I spend a lot of time discussing events with a Muslim from Afghanistan. It gives a good perspective. He's been around and has no hatred of Jews, is probably less fond of Arabs, though his wife and I discourage the the use of the word,hate. Finding common ground instead of concentrating on differences seems to be a key.
Solo | 10.16.06 - 8:13 am | #

Similarly I have seen the same thing when discussing the matter with numerous Iraqi officers and interpreters -mostly shia -who decry the "wahhabis" and call the fanatics "uneducated". They maintain that the Prophet and their religion does not condone or endorse the fanatics' ways. Ultimately they conclude, as I do that the fanatics beliefs and actions are more about power than religion. Much like Christianity was 652 years ago.
Anonymous | 10.16.06 - 1:43 pm | #

It's true the educated are more moderate, and I think can be reasoned with enought to make a difference, but the constant hedging and excuse making always gets me- it's almost never a clean 'yeah, that's wrong', there's seemingly the attached 'but'.

Yes, we can (and will) win, but like Bush said, it's going to be a long war...
douglas | 10.17.06 - 5:47 am | #

I am not so sure about the educated being more moderate. It strikes me that the ones who are doing the proselytizing are the educated and the ones who are signed up are the not so and are used as cannon fodder. I think it is based on just how the educated were educated and just who they are attached to.
dick | 10.17.06 - 9:02 pm | #

Scott,

Next time turn south, it is a lot more fun this side of Africa. Glad you had a good, safe and insightful trip. Down this side we found that the educated people are the ones leading the hordes and the ones ordering the atrocities. You also have to take into consideration that they were taught by the communist, either the Russians or the Chinese. Just take old man Mugabe, educated but as mad as can be. This character has a history of human rights violations and self enrichment, hence the term “dick – traitor”.

As for the Muslim connection down this side, calm as can be. They are preoccupied with making money, money and more money. We do have the odd few that are collecting money for their mates in Iraq and Afghanistan and maybe a dozen or so that lost it completely and decided to go to the war zones. But in general calm, they call us infidels behind our backs, never to our faces – not a brave bunch, hence the term terrorist.

Anyway, glad you safe and it good to hear from you again.

Take care,
Jan | 10.19.06 - 11:21 am | #

Every generalization has it's exceptions. Cannon fodder are by definition more numberous than their directors.

" I spend a lot of time discussing events with a Muslim from Afghanistan. ... is probably less fond of Arabs, "

This is also one reason why I think we will eventually win in Iraq. I don't think Iran can really be an overwhelming influence there, Shi'i commonality aside. The Arab - Persian divide and years of BRUTAL war make a pretty big barrier to overcome.
douglas | 10.22.06 - 3:07 am | #

I once spent some time in the UAE back in '74 as General Manager of Sharja Leasing and Trading Company. It was owned by the Director of the Rulers Office (the Prime Minister of the Country).and some other minority investors (two Pakistanis and one Texan). I was the Shiek's white boy. I am from Texas and for the first time in my life I knew what it meant to be an N-word! They hate our ass and always will. No matter how high in the circle you rise, no matter how rich the crowd, no matter how educated they are, they want us out of there and DEAD! End of Story!We (the American People) could give each and every one of the Muslim people 100,000,000 dollars and they would take our money and then kill us! No B.S.!!! Nothing short of killing each and every one of them will ever satisfy this situation, I am convinced.
I am not putting you down for trying. I am just old and tired of their bullshit. We as a people must either get out, or get it over with.
Pops OUT!
Pops | 10.23.06 - 8:58 pm | #

That was a great uplifting post. Keep up the good work.
Ledger | 10.24.06 - 4:04 am | #

Pops,

I agree 100% with you on that, unfortunately the world are swamped with yellow belly tree huggers. The same ones who frown on you when wearing a uniform and the same who spit on you when you “deal” with the bad people. These are also the same idiots who run around crying and hiding when atrocities like 9/11 occurs, we just can’t win.

Best wishes to your sons, Go Texas!!!!
Jan | 10.24.06 - 9:02 am | #

Scott,

Froggy dropped a line on Blackfive, so hopefully the traffic will pick up this side and we might even see some of the “old kids” back here.

