Tancredo: "U.S. Should Threaten Islamic Holy Sites"

[Lambo]

I agree with Tancredo here and on most Issues, he's my second choice behind Ron Paul.
~Lambo

http://cbs4denver.com/politics/local...214145349.html

~snip
Tancredo: U.S. Should Threaten Islamic Holy Sites
By Dennis Conrad, AP Writer
(AP) WASHINGTON
Republican presidential hopeful Tom Tancredo says the best way he can think of to deter a nuclear terrorist attack on the U.S. is to threaten to retaliate by bombing Islamic holy sites.

The Colorado congressman on Tuesday told about 30 people at a town hall meeting in Osceola, Iowa, that he believes such a terrorist attack could be imminent and that the U.S. needs to hurry up and think of a way to stop it.

"If it is up to me, we are going to explain that an attack on this homeland of that nature would be followed by an attack on the holy sites in Mecca and Medina," Tancredo said at the Family Table restaurant. "Because that's the only thing I can think of that might deter somebody from doing what they otherwise might do."

Mecca and Medina, in Saudi Arabia, are Islam's holiest cities. All able-bodied Muslims are required to make a pilgrimage there at least once in their lives. Tancredo's comments were recorded and posted on the Web site iowapolitics.com.

A Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group responded in anger Thursday, calling Tancredo's statement "unworthy of anyone seeking public office in the United States."

"Perhaps it's evidence of a long-shot candidate grasping at straws and trying to create some kind of a controversy that might appeal to a niche audience of anti-Muslim bigots," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Campaign spokesman, Alan Moore, said Tancredo stands by his statement.

This isn't the first time Tancredo has suggested taking extreme action against Mecca and Medina.

In 2005, he drew international criticism after he told a radio talk show host that "you could take out" Islamic holy sites if terrorists ever launched a nuclear attack against the United States.
~snip

[MarcS]

"Perhaps it's evidence of a long-shot candidate grasping at straws and trying to create some kind of a controversy that might appeal to a niche audience of anti-Muslim bigots," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Well, you can't argue with that: it appeals to Lambo.

Tancredo is an asshole. All these comments do is enrage Muslims and give them more reason to think we're waging another crusade.

Furthermore, Tancredo clearly doesn't understand the people we're fighting. The sunni's and shiites love attacking each others holy sights because it brings more people into the fight. The best thing we can do for al queda is target muslim holy sights because it will instantly give them a membership of 1 billion.

For a Ron Paul supporter, you need to listen to him better when he talks about blowback.

[LorDiego01]

Yeah, seriously Lambo, what the hell is wrong with you?

Attacking Muslim holy sites for a terrorist attack in America is like destroying all catholic churches because some fundamentalist asshole bombs an abortion clinic.

[phillyd2]

Well, you can't argue with that: it appeals to Lambo.

Tancredo is an asshole. All these comments do is enrage Muslims and give them more reason to think we're waging another crusade.

Furthermore, Tancredo clearly doesn't understand the people we're fighting. The sunni's and shiites love attacking each others holy sights because it brings more people into the fight. The best thing we can do for al queda is target muslim holy sights because it will instantly give them a membership of 1 billion.

For a Ron Paul supporter, you need to listen to him better when he talks about blowback.

Yeah, maybe he is. But I always wonder why its our magazines that scream with the headline "Why do they Hate Us?" and why it is us who need to worry about having our planes bombed.

Sometimes, in my darker moods, I want Bush to say to the Middle East "Oh, so we are playing the Airplane Blow Up Game? OK, that was a good one - is it our turn now?"

I fly a decent amount around the Middle East and don't seem a bit concerned about it as we do here.

Would be nice if it was the Arab Times that ran the headline "Why does the USA Hate Us? What can we do to better appease them?"

Again, only in my darker moods.

[NineseveN]

Well, you can't argue with that: it appeals to Lambo.

Tancredo is an asshole. All these comments do is enrage Muslims and give them more reason to think we're waging another crusade.

Furthermore, Tancredo clearly doesn't understand the people we're fighting. The sunni's and shiites love attacking each others holy sights because it brings more people into the fight. The best thing we can do for al queda is target muslim holy sights because it will instantly give them a membership of 1 billion.

For a Ron Paul supporter, you need to listen to him better when he talks about blowback.

Congratulations, you win the thread! A hearty +1.


On a side note, I think I've agreed with you 5 or 6 times in the last 2 days...they must be getting out their hats and mittens in Hell.

