Friday, September 14, 2007
More Classic Liberal Thinking: Let's Talk to al Qaeda
Liberalism equals stupidity. Here it is proven when you have liberals who don't want to fight terrorism actually claim that we need to talk to al Qaeda.
It doesn't get any stupider than this.
Talking to al Qaeda? Don't rule it out, some say
Here is what we should do: since Terry Waite is so darn happy to want to talk to al Qaeda, we should chip in and send him into the tribal areas of Pakistan to find Osama bin Laden to talk to him. And, if Terry Waite happens to get his head cut off, then that means he was wrong and al Qaeda doesn't want to talk.
Liberalism equals stupidity. But it also means naivete of the worst kind.
Liberalism equals stupidity. Here it is proven when you have liberals who don't want to fight terrorism actually claim that we need to talk to al Qaeda.
It doesn't get any stupider than this.
Talking to al Qaeda? Don't rule it out, some say
LONDON (Reuters) - Six years after the September 11 attacks, a few cautious voices are beginning to suggest the unthinkable -- maybe it is time to consider talking to al Qaeda.
The idea will revolt some people and raises obvious questions -- through what channels could such a dialogue take place and what would there be to negotiate?
But proponents say al Qaeda has established itself as a de facto power, whether the West likes it or not, and history shows militant movements are best neutralized by negotiation, not war.
"No insurgency or terrorism has been defeated by warfare or violence," former Anglican church envoy and hostage negotiator Terry Waite said in a debate on BBC World television.
"There are some rational players in al Qaeda but it also attracts the psychotic. We need to seek an entry point," said the Briton, himself a captive in Lebanon from 1987 to 1991.
Jan Egeland, a Norwegian who helped broker secret talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation in the 1990s and later, as a top U.N. official, dealt with warlords and guerrilla leaders from Colombia to Uganda, told Reuters: "I wouldn't rule out speaking to anybody, a priori."
He went on: "It depends on who you speak to, but also what you speak to them about. I'm willing to speak to the devil to help the victims in the depths of hell. If I could have a meeting with al Qaeda where one could impress upon them that they are the biggest anti-Islamic force around, why not?"
But Egeland and others point out there are huge obstacles to negotiating with al Qaeda, even if Western governments could overcome their revulsion towards it.
Here is what we should do: since Terry Waite is so darn happy to want to talk to al Qaeda, we should chip in and send him into the tribal areas of Pakistan to find Osama bin Laden to talk to him. And, if Terry Waite happens to get his head cut off, then that means he was wrong and al Qaeda doesn't want to talk.
Liberalism equals stupidity. But it also means naivete of the worst kind.