Take care mate!!

Jan
Jan | 10.24.06 - 9:07 am | #

Thanks Jan,
Some day I will try to post something uplifting and intelligent! However for now I have issues!
Pops
Pops | 10.24.06 - 8:27 pm | #

I always wonder when these Arabs insist that foreigners leave their countries, what would happen if Christian Pinoys and Hindu Indians up and left the middle East.
Guess a Filippina sargent in Bagdad is open to be killed, but they want their Filippina maid to overwork and sexually abuse...
boinkie | Homepage | 10.25.06 - 1:05 am | #

Boinkie,
If that happened all work would cease. Arabs do not work, they hire it done.
Pops | 10.25.06 - 9:31 am | #

Gosh I love you people. A board with intelligent conversation. I hope this is the beginning of the lights being turned back on here and the fire being lit.

deltabravo
Anonymous | 10.25.06 - 2:56 pm | #

Search Inside Milblogs and Only Milblogs
http://www.milblogsearch.com
Joe | Homepage | 10.28.06 - 2:38 am | #

Love your site! Am a big fan and would love to do a link exchage:

http://nostalgiamanila.blogspot.com

Mank thanks!
--Nostalgia Manila
Nostalgia Manila | 10.28.06 - 10:08 pm | #

I started coming here from Jack Army.

Most of my contacts and buddies are in the Army, in Intel, Psy-Op, the Pentagon, or the Marines, I have relatively few in the Navy.

My nephew just recently joined the Air Force as did a young man, a good friend of mine (his father and I were best friends as boys) from my church.

But I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading most of your blog entries and find many of your comments fascinating. I also find myself in sympathy or agreement with much of what you say. I'm glad to see men like you in Special Forces and Operations.

I'm rather new to blogging but I enjoy your blog so much now that I've added it to my list of Endorsements on my own blog.

Keep up the good work and I'll keep reading.

Stay safe, God Bless, and Godspeed on whatever your next assignment.


Jack
Jack | Homepage | 10.29.06 - 2:43 pm | #

Here is the core statement of this century:

"We need not only to prove our resolve to the Muslim world but to bring reason and logic to the debate."

If this can be done we will half our problem over night.

Mike
Mike | 11.02.06 - 2:20 pm | #

Hey, man, that is one truly inefficient airline. You've been sitting there for weeks! You might want to check the schedule.
Marine6 | 11.02.06 - 7:36 pm | #

Marine 6,

If it is an African Airline, you can only imagine the chaos that is possible, pilot is most likely still trying to find the joystick.

Last time I flew out of Zimbabwe we nearly taxied into an oncoming military aircraft, luckily the pilot saw the big ass C130 coming in for a landing. Guy in the tower responded with a soft – “eish, I’m sorry”. When do you really get worried when flying Bob or Zim Air? – when the captain announces that they will be attempting to land!!!

Any thoughts on old man sadam getting the noose.

Take care chaps!
Jan | 11.06.06 - 2:41 am | #

A random sample of 2 doesn't afford any statistical confidence. Mohamed and the general aside, the bottomline is that there was a lot more dancing in the muslim street on 9/11 than tears.
pacific_waters | 11.06.06 - 4:23 pm | #

I love your site, keep it up from one squid to another.
Gear Adrift | Homepage | 11.07.06 - 7:17 pm | #

Scott- I too, love politics. Did you see this one coming?
PC | 11.08.06 - 8:25 pm | #

To the Frogosphere, Happy Veterans Day!
douglas | 11.11.06 - 5:00 am | #

To all our Veterans.. thanks for your service.
PC | 11.11.06 - 8:31 am | #

A Conservative Plan for Iraq

Anyone who questions the lack of a realistic and comprehensive Iraq strategy is labeled a friend of fascism by the Republican leadership. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) recently said, “I wonder if [Democrats] are more interested in protecting the terrorists than protecting the American people.” Republicans are paralyzed with the fear of being thought ineffective on national security and the war.

