Wake up America

[gotterdamerung]

U.S. Navy Capt. Ouimette is the XO at NAS, Pensacola.

 

Here is a copy of the speech he gave last month. It is an accurate account of why we are in so much trouble today and why this action is so necessary.

 

AMERICA NEEDS TO WAKE UP!

 

That's what we think we heard on the 11th of September 2001 and maybe it

was, but I think it should have been "Get Out of Bed!" In fact, I think the

alarm clock has been buzzing since 1979 and we have continued to hit the

snoozebutton and roll over for a few more minutes of peaceful sleep since then.

 

It was a cool fall day in November 1979 in a country going through a

religious and political upheaval when a group of Iranian students attacked

and seized the American Embassy in Tehran. This seizure was an outright

attack onAmerican soil; it was an attack that held the world's most powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency. The attack on this sovereign U. S. embassy

set the stage for events to follow for the next 23 years.

 

America was still reeling from the aftermath of the Vietnam experience and

had a serious threat from the Soviet Union when then, President Carter,

had to do something. He chose to conduct a clandestine raid in the desert.The

ill-fated mission ended in ruin, but stood as a symbol of America's inability to deal with terrorism.America's military had been decimated and downsized/right sized since the end of the Vietnam War. A poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly

organized military was called on to execute a complex mission that was

doomed from the start.

 

Shortly after the Tehran experience, Americans began to be kidnapped and

killed throughout the Middle East. America could do little to protect her

citizens living and working abroad. The attacks against US soil continued.

In April of 1983 a large vehicle packed with high explosives was driven

into the US Embassy compound in Beirut. When it explodes, it kills 63

people.The alarm went off again and America hit the Snooze Button once more.

 

Then just six short months later a large truck heavily laden down with

over 2500 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps

headquarters in Beirut and 241 US servicemen are killed. America mourns

her dead and hit the Snooze Button once more.

 

Two months later in December 1983, another truck loaded with explosives is

driven into the US Embassy in Kuwait, and America continues her slumber.

 

The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the

gates of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept. Soon the terrorism

spreadsto Europe.

 

In April 1985 a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US

soldiers in Madrid.

 

Then in August a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main

gate of the US Air Force Base at Rhein-Main, 22 are killed and the snooze

alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US interests are continually

attacked.

 

Fifty-nine days later a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we

watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out of the passenger

list and executed.

 

The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when

they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4 and the most

tragic bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, killing

259. America wants to treat these terrorist acts as crimes; in fact we are

still trying to bring these people to trial. These are acts of war.

 

The wake up alarm is getting louder and louder The terrorists decide to

bring the fight to America. In January 1993, two CIA agents are shot and

killed as they enter CIA headquarters in! Langley , Virginia.

 

The following month, February 1993, a group of terrorists are arrested

after a rented van packed with explosives is driven into the underground parking

garage of the World Trade Center in New York City. Six people are killed

and over 1000 are injured. Still this is a crime and not an act of war?

 

The Snooze alarm is depressed again. Then in November 1995 a car bomb

explodes at a US military complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia killing seven

service men and women. A few months later in June of 1996, another truck

bomb explodes only 35 yards from the US military compound in Dhahran, Saudi

Arabia. It destroys the Khobar Towers, a US Air Force barracks, killing 19 and

injuring over 500. The terrorists are getting braver and smarter as they

see that America does not respond decisively..

 

They move to coordinate their attacks in a simultaneous attack on two US

embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. These attacks were planned with

precision. They kill 224. America responds with cruise missile attacks

and goes back to sleep.

 

The USS Cole was docked in the port of Aden, Yemen for refueling on 12

October 2000, when a small craft pulled along side the ship and exploded

killing 17 US Navy sailors. Attacking a US War Ship is an act of war, but

we sent the FBI to investigate the crime and went back to sleep.

 

And of course you know the events of 11 September 2001. Most Americans

think this was the first attack against US soil or in America. How wrong

they are. America has been under a constant attack since 1979 and we chose to

hit the snooze alarm and roll over and go back to sleep.

 

In the news lately we have seen lots of finger pointing from every high

official in government over what they knew and what they didn't know. But

if you've read the papers and paid a little attention I think you can see

exactly what they knew. You don't have to be in the FBI or CIA or on the

National Security Council to see the pattern that has been developing since 1979.

The President is right on when he says we are engaged in a war. I think

we have been in a war for the past 23 years and it will continue until we as

a people decide enough is enough.

 

America needs to "Get out of Bed" and act decisively now. America has

been changed forever. We have to be ready to pay the price and make the

sacrifice to ensure our way of life continues. We cannot afford to keep

hitting the snooze button again and again and roll over and go back to sleep.

