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From: cramer@kontron.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.followup,net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: Air raid on Libya
Message-ID: <736@kontron.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-Apr-86 12:46:55 EST
Article-I.D.: kontron.736
Posted: Tue Apr 22 12:46:55 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Apr-86 05:39:18 EST
References: <170@westpt.UUCP> <223@rtech.UUCP>
Organization: Kontron Electronics, Mt. View, CA
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Xref: watmath net.followup:5952 net.politics:15234

> > 
> > In article <157@unido.UUCP> Andreas Borman of West Germany writes:
> >> >After watching the TV pictures of the american air raid against Libya
> >> >I think that I have to regard this act as an act of state terrorism.
> > 
> > In article <720@ark.UUCP> Peter Hommel of the Netherlands writes:
> >> I think R. Reagan has done the right thing.
> > 
> > Let's look at the facts:
> > Numero uno:   We tried ignoring Qaddafi...   but he didn't go away.
> > Numero two-o: Why is he bombing a disco in Germany??
> > 
> > A lot of naive people think that the world is full of normal, moral,
> > peace-loving persons...   this is a good generalization but Qaddafi
> > is an obvious exception....   when reason and logic fail, that only
> > leaves power....    either economic or military...   we the USA have
> > exhusted our economic influence on Libya....
> 
> Bull.  What economic sanctions has the U.S. taken against Libya?  Have we
> made the import of Libyan goods illegal?  Have we impounded Libyan funds in
> U.S. banks?  The fact is that the U.S. goverment has made almost no attempt
> at peaceful ways of punishing Libya.  Bombing raids make for bigger headlines.

I don't think you read the newspapers much, Mr. Lichtman.  About two years
ago the U.S. did set economic sanctions against Libya.  Unfortunately, they
don't do much good as long as Europe is unwilling to go along.

> They also kill a lot of civilians.  Don't try to say that civilian deaths
> are mistakes.  They are the types of "mistakes" that inevitably happen during
> military actions (such as "surgical strikes").
> 

Building military targets in proximity to civilian housing is the fault of
the Libyans -- if a criminal took a hostage and tried to kill you behind 
that cover, would you feel responsible if in defending yourself you killed
the hostage?  Of course not -- the criminal put the hostage at risk, and
the criminal is responsible for the death.

> > that only leaves one
> > thing....    What would Andreas Borman be saying if it were his
> > brother under the rubble in Berlin???
> > 
> > ------------------------------------------------------
> >                                      ((   ))
> > Cpt Brian Boyter                   ((       ))
> > US Military Academy                  ((   ))
> > West Point, NY 10996                   |||
> > UUCP:  philabs!westpt!boyter           |||
> > MA:    (914)938-3233                  >|||<
> >                                     Muammar...
> >                                  Where are you???
> > _______________________________________________________
> 
> Oh, wonderful.  Captain Boyter fantasizes about dropping atomic weapons on
> Libya.  If that should happen, I guess he'll be dancing in the street when
> his flesh is burned off his bones by the Soviet Union's counter-strike.
> -- 
> Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.)

The "mushroom cloud" is a standard part of Boyter's signature -- perhaps
he neglected to add a :-)

Let's all remember that collective unwillingness to take actions against
Mussolini and Hitler in the 1930s made World War II happen.  Military
against in 1936 when Hitler remilitarized the Ruhr would probably have
brought Hitler's government down.

Hand-wringing and polite requests are taken as signs of weakness by
the truly evil.