Sept. 17, 2007 issue - America is quietly expanding its fight against terror on the African front. Two years ago the United States set up the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership with nine countries in central and western Africa. There is no permanent presence, but the hope is to generate support and suppress radicalism by both sharing U.S. weapons and tactics with friendly regimes and winning friends through a vast humanitarian program assembled by USAID, including well building and vocational training. In places like Chad, American Special Forces train and arm police or border guards using what it calls a “holistic approach to counterterrorism.” Sgt. Chris Rourke, a U.S. Army reservist in a 12-man American Civil Affairs unit living in Dire Dawa, in eastern Ethiopia, says it comes down to this: “It’s the Peace Corps with a weapon.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20657234/site/newsweek/

Dimocrat Harry Reid denounced this move, as another “blood for oil” move.. When reminded by his aides there is no oil in South Africa, he denounced this move as another “blood for banana’s” move.

This is the kind of proactive counterterrorism I have been espousing for years.  It is again, sad, to see that news of a successful program serves only to bring more polarizing lies from rightwing about leaders of our democracy.  That’s not very patriotic.

Bobby Jindal - 10 September 2007 08:09 AM

This is the kind of proactive counterterrorism I have been espousing for years.  It is again, sad, to see that news of a successful program serves only to bring more polarizing lies from rightwing about leaders of our democracy.  That’s not very patriotic.

Not very patriotic when denounce and denegrade out troops in Iraq either booby.

fred - 10 September 2007 08:41 AM

Not very patriotic when denounce and denegrade out troops in Iraq either booby.

There is a policy difference.  Some of us believe it helps the terrorist cause for our troops to serve longterm in Iraq.  Bush and his backers believe it hurts the terrorist cause, though they are not showing results in lowered terrorism threat.  But neither of those policies have anything to do with denouncing the troops.

Bobby Jindal - 10 September 2007 08:46 AM

fred - 10 September 2007 08:41 AM

Not very patriotic when denounce and denegrade out troops in Iraq either booby.

There is a policy difference.  Some of us believe it helps the terrorist cause for our troops to serve longterm in Iraq.  Bush and his backers believe it hurts the terrorist cause, though they are not showing results in lowered terrorism threat.  But neither of those policies have anything to do with denouncing the troops.

Only in your mind.  When you denounce the mission, you denounce the troops..

fred - 10 September 2007 08:49 AM

When you denounce the mission, you denounce the troops..

Let’s say that you have reason to believe that the longer we stay, more Iraqis come to believe that attacks on US troops are justified.  If our policy is not improving the situation, why is it “supporting the troops” to order them to stay?  Isn’t it more like “putting the troops in harm’s way for no good reason”?? 

I have been assigned to overseas bases where we were wanted and had good relations, and where we were not wanted and had to avoid going off base in uniform.  If the mission is important enough, we know we have to put up with that; it’s the job.  But if the mission is not successful, how long does anyone want to keep risking our lives in order to let the leaders engage in a pissing contest calling each other “impotent” and stuff??

===================

About 70% of Iraqis believe security has deteriorated in the area covered by the US military “surge” of the past six months, an opinion poll suggests.

The survey by the BBC, ABC News and NHK of more than 2,000 people across Iraq also suggests that nearly 60% see attacks on US-led forces as justified.

This rises to 93% among Sunni Muslims compared to 50% for Shia.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6983841.stm

fred - 10 September 2007 08:49 AM

Bobby Jindal - 10 September 2007 08:46 AM

fred - 10 September 2007 08:41 AM

Not very patriotic when denounce and denegrade out troops in Iraq either booby.

There is a policy difference.  Some of us believe it helps the terrorist cause for our troops to serve longterm in Iraq.  Bush and his backers believe it hurts the terrorist cause, though they are not showing results in lowered terrorism threat.  But neither of those policies have anything to do with denouncing the troops.

Only in your mind.  When you denounce the mission, you denounce the troops..

Only an authoritarian would think like you do.

Leon Trotsky - 10 September 2007 09:33 AM

fred - 10 September 2007 08:49 AM

Bobby Jindal - 10 September 2007 08:46 AM

fred - 10 September 2007 08:41 AM

Not very patriotic when denounce and denegrade out troops in Iraq either booby.

There is a policy difference.  Some of us believe it helps the terrorist cause for our troops to serve longterm in Iraq.  Bush and his backers believe it hurts the terrorist cause, though they are not showing results in lowered terrorism threat.  But neither of those policies have anything to do with denouncing the troops.

Only in your mind.  When you denounce the mission, you denounce the troops..

Only an authoritarian would think like you do.

An apt post for someone who uses the moniker “Leon Trotsky:…