20 Years On.....

[ToraToraTora]

Knowing what we know now, what should the West have done in response to 9/11 and other atrocities?

[ToraToraTora]

TC, is English your first language? I wanted to discuss options in response not engage with the loony tunes theories which have all been done to death and debunked.

[LeonBlank1995]

I recall video footage straight after the event from some third world pee pot country with loads of terrorist looking greasy scum holding AK47s in Toyota Hi-Lux's cheering the explosions and burning the USA flag. Is this not evidence of Islamic involvement?

[THECORBYLOON]

I would say the, "Knowing what we know now," could allow discussion of what caused the collapse since some dispute who was responsible but it would be better discussed in a separate thread.

[THECORBYLOON]

ROADMAN, have you read my links?

[roadman]

Look at they mansions, and look at the conditions you live in
All they talk about is terrorism on television
They tell you to listen, but they don't really tell you they mission
They funded al-Qaeda, and now they blame the Muslim religion
Even though Bin Laden was a CIA tactician
They gave him billions of dollars and they funded his purpose
Fahrenheit 9/11? That's just scratchin' the surface!

[teacake44]

Its you that does everything to death. You ask a question then order people not to answer. Regarding ( loony tune theories) is that not also what your asking for ( theories) of what should have been done? Make your mind up.

[Peter Pedant]

// llow the nastier influences in Afghanistan to grow old and die, while "our ways" became embedded.//

oh, yeah, like the British did in India and Pakistan - yeah good idea
( or angola, or Rhodesia, or Uganda or Zanzibar or...)

[Ellipsis]

Yes, did you read my full post?

[Peter Pedant]

// I recall video footage straight after the event from some third world pee pot country .... greasy scum holding AK47s in Toyota ......//.

oh you mean the republic of Texas ? ter daah !
oh come on - this thread can hardly be called serious can it?

[gulliver1]

10.57 "TC, is English your first language" This answer must win this years
" Pot & Kettle" Trophy . Well done.

[anneasquith]

Me old China

[gulliver1]

Damn Savages .

[Gromit]

The West should have bribed the Taliban Government to sort out al qaeda. They didn’t like them anyway, so a big dollop of investment money on condition OBL and his merry men were eliminated would have worked and we needn’t have been at war for 20 years, and saved $4Trillion.

Prior to the war, US business men and the Taliban were getting on like a house on fire.
https://mapcruzin.com/news/war111901a.htm

[rowanwitch]

Retaliation leads to escalation
Maybe in hindsight it would have been better to isolate the radicalized nations by taking more effort in involving the moderate ones, if necessary offering additional support, and facilitating the migration of refugees from affected areas. A measured, humane approach, taking time to address some of the areas that cause such hatred of the west. Not rolling over and being too conciliatory but using every means available to show the best, rather than the worst of our societies.
I think although we do not agree with how they run their country, live their lives, it is not for us, not was it a viable option back then to impose an alien culture that developed from a Christian heritage with the standards we believe to be acceptable. This especially applies to cultures we perceive as developing. We had to live through our fundamentalist dark ages, our social upheavals, better to ask what help they need, than impose what we think they should have.

[ToraToraTora]

good answer Rowan, thanks

[royfromaus]

What fans the flames of Islamic extremism is more the situation in the Middle East as that is an entirely different thing
___________

A cabbage white could fan the flames of Islamic extremism

[jno]

they thought a war in Afghanistan - part punishment, part finding Bin Laden - was the best way. I thought both were doomed to failure.

But I was wrong, We came very close to winning the war, and the reason we didn't wasn't because they outfoxed us or made use of the terrain etc. It was because we kicked off another war without finishing the first one. That was down to the politicians, not the military.

So, in retrospect, we did the right thing after 9/11. But we blew it, and now we've set Afghanistan back more like 100 years than 20.

[tiggerblue10]

I don't know what should or could've been done differently from 20 years ago. Afghanistan has been an area of conflict since I can remember, way before 9/11. Sad.

[Gromit]

The Mujahideen were part Afghan freedom fighters, part foreign Jihadists from Saudi Arabia.
After the Russians were repelled they split. The Afghan freedom fighter became the Taliban and eventually seized power. The Saudi Jihadists became al qaeda and took America to be their new enemy.
The Taliban and al qaeda tolerated each other, but didn’t like each other.
The Taliban Government prior to 2001 were engaging with the outside world, making deals, spending money. With some proper encouragement they could could have been calmed and modernised.

[youngmafbog]

The problem is we dont know the full truth, the Americans do know it (and I dont mean Roadmans beliefs) but have locked it away. My guess is becasue it points more to the Saudis than they would like and invading Afghanistan while not brilliant suited them better than invading Saudi, which is a no-no.

I think we are where we are and most importantly we do learn from our mistakes and stop trying to be the Worlds policeman and above all stop invading other countries and imposing our way of life on them.