Meanwhile, the Democratic leadership cannot seem to accept that—regardless of how we got there—we are in Iraq. They have not made a convincing case that an arbitrary phased or date-certain troop withdrawal is in the best long-term interest of the United States. Rather, they seem to think that withdrawal will undo the decision to have gone to war. Rubbing President Bush’s nose in Iraq’s difficulties is also a priority.

This political food fight is stifling the desperately needed public discussion about a meaningful resolution to the fire fight. Most Americans know Iraq is going badly. And they know the best path lies somewhere between “stay the course” and “get out now”.

Some Truths

1) Iraq is having a civil war between the Sunnis and Shiites. The Kurds will certainly join, if attacked. It may not look like a civil war, because they don’t have tanks, helicopters, and infantry; but they are fighting with what they have.

2) Vast oil revenues are a significant factor behind the fighting. Yes, there are religious and cultural differences—but concerns about how the oil revenue will be split among the three groups make the problem worse.

3) Most Iraqis support partitioning Iraq into Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish regions. (Their current arrangement resulted from a pen stroke during the British occupation, not some organic alignment.)

4) Most citizens of the Middle East who support groups that kill and terrorize civilians—such as Hezbollah, Hamas, or al Qaeda—in part because of their aggressive stance against Israel and the United States, but also because they provide much needed social services, such as building schools.

5) Both Republican and Democratic administrations have spent decades doing business with the tyrants who run the Middle East in exchange for oil and cheap labor. This has been the one of the rallying calls of Bin Laden and Hezbollah—that we support tyrants who abuse people for profits. In fact, our latest trade deals with Oman and Jordan actually promote child and slave labor; it’s so bad the State Department had to issue warnings about rampant child trafficking in those countries.

6) Iran is using the instability in Iraq to enhance its political stature in the region. Leaving Iraq without a government that can stand up to Iran would be very destabilizing to the region and the world.

From the U.S. perspective, this is all mostly about energy. As things stand, a serious oil supply disruption would devastate our economy, threaten our security, and jeopardize our ability to provide for our children.

New Directions

Success in Iraq and the Middle East in general requires us to work in three areas simultaneously: (1) fostering a more stable Middle East region, including Iraq, (2) pursuing alternative sources of oil, and (3) developing alternatives to oil. To these ends we must:

1) Insure that the oil revenues are fairly and transparently split among all three groups: Shiite, Sunni, and Kurds based on population.

2) Allow each group to have a much stronger role in self government by creating three virtually-autonomous regions. Forcing a united Iraq down their throats is not working. Our military would then be there in support a solution that people want, rather than one they are resisting.

3) Become a genuine force for positive change, thus denying extremist groups much of their leverage. Driving a fair two-state solution to the Israeli/Palestinian problem should be our first priority. We should also engage in projects that both help the average Middle Easterner and Americans, such as supporting schools that are an alternative to the ones that teach hate and recruit terrorists. We should also stop participating in trade deals that promote child and slave labor by insisting on deals that include livable wages and basic labor rights.

4) Declare a Marshal Plan to end our Middle Eastern energy dependency with a compromise between exploring for new sources, reducing consumption, and developing of alternative energies. For example, we should re-establish normal relations with Cuba so we can beat China to Cuba’s off-shore oil. We should also redirect existing tax breaks for Big Oil into loan guarantees for alternative energy companies.

Once we no longer need so much oil from the Middle East, we can begin winning over its people by using our oil purchases to reward positive and peaceful behavior from their leaders. This would ultimately reduce tensions and encourage prosperity in the region.

We will have to live with the threat of Islamic radical terrorism forever; but these solutions are a start to reducing the threat. Both parties have to put politics aside and put together an honest and reasonable plan that the American understand.
John Konop | Homepage | 11.14.06 - 9:51 am | #

Iraq is a diversion. As the army attacks Iraq, the US gov't erodes rights at home by suspending habeas corpus, stealing private lands, banning books like "America Deceived" from Amazon, rigging elections, conducting warrantless wiretaps and starting 2 illegal wars based on lies. Soon, another US false-flag operation will occur (sinking of an Aircraft Carrier) and the US will invade Iran, (on behalf of Israel).
Final link (before Google Books bends to gov't demands and censors the title):
America Deceived (book)
Michael J | 11.16.06 - 9:26 am | #

I love the frog lol :O)
R2K | Homepage | 11.19.06 - 9:58 am | #

"Meanwhile, the Democratic leadership cannot seem to accept that—regardless of how we got there—we are in Iraq. They have not made a convincing case that an arbitrary phased or date-certain troop withdrawal is in the best long-term interest of the United States. Rather, they seem to think that withdrawal will undo the decision to have gone to war. Rubbing President Bush’s nose in Iraq’s difficulties is also a priority."

