Riz Khan - The long war - 16 March 09 - Part 1

[elmazote]

bobbitt's most recent books (the shield of achilles; terror and consent) are cogent.

i would argue that these books deserve to be read widely, if only one takes these issues seriously and cares to refute them.

[blackxavior]

A terrorist is someone that commits acts of violence for political gain (mainly violent symbolic attacks against week targets) with no hope of a conventional military victory.

US has never used terrorism.

[Epsilon17Syn]

@blackxavior

You defined terrorist more or less correctly. However remember that a terrorist and the concept, terrorism, are different ideas; you failed to define terrorism, which in your argument was definitely a required premise to make the invalid conclusion that you did - US has never used terrorism. This is also wrong because the U.S. has inflicted terrorism through use of institutions such as the CIA etc. These institutions commit acts of violence to promote U.S. political interests.

[blackxavior]

@Epsilon17Syn Any act of violence perpetrated by the US to advance its interests has the potential to be followed through with a conventional military victory. Therefore the US has never used terrorism.

[starmanskye]

Bobbit IS little more than a shill for US militarism -- saying it's 'absurd' that the US is the world's biggest terrorist. Clearly, the US has murdered millions of innocents through its economic and military policies, overthrowing legitimate civilly-responsive regimes and installing/supporting despotic tyrants -- ie., Saddam and Iran's Shah were US client state proxies. According to Bobbit's OWN definition of terrorism: the use of violence to prevent people what they are legally entitled to do.

[micahgee]

yea this was a good interview,

Bobbit is caught up in his own lies!

USA = the biggest terrorist state in the world

Hes an apologist for state terror.

[IdleBystander1]

Am I the only one who sees this guy as reasonable. I disagree with his support of our starting the Iraq war, but I don't think any of his definitions are wrong. He doesn't seem to be talking in ideological or black and white terms. What's wrong with him?

[micahgee]

he denies that the US kills thousands of innocent people every year so hes not reasonable...

How can you fight a war to protect civilians when fighting a war KILLS civilians???

[IdleBystander1]

Where does he deny that?

If more people would be worse off without us there, then we should stay. Leaving a nonfunctional state is what causes terrorism. When we merely kill people and leave, that makes terrorists. If we build schools, build infrastructure, and create jobs we make environments inhospitable to extremism. Not that I think we should have gone into Iraq, but we should be much more careful leaving than we were going in.

[micahgee]

he denies that the US is involved in acts of terror. He makes the statement that the US is fighting a war to protect civilians (while killing them).

The Afghani people would be better off without Foreign military intervention. The forces fighting, NATO/US and the Taliban, are both foreign occupiers who don't care about Afghans.

The US armed, trained and paid for the very same organizations it is fighting against.

Funny how 20 years can turn Afghan "Freedom-fighters" to "evil terrorists"...

[NeelBakt]

this nut should be hanged. He is a moron. He probably works for military industrial complex

[schultzee4748]

I think that there is so much hidden from view in all that has happened that we will not know what really happened and all the parties that benefitted in our lifetimes.

Hopefully future generations will follow the money trail.

[az11z9]

The guess is full of crap and hyporacies

[oceanbound222]

This guy speaks BULLSHIT !!!

[Epsilon17Syn]

@oceanbound222

It's always amusing to see an intellectually stimulating conversation on a youtube video followed by someone insulting it with zero justification. Ultimately, who do you think comes off better? The author of two revolutionary books, who went to Yale, Princeton and the best university in the world, Oxford, or some random person posting an unfounded insult? Perhaps you better revise your views...

[Snoopies622]

This guy sounds like nothing but another Bush Administration hack. Why is Al Jazeera wasting its time with him?

[Sheogorath64]

That's actually John Bobitt, but he changed his name to Phil after somebody lobbed off his cock.

[Epsilon17Syn]

@Snoopies622

You're being prejudicial, because of how he sounds. In fact if you opened your mind a bit and did some research before making blind criticisms, he, Philip Bobbitt, has actually criticized both the Bush administration and the Obama administration whilst simultaneously helping them as a consultant on the issue.

His party alignment is irrelevant. The topic is not associated with either the Democratic or Republican party. It is also not only an issue for the U.S.

[Gunnarsguns]

Na....we couldnt have a nazi side. The neo cons that plotted this mess are all jewish. You have to call it something else.

[somethingawful01]

Gunnarsguns, why can't Jews be Nazi's? Their entire doctrine is based on Lebensraum and a GrossIsrael. Some want that GrossIsrael to encompass nearly the entirety of the Middle East, then they have shoved people in Ghetto's and shoot kids at will with sniper rifles. Amon Goethe would have been jealous.

Just because Mussolini was a fascist nobody else can be? Nazism is a doctrine, and Zionists are the biggest disease that has ever existed and it's time we exterminated that disease.

[Gunnarsguns]

My comments were made tongue in cheek sir....you are completely right

[somethingawful01]

I thank Al Jazeera for showing the Nazi side of our 'Western' civilisaion. Lebensraum fur ein Gross Western world, well done to the so called enlightened world.

And don't forget poor masses of the world: Arbeit Macht Frei!

[conduit99]

*sigh* stupid white man....

[conduit99]

"'protecting civilians' to 'win' war on 'terror'"? After MURDERING Millions of Innocent Muslims since 9/11? Who buys this SHIT?

[conduit99]

Also, someone needs to tell this whiteman that people have different definitions of what is "Legal". Ever changing Western laws are not everyone's ref point. B/c God knows that the West (the power of the day) doesnt even follow it's own laws or the international laws it creates. It's whatever suits their interests that counts. It also ignores warcrimes done by their allies & decides to enforce towards it's decided enemies. It's all PR & perception. The West is the POLAR opposite 2 Justice & Law.