 

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Yamamoto said "...it seems all

we have done is awakened a sleeping giant." This is the message we need to

disseminate to terrorists around the world.

 

Support Our Troops and support President Bush for having the courage,

political or militarily, to address what so many who preceded him didn't

have the backbone to do both Democrat and Republican. This is not a

political thing to be hashed over in an election year this is an AMERICAN thing.

This is about our Freedom and the Freedom of our children in years to come.

[Dave_Schuldt]

Dude, do you ever get tired of posting this shit? Give up, most of us on this board are lefties, so your posts fall on deaf ears.

[cracked]

Well, not that you'd know, Dave, but for people who actually have open minds, and whose opinions change as they gather information, sifting throught the left wing and right wing information and propaganda and deception and facts is, actually, valuable. Of course, if your political views are spoon-fed to you in short catch phrases that you can then blurt out quicky without thinking (FOUR LEGS GOOD! TWO LEGS BAD!), then reading other peoples' opinions is of no use.

 

[wally]

you seem to have no trouble posting your leftwing view points so whats wrong with hearing from the right.

[EWolfe]

boy, it's hot out today!

[Dru]

[Beck]

America destabilized the Mideast region by selling arms to BOTH Iran AND Iraq during the 1980's under Reagan. Good thing our country did that, they love us over there now!

 

 

 

We ourselves with this element of "foreign policy."

[nonanon]

Yeah, support the troops...

 

Or else.

[gotterdamerung]

Are you guys waiting for another 9/11 to take the side of the United States or are you all just waiting to go to prison after the next attack? Better wake the fuck up.

[gotterdamerung]

Dude, do you ever get tired of posting this shit? Give up, most of us on this board are lefties, so your posts fall on deaf ears.

 

Dude, no only the mods are the real lefties on this board besides you. I represent for the Americans who still give a fuck about their country.

[cj001f]

Well, not that you'd know, Dave, but for people who actually have open minds, and whose opinions change as they gather information, sifting throught the left wing and right wing information and propaganda and deception and facts is, actually, valuable. Of course, if your political views are spoon-fed to you in short catch phrases that you can then blurt out quicky without thinking (FOUR LEGS GOOD! TWO LEGS BAD!), then reading other peoples' opinions is of no use.

That's funny. I read it and saw an interesting analysis of 20 years, followed by a haphazard fallacious conclusion, yet again linking Saddam (who had nothing to do with 9/11 ) in the broader war on terror, that he isn't a part of. Of course a lie repeated a thousand times is a truth, huh cracked? I suggest you head to www.johnkerrysthedouchebagweneedtocleanamericafromthenotsofreshfeelingthebushescaused.com

[gotterdamerung]

If you read ancient history there has been a series of wars created for many of the same reasons as the one we are in that were far more devastating. The Romans were almost decimated by the Punic wars becuase they were so freaking liberal they didn't fight back until 2/3rds of their country was in flames. I would prefer not to see that happen to us.

[cracked]

Well, not that you'd know, Dave, but for people who actually have open minds, and whose opinions change as they gather information, sifting throught the left wing and right wing information and propaganda and deception and facts is, actually, valuable. Of course, if your political views are spoon-fed to you in short catch phrases that you can then blurt out quicky without thinking (FOUR LEGS GOOD! TWO LEGS BAD!), then reading other peoples' opinions is of no use.

That's funny. I read it and saw an interesting analysis of 20 years, followed by a haphazard fallacious conclusion, yet again linking Saddam (who had nothing to do with 9/11 ) in the broader was on terror, that he isn't a part of. Of course a lie repeated a thousand times is a truth, huh cracked? I suggest you head to www.johnkerrysthedouchebagweneedtocleanamericafromthenotsofreshfeelingthebushescaused.com

That's funny. I just read your post three times, and I still can't figure out what the fuck is has to do with my post. Your 'point' has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with my point.

 

See, I never said anything about the content of the article. Go back, read my post a few hundred times before responding. Hopefully you'll understand it by then, but I'm not holding my breath. Moron.

 

By the way, what exactly is a "broader was on terror"? Enlighten me, Oh Wise One.

 

Conclusion: you win the dumbass award. Congratulations.

[cj001f]

If you read ancient history there has been a series of wars created for many of the same reasons as the one we are in that were far more devastating. The Romans were almost decimated by the Punic wars becuase they were so freaking liberal they didn't fight back until 2/3rds of their country was in flames. I would prefer not to see that happen to us.

Huh?

