I think you fail to take into consideration that this is not a typical war. Al Queida has training camps around the world, and the Taliban cooperates with Al Quieda. Comparing Obama to Bush is what I object too. Obama inherited this mess and and it would be unwise to just let them all out immediately.

I mean, do you really think they are a threat to you if we release them back to Afghanistan or Iraq or wherever? Really?

-- Retzilian

I'm not worried about terrorists blowing me u. I think Bush over reacted. However many countries do think they are a threat. I guess you have missed the news that Obama administration is having trouble getting countries to agree to take released prisoners.

It's just a POLICY.

Congress hasn't declared war, and even if they had, one of the things about a "war" is that you have two centralized groups in combat.

Al Qaeda isn't an "army." It isn't a country, and the al Qaeda fighters are not soldiers.

The main reason it's important to keep this all in mind is because "al Qaeda" can be better understood if thought of as a "concept."

ANY Islamist who hates Western imperialism and decides to attack people/institutions they see as supporting that imperialism can identify with al Qaeda. That means no matter who we blow up or imprison or torture to death, we will not "break the back" of al Qaeda. More people are born everyday. Some of these people are going to decide to attack "America" or at least "American interests" whether they ever meet another al Qaeda member or not.

There's no central repository where al Qaeda keeps its wealth, or its evil plans, or its members. Destruction of any (even EVERY) "terrorist cell" does not bring an END to the war on terror. Even if we had bin Laden in custody and he put out a video saying that he's made peace with the USA, there would be others who would reject his words and go blow themselves up in a shopping mall.

Pretending this is a "war" is one of the most serious errors in conception we've made to date.

It's not a war, and if we continue to let this falsehood go unchallenged, we're just allowing another failed policy to remain in place, perhaps for decades.

It's not worth it.

Well, that all depends on one's definitions. I would tend to agree with you and your point, because the USA is not supposed to fight "wars" unless Congress officially declares same and they have not. However, we do have a fourth generation war going on. It does not look like the classic 3rd generation warfare of WWII, but it is warfare.

See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_generation_warfare
or click sig.

"The military doctrine was first defined in 1989 by a team of United States analysts, including William S. Lind, used to describe warfare's return to a decentralized form."

I think you fail to take into consideration that this is not a typical war. Al Queida has training camps around the world, and the Taliban cooperates with Al Quieda. Comparing Obama to Bush is what I object too. Obama inherited this mess and and it would be unwise to just let them all out immediately.

Not only don't I take into consideration that this is not a "typical war" I don't consider any of these military engagements a war at all. The phrase you use is as inane as the "war on drugs." I have consistently labeled both Afghanistan and Iraq immoral and illegal occupations and an exploitation of other countries for their resources. But aside from that distinction, no matter who we pick up and detain under all circumstances and for any reason, they should have a right to contest their detention in a fair and impartial court of law. What are you afraid of? That we can't convict these people? It seems you are just fine with holding people indefinitely in some secret prison because you trust our government to be doing the right thing or because Obama inherited this mess from Bush. I am not. There is a very short line between our government doing it to someone else and being able to do the same to you or me. Do you think these terrorists are any worse than Timothy McVeigh? We gave him a speedy trial and convicted him and then put him to death.

Also I am less worried about the harm al qaeda may cause to us versus the harm and severe damage our own government can and will cause if we don't stand up for our values and principles.

Jebbie, I should have listened to you and stopped wasting my time with this person. Get me out of this hellhole!

It is the overwhelming case in history that a country at war sees its citizens lose civil liberties. (even if they have few to lose) Therefore, it is necessary to understand the war (GWOT) that we find ourselves embroiled in if we want to try to understand how to improve our situation in regards to civil liberties.

Consider:
How we know Iran's election was not decided by fraud
or
The Tehran Bureau: Possibly ground zero for the key lie that fueled Iran's election dispute
at
http://mideastreality.blogspot.com/

If it is true, and it is, that the USA helped in any way to destabilize Iran then we are continuing and escalating a war that the other side can only fight in the manner of forth generation warfare. As long as we continue to put others, no matter where on the globe, into a position that they must use forth generation warfare to fight back against the evil attacking them, then we will be faced with fighting a "war on terror".

It really is time to stop intervening in the affairs of others and try to fix this country we live in first. We outspend the entire planet put together on the military budget --- while people in this country are in deep poverty, just barley making it, have no access to medical care, can not afford a decent diet, and so on.

It takes one's mind off our troubles at home to yell and shout about monsters we perceive abroad, but it is truly time to worry about the monsters in the nation's capitol city.

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Note: It is time to give Florida all these 400 million dollar appropriations to destabilize governments. We could at least use it to feed people or clean up the environment.