[NineseveN]

Yeah, maybe he is. But I always wonder why its our magazines that scream with the headline "Why do they Hate Us?" and why it is us who need to worry about having our planes bombed.

Sometimes, in my darker moods, I want Bush to say to the Middle East "Oh, so we are playing the Airplane Blow Up Game? OK, that was a good one - is it our turn now?"

I fly a decent amount around the Middle East and don't seem a bit concerned about it as we do here.

Would be nice if it was the Arab Times that ran the headline "Why does the USA Hate Us? What can we do to better appease them?"

Again, only in my darker moods.

That's a truly good point, I think part of it has to do with the price you pay for having a free, edcuated, literate and mostly moral society that isn't (not yet anyway) held fundamentally hostage by bigots manipulating others into their message of hatred by perverting religious belief and nationlism. What tancredo doesn't realize, is that what he's advocating makes him no different than them. They have their reasons for hating us, whether or not they're perception is wrong or misguided is of no matter, they didn't just wake up one morning and say, "Hey, I'll be evil today, what nation can I torture now?". It just doesn't work that way. And what Tancredo is suggesting would only play right into the hands of AQ as MarcS suggested.

[phillyd2]

That's a truly good point, I think part of it has to do with the price you pay for having a free, edcuated, literate and mostly moral society that isn't (not yet anyway) held fundamentally hostage by bigots manipulating others into their message of hatred by perverting religious belief and nationlism. What tancredo doesn't realize, is that what he's advocating makes him no different than them. They have their reasons for hating us, whether or not they're perception is wrong or misguided is of no matter, they didn't just wake up one morning and say, "Hey, I'll be evil today, what nation can I torture now?". It just doesn't work that way. And what Tancredo is suggesting would only play right into the hands of AQ as MarcS suggested.

All well and good. And you are more right than wrong but.......

To me the main issue is like a 5'3" punk walking into a bar and taking a swing at a 6'4" guy. Maybe after the first few swings the bigger guy "exercises restraint" but at some point the punk gets hammered along with his buddies who were egging him on.

The true crime is that we have for years allowed any punk to take a shot without doing much so of course all others thinks they can do the same without cost. This is why I'm not so hard for Bush for going off like a retard swinging at everybody and everything in the bar. Let them think we are more than a little crazy. You never know what those crazy Americans may do - lets not poke that retarded bear.

I'll also point out that our past restraint and being moral bought us no safety. Every President since WWII have prayed at the alter of "stability" which was all just a illusion of peace. Dream is over girls.

[RocketFoot]

I often thought we should just nuke the middle east or at least carpet bomb every square inch! But what good would it do? These people are not rational thinkers...sure, we dropped the bomb on Japan (twice) and they surrendered, but they were rational thinkers! The mid east region has been at war on an off for 2000 years (probably more) they will never no peace. War is a way of life for them...

[NineseveN]

All well and good. And you are more right than wrong but.......

To me the main issue is like a 5'3" punk walking into a bar and taking a swing at a 6'4" guy. Maybe after the first few swings the bigger guy "exercises restraint" but at some point the punk gets hammered along with his buddies who were egging him on.

Yes, but what you're suggesting is more akin to turning around and firing off an AK-47 at the punk and hitting near everyone else in the bar, guilty or not. Say what you want, as pointed and poetic as you want, but the America that does that is not the America that the Founders intended, nor is it the one I want to support.

[MarcS]

All well and good. And you are more right than wrong but.......

To me the main issue is like a 5'3" punk walking into a bar and taking a swing at a 6'4" guy. Maybe after the first few swings the bigger guy "exercises restraint" but at some point the punk gets hammered along with his buddies who were egging him on.

The true crime is that we have for years allowed any punk to take a shot without doing much so of course all others thinks they can do the same without cost. This is why I'm not so hard for Bush for going off like a retard swinging at everybody and everything in the bar. Let them think we are more than a little crazy. You never know what those crazy Americans may do - lets not poke that retarded bear.

Eh, you're strong on truthiness there. What it's really like is the 5'3" dude taking a swing at the 6'4" dude because the 6'4" dude was over his house fucking his sister. Sure, to everyone in the bar who doesn't know the back story, this little guy looks like a total prick, begging for an ass whooping.

I'll also point out that our past restraint and being moral bought us no safety. Every President since WWII have prayed at the alter of "stability" which was all just a illusion of peace. Dream is over girls.

We weren't exactly non-interventionists during the cold war.