Say what you want about the terrorists, but they have learned from the Spanish reaction:
Uzbek Foreign Minister Sadyk Safayev said the attacks were aimed at breaking the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition.
“This has been committed by the hands of international terror,” Safayev said. “That’s the hallmark of the terrorist acts we have already witnessed abroad.
“Attempts are being made to split the international anti-terror coalition.”
Uzbekistan has been a strong supporter of the U.S..-led campaign in Afghanistan, providing a vital airbase for U.S. troops in military operations there following the September 11, 2001, attacks on America.
Weakness, whether real or perceived, will always be met with aggression. Always. Why is this so hard to understand? Despite the partisan maneuvering by Democrats in the 9/11 commission in conjunction with their new hero, Richard Clarke, this should be the real llesson learned from the Clinton administration. Weakness, whether real or perceived, will always be met with aaggression.
I wish people would go read Bernard Lewis. Christ, even a young Orson Scott Card understands human nature more than most of the world.
(via Jeff Goldstein)
Norbizness
A country whose President boils dissidents in the prime candidate for rampant capitulation? Seems like about as much of a miscalculation as screwing with Vladimir “Experimental Nerve Gas” Putin.
dellis
I also like Bernard Lewis and Orson Scott Card, but could you pick a better purveyor of wisdom than the Uzbek foreign minister? Uzbekistan is a brutal Communist dictatorship, and I don’t particularly want to hear from them about who needs to be crushed and repressed.
Kimmitt
Tell you what — I’ll stick to our career civil servant with a decades-long history of defending this country, and you can have the people-boilers.
SimplePlatitudesforSimpleMinds
“Weakness, whether real or perceived, will always be met with aggression. Always.”
That’s one of my favorite Jesus quotes.
Jeff G
“Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”
“Nothing,” they answered.
He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”
“That is enough,” he replied. [Luke 22: 35-38]
Gee, why would Jesus tell his disciples to arm themselves with swords, do you think?
SimplePlatitudesforSimpleMinds indeed.
Jeff G
“Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”
“Nothing,” they answered.
He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”
“That is enough,” he replied. [Luke 22: 35-38]
Gee, why would Jesus tell his disciples to arm themselves with swords, do you think?
SimplePlatitudesforSimpleMinds indeed.
Slartibartfast
SimpleMinds…I used to like those guys.
But…TWO swords? Those guys must have been ninjas or something.
Slartibartfast
Spammity spam, spammity spam!
CadillaqJaq
SPAM? Good grief, that which John deleted was stupendously stupid…. and a total waste of space as well.
Kong
“Uzbekistan is a brutal Communist dictatorship”
Wow, the librals must really love this guy then, considering they came out in droves to support Saddam. But wait, he is supporting the US isn’t he? Ok, then he must really be a bad guy…
Kimmitt
“Wow, the librals must really love this guy then, considering they came out in droves to support Saddam.”
God, I thought this meme had died its well-deserved death a year ago.