Not true at all. The Democrats have made the case for starting diplomacy with Iraq and Syria for years now. It was not "convincing" because their voice was silent, because they were the minority. No longer. Baker Hailton will most certainly come back with "ideas" that have long been being explored by Democrats. The Democrats are going to push for troops reductions and a way out of the war. Bet on it. It will be much more convinving now that everyone is forced to face the brutal reality of the situation on the ground, and our state of military readiness. Most Republicans admit this is a fiasco. The Neo cons that got us into this mess have long since abondoned the President. The SECDEF has been fired. His fathers handlers have been brought in to try and salvage SOMETHING. How much more of this do you think the public will stand until the pressure becomes too great, and we are forced to withdraw?
More troops?? Not an option at this time, this according to Abazaid... the CG. McCain has said the current situation is a "raw deal". We either increase troop levels (which cannot be done for any leangthy period) or start to get out. The Democrats have already "won" the argument, it is just a matter of watching it play out now.We are at a stage where the Republicans are trying to make the Democrats position theirs, while looking for political cover. That is what is hurting us. The Republicans playing politics, not the Democrats.
ptc | 11.20.06 - 9:46 am | #

This is not in relation to the blog thread above. Every once in a while I search the web using my name and rank for reference and see what pops up and how people are using a picture that was taken of me in Iraq. On one of these web site I found a few comments by you, and I wanted to thank you for them.

Sincerely,
HM1(FMF) Richard W. Barnett
USN IDC- RET
HM1 Richard Barnett | 11.29.06 - 6:28 am | #

hello,I am a business man in China,I want to know do you interest with doing business with me?please contact me,yoshikihiro@sohu.com,i am interesting in your seal career.
wang | 12.13.06 - 5:13 am | #

What is your point here? The context
is a place, not you or anyother person
involved. You seem to have no conception of real Islam or (egypt),
so I would not be so arrogant.
hetherington | 12.23.06 - 11:44 am | #

I think it burns them, Scott, because they know they got their arse kicked by Israel. So if they can convince themselves that Israel had the aid of mighty America, then obviously they were defeated by mighty foes right, and not because Arabs were shifty cowards and military incompetents, right?

Tyrants has been using this kind of false "pride" and hubris since time immemorial, Hitler being one of the most recent examples saying "You didn't get beat in war, the Jews defeated us and betrayed us in WWI!" Wow, it is not like these people have any brighter ideas.
Ymarsakar | Homepage | 12.23.06 - 6:50 pm | #

"Mohamed went so far as to say that the people doing this are not Muslims."

Of course, because these terrorists are now dead. In Muslim thought, one cannot be a "Muslim" and be dead. Once the terrorist is in heaven with his 72 virgins, that terrorist is no longer a muslim.

The quote is not a contradiction of Muslim thought but more of an affirmation.
Ben | 12.23.06 - 9:38 pm | #

I've ehard this many times from Muslims about Bin Ladden and his bunch well before 9/11. Many times.

The, "kill all Muslims because", idea is wrong.

So, where the heck have you been?
Good Grief.
Kleinshmidt | 12.29.06 - 2:39 am | #

Wow. Been going at it a long time before you finally decided to talk to a muslim who isn't a terrorist haven't you? There must not be that many of them... oh wait, if that were true then there would be billions of suicide bombs going off about now... I'm so confused by reading your post and subsequent comments... my god your dumb. So dumb. So dumb. You should not be allowed to carry a weapon. Please spare us.
Marvin Davidson | 01.11.07 - 3:30 am | #

Froggy is just another in a line of dumb yanks.

Getting their arses kicked by guys in slippers in their fight for Oil.
Ollie | 02.03.07 - 6:15 am | #