M. Bréqs wrote:
The Taliban are a spent, used up force. What moral outrages, murdering and suffering would they and their allies in Al Qaeda have accomplished had we sat back and obsequiously apologized after 9/11 for being "imperialist", instead of responding with force to their harbouring our attackers?
I've absolutely no idea and neither do you.
By the way, do you know if there are any plans afoot to invade Saudi Arabia and impose democracy there?
I only ask because their human rights record is pretty abysmal too and they treat their women just as badly as the Taliban, if the news agencies are to be believed.
More to the point, I was under the impression that the alleged 9/11 attackers were mostly Saudi nationals. It strikes me that there is an equal if not more pressing need to tackle them as well while you're out there.
...even if we were to kill and maim twice as many civilians as we do today, would still be worth it...
To whom, exactly? I think if you were to ask those who had lost loved ones to NATO munitions you might find them at variance with your assertion.
I'm getting the distinct impression you regard them as little more than ignorant savages whose only role in all this is to impede your objectives.
I think their opinion might differ regarding the above quote and it is, after all, their country.
We have preserved more life by acting decisively.
Pure conjecture. Opinion. Unprovable. No basis in fact whatsoever.
Certainly not sufficient to justify even
one civilian casualty, let alone a million.