War on Terrorism (Politics)

[Boreades]

[Mick Harper]

Oh, I see, we're taking some gaga geriatric's word for what American foreign policy is, are we?

[Wile E. Coyote]

[Mick Harper]

As I pointed out before, Russia has contractual obligations to supply oil which got obviated by 'force majeure' when the explosions occurred. I grant that this is a bit thin but it's still one helluva lot fatter than any finger pointing at the Americans.

I also pointed out that the Ukrainians were a cui bono party but for President Zelensky to hire a Colombian drugs cartel submersible for a black op would only have been feasible when he was an actor playing the part. Now he's wearing the jersey for real, he wouldn't dare. Would he?

[Wile E. Coyote]

REASONABLE CAUSE TO SUSPECT

A Mother's Ordeal to Free Her Son from a Kurdish Prison By Sally Lane.

The mother of Jack Letts has published a book about the family's eight year battle to get their son out of a war zone, amd is getting helpful publicity from the British nationals. Jack's mum is apparently now wondering if her liberal parenting led to his decision to join ISIS.

Jack flew to Syria as a teenager in 2014, using money that had been given to him by his parents to visit a friend in Jordan, and they were subsequently convicted of terrorism offences after sending him additional money, despite being told by the police not to.

The good news for Jack who, like Shamima, has dual nationality, is that he is now off to Canada, for presumably a stint on a deradicalisation programme.

It's probably something along the lines of, this is how you cope with Trudeau and your parents without wanting to go and join another terrorist organisation.

Cripes, could anyone survive without regressing?

[Mick Harper]

This whole business of 'fighting for terrorists' has taken some bizarre turns. To state my own position: anyone should be able to go and fight for whoever they like. And for any reason -- a sense of adventure or liking to kill people included. If people break British law when they do so then they have to face the consequences on their return, but one of those consequences should never be loss of citizenship (a totally alien conception to British sensibilities). But you shouldn't be stopped from going on the offchance you might break British law. You should also be able to send money to whoever you like. Especially your own children.

The idea behind recent 'terror legislation' is that the British government will deem who is a terrorist and who isn't. That is a dangerous ambition. If you go and fight for the Kurds today there is no guarantee that the vicissitudes of British foreign policy precludes the Kurds being declared terrorists tomorrow. Which they are! If you can find any party to any present day conflict that doesn't go in for terrorism in some fashion or another, you're a better man than I.

[Wile E. Coyote]

[Mick Harper]

This goes to the heart of citizenship. We constantly roast the Iranians for not recognising dual-citizens and lock up British citizens (who are according to the Iranians, Iranian). Just as we used to scoff at the Americans trying to rid themselves of 'Italian' Mafiosi by returning them to a country they'd never even seen. I often wonder what would have happened if the Italians had refused them entry!

Sure, Shamima & Co are nuisances but they're our nuisances. To cheapen British citizenship for such tawdry gains is quite deplorable.

Signed
Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells.

[Mick Harper]

PS What would be the attitude today towards people going off to join the International Brigade in Spain, 1936? Or to support Franco, if it comes to that (as Kim Philby did). The government was broadly sympathetic to the Republicans but held firmly to a policy of non-intervention.

Would we have ordered them back when it became obvious that the NKVD had broadly taken over the Republican side? No need! The NKVD was not a terrorist organisation, merely the executive arm of a government that terrorised people by liquidating them on the grand scale. You kill ten people, it's terrorism; you kill a thousand, it's state policy.

"Hi! You're back from Spain, are you? You wanna join a kibbutz? Here's your passport. But don't get involved with Irgun or the Stern Gang when you get there. At least not when they are terrorists committing outrages against the British -- it's OK if it's just Arabs. You'll be invited to Buckingham Palace when you become a government minister."

[Wile E. Coyote]

[Mick Harper]

[Mick Harper]

There is great danger attached to the hero-isation of Ukraine in general and President Zelensky in particular. Just because it may be entirely deserved is irrelevant. They have war aims -- a return to pre-2014 borders -- that are entirely unrealisable so there must come a point when 'the world community' (as we are known presently) is going to have to call a halt to the war on Ukraine and President Zelensky's behalf.

This will earn us undying hostility from Ukraine which is bearable -- even useful in some ways -- but reaching that point is going to cost a lot of unnecessary Ukrainian casualties and a lot of our money. It will also cost Russia a lot of both but that is bearable -- even useful in some ways.

[Wile E. Coyote]

[Mick Harper]

I wish I could believe you. Not that Crimea needs a ton of troops to hold (and don't forget they haven't got the Crimean Canal anymore either). Zelensky may know that he is saying these things 'to tie Russian troops down' but he will find -- as do all statesmen at the end of wars - that popular clamour may not allow him to drop it.

This is partly what brought Mussolini to power, when the Allies told Italy to take a hike despite promising them all sorts to enter the war on their side. Though of course the fascists are already in power in Kiev so this doesn't apply.

[Wile E. Coyote]

I don't see it myself, there is now after 2014 a largish Russian-speaking military contingent within the Crimea, to add to the historic Russian component. It would be a nightmare for Ukraine to try and seize and hold. They would certainly need tons of troops to hold it. No, they are not going to go for Crimea.