Options and Politics

       President Bush made the speech of his career Thursday night. Yes he did.
       Now whether or not it is all talk is up to his people, the American People, and the people of the Entire World.
       Options.
       The Nuclear Option is there. There have been reports on the wires and in some overseas papers that tactical nuclear weapons may be used against targets in Afghanistan.
       That would be a fatal mistake.
       The US cannot be the first to fire off a nuke. No matter how many graphics of mushroom clouds people post on the Web.
       Pakistan, India, China, and Russia (as well as several former Soviet Republics), who all border the area, have nuclear weapons. And of those powers exactly NONE of them are best friends, and until recently, at least three of them were engaged in random skirmishes across their borders and were just one step short of open warfare.
       Now, there is the distinct possibility that Saddam has at least a minimal nuclear weapons program and may have small, but serviceable, nuclear weapons. If Saddam has it, you could bet gold against a moldy cheese sandwich that bin laden has access to it. If not already in possession of a key to the storeroom.
       Since all Americans, and indeed, all things Western, are of no value to him, and to tell the truth, he has decreed that they are to be destroyed for the Cause. It would not occure to ossama bin laden to not use them against any facility he had half a chance to.
       And his followers would not hesitate to put a nuclear warhead in a station wagon and drive it into Paris or Jerusalem or Bohn or Los Angeles and pull the trigger while singing 'For ossama's a Jolly Good Fellow....'
       They would die while killing untold numbers of infidels.
       According to the teachings of the Taliban and others who have perverted Islam to their own ends, they would immediately check into Heaven to be served by three score and ten virgins. When actually, if you check the Quran, say... Surah 17 : 33 it would seem to at least discourage the taking of innocent life.

       Nor take life - which Allah has made sacred - except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him nor exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law).

       Say: "Come, I will rehearse what Allah hath (really) prohibited you from": Join not anything as equal with Him; be good to your parents; kill not your children on a plea of want;- We provide sustenance for you and for them;- come not nigh to shameful deeds. Whether open or secret; take not life, which Allah hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom.

       Argument could be made that the staff of the Pentagon were in a Military Target.
       OK, sure. It's been said since the beginning of the Cold War that the building was the biggest bullseye target in the world for a bomber or a missile.
       Even if civilian file clerks and secretaries were non-combatants, the fact that they worked in the Command Center made them at least secondary military participants.
       But the World Trade Center?
       A significant number of the people in those buildings and surrounding facilities were not even Americans. Several hundred were foreign nationals.
       Very few were in any way connected to the Government. Any government.

       They were not combatants.
       They were not military.
       They may not have ever even heard of the Taliban.

       But now they have.

       And we cannot forget that. We did not Start the Killing of Innocents.... but we may end it.

       And it is for that very reason that we have to get past our political differences. We have to get past saving the three-toed toad and get about the business of exterminating them that would exterminate us as a people. We have to get about the business of hunting the terrorists and their sponsors down and kill them.
       Yes, kill them.
       Not put them in jail, not indict them and bring them to an international tribunal.
       kill them

       And we cannot be the first to use Nuclear Weapons to do it.
       Nuking Kabul would not get bin laden.
       A fuel-air detonation over the terrorist camps would not get bin laden.
       A carpet bombing raid by the B-52's will not get bin laden.
       Black-ops, ground troops, hired assassins, professional killers, somebody like the Desk even, will have to go house to house wherever he is, and find him, man to man, and put a bullet through his head.
       several bullets
       And then they will have to hunt down his lieutenants, his money men, his associates, his aides.
       and repeat the above procedure
       as needed

       Saving Social Security is not important.
       Building more power plants in California is not important.
       Welfare Reform, toxic waste in New Jersey, gridlock, and the return of Michael Jordan to the NBA have never been LESS important.
       We have to focus on wiping out the network of fanatics, their money, their supplies, their friends.
       For the next six months, this should be what we are about.
       For the next year.
       For as long as it takes.

       No, the Desk isn't going to go active duty. Uncle Sam isn't that desperate.        yet

       The Desk has friends that have been called up to serve in this effort. Its Day Job boss's husband, its co-worker, a friend from church... All have gotten the call.
       Relatives, friends, co-workers, casual acquaintances, even people the Desk actually doesn't like... have been called up.
       And they all answered the call.
       Some have already shipped out. Others are waiting.
       They will go when called.

       Why do they go? 'Truth, Justice, the American Way?'
       There is no answer to that question.
       No, actually, there is, at last count, 500,000 or so answers to that question. The Desk personally knows about a dozen of them.

       They will Go Until the Job is Done.
       Some may not come back.

       The Desk's uncle died on Iwo during WWII.
       It was a price that had to be paid.
       The Desk's other job's Boss earned a Purple Heart in Nam.
       It was a price that had to be paid.
       There will be a price on this one as well.

       But there is one thing that we need to assure bin laden, Saddam, the Egyptians, Pakistan, and whoever else is involved.
       Bullet for bullet. Plane for plane. Bomb for bomb. Man for man.
       Yes sir.
       We will count our dead.
       We will count our cost.
       And pay you back.

       plus one

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