidential inauguration as well as the coverage of the inaugural balls after wards.

During the Military Ball, a handful of our military men and women were asked what one thing would they like to say to their new Commander in Chief.

They replied in unison, “Let us finish the job.”

]]> By: The Hawg! http://blog.kirkpetersen.net/2009/01/mixed-signals-in-obamas-approach-to-radical-islam.html/comment-page-1#comment-301 The Hawg! Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:50:00 +0000 http://blog.kirkpetersen.net/2009/01/mixed-signals-in-obamas-approach-to-radical-islam.html#comment-301 Good points throughout. I'd love to see both continued pressure on those rascals as well as attempts to ruin them economically by eliminating our need for oil from the Middle East (we would do well to tell a little fellow in Velenzuela to go to hell, too).<br/><br/>Explore domestic sources for oil, develop alternatives -- anything to keep our cash from going to the Middle East. Good points throughout. I’d love to see both continued pressure on those rascals as well as attempts to ruin them economically by eliminating our need for oil from the Middle East (we would do well to tell a little fellow in Velenzuela to go to hell, too).

Explore domestic sources for oil, develop alternatives — anything to keep our cash from going to the Middle East.

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