1st Punic War was confined to Sicily

2nd Punic War - the Romans feared the military strength of Hannibal, who they couldn't defeat in open battle, but who didn't have enough soldiers to attack their cities, so they waited till he'd overextended his supply lines, then crushed him.

3rd Punic War - Rome sacked Carthage, killed or sold are the Carthaginians into slavery, then sowed the ground with salt.

 

I'm missing your reading of history

[cj001f]

That's funny. I read it and saw an interesting analysis of 20 years, followed by a haphazard fallacious conclusion, yet again linking Saddam (who had nothing to do with 9/11 ) in the broader was on terror, that he isn't a part of. Of course a lie repeated a thousand times is a truth, huh cracked? I suggest you head to www.johnkerrysthedouchebagweneedtocleanamericafromthenotsofreshfeelingthebushescaused.com

That's funny. I just read your post three times, and I still can't figure out what the fuck is has to do with my post. Your 'point' has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with my point.

 

See, I never said anything about the content of the article. Go back, read my post a few hundred times before responding. Hopefully you'll understand it by then, but I'm not holding my breath. Moron.

You find value by reading the halfbaked opinions of nutjobs right and left, and I'm the moron?

[Dru]

maybe you cockfighters meant the Pubic Wars

[gotterdamerung]

Actually I was referring to the 2nd Punic War in which Hannibal took advantage of a weakened and tired Roman Senate and seized Spain. There was a period of appeasement during which Hannibal crossed the Alps and bore down on Italy. 10's of thousands of Roman soldiers were killed at Cannae. Rome refused to sue for peace and simply fought on. The point was that they waited too long to act and were too weak in their initial responses and thousands of Roman citizens died as a result.

[cracked]

That's funny. I read it and saw an interesting analysis of 20 years, followed by a haphazard fallacious conclusion, yet again linking Saddam (who had nothing to do with 9/11 ) in the broader was on terror, that he isn't a part of. Of course a lie repeated a thousand times is a truth, huh cracked? I suggest you head to www.johnkerrysthedouchebagweneedtocleanamericafromthenotsofreshfeelingthebushescaused.com

That's funny. I just read your post three times, and I still can't figure out what the fuck is has to do with my post. Your 'point' has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with my point.

 

See, I never said anything about the content of the article. Go back, read my post a few hundred times before responding. Hopefully you'll understand it by then, but I'm not holding my breath. Moron.

You find value by reading the halfbaked opinions of nutjobs right and left, and I'm the moron?

The only halfbaked nutjob here is you. Dismissing something due only to its political slant, as Dave was doing, is pretty stupid.

 

I agree that the conclusion of said article doesn't make much sense, but the author's analysis of the past 30 years is interesting, and hence worth reading. I'll agree that his snooze button metaphor is weak.

 

You never answered my question. What's a 'broader was on terror'?

[j_b]

reading some of that stuff makes it difficult to believe it's the 21st century. "yeah dude! what do you think cro-magnon man did when the neighbor checked out his woman's loin a little too intently?"

[nonanon]

Way I read that piece seems like the military's the one sleeping at the switch. Embassies, HQs, bases, the Cole, the freakin? Pentagon!!! Maybe they should put more effort into protecting their assets and spend less time whining about whether they feel ?supported? or not.

[gotterdamerung]

"Any discussion of the new century, however, must begin with the old one."

 

-Robert Kaplan

[j_b]

far from me not to discuss history. i am only concerned when we don't learn from it or behave as if the world is the same it once was.

[cj001f]

The only halfbaked nutjob here is you. Dismissing something due only to its political slant, as Dave was doing, is pretty stupid.

 

I agree that the conclusion of said article doesn't make much sense, but the author's analysis of the past 30 years is interesting, and hence worth reading. I'll agree that his snooze button metaphor is weak.

 

You never answered my question. What's a 'broader was on terror'?

[nonanon]

"When you're good with a $600 hammer..."

[JoshK]

I am still, after all the crap from both sides, at a loss of understanding on why Iraq has anything to do with 9/11. I completely agree that we have to attack the fucks behind that and other terrorist attacks, and hit them hard. I think Iraq has only served to isolate us more and direct attention away from the real problem. The commission stated the obvious: that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Bush's big mistake was not taking the good will that the world gave us following 9/11 and using it to really hit these bastards where it hurts. We had an opportunity (I believe) to really unite the world around rooting this shit out. Afghanistan was the correct start. The Taliban needed to go. They WERE harboring these guys and supporting them. Sadaam was not. Going after him for Bush's persona vendata, oil, or whatever you view the reason as, has only pissed others off. It's not a matter of our safety, it's a matter of us not taking the best course of action to get the end we want.