Rekna

What if every time these militants beheaded a captive we beheaded those they wanted freed? And if they didn't want anyone freed we just picked a few that we know are terrorists that we have in captivity. What if at the same time we filmed it and put it all over the internet.


What do you think would be the response by the (1) terrorists, (2) World Muslim population, (3) World non-muslim population, (4) American muslim population, and (5) American non-muslim population?

Seaver

Our moral highground would slip into an abyss.

1) Terrorists would have a reason to proclaim their hatred of us, and would proclaim those killed to be myrtars.
2) Moderate Muslims would sway away from us and back to funding terrorism.
3) Non-Muslims would start to feel sympathy for the terrorists.
4) American Muslims would be completely outraged. We didnt decapitate Japanese POWs even though they did it to us after all.
5) 90% of the population would be outraged and would ensure whoever was in office wouldnt survive the next election.

Zeld2.0

Agreed.

I think most Americans are outraged at the simple fact that it is a beheading. Not necessarily because of its statement or intent or what not, but the fact it is a beheading.

If we started beheading people, a lot of people would be pretty outraged as well.

Rekna

I agree that most of the world and US would be outraged, i'm more curious to what would be the reaction of the people doing the beheading.

Zeld2.0

Other than a touch of irony, I really don't think it would change much other than give them more fire to continue killing.

oktjabr

They probably wouldn't be as disgusted about the beheading (as a concept), as it is a rather customary way of execution in the arab countries with death penalty, at least around the Persian gulf. I don't even think that they directly (at least in the beginning, before seeing the media reaction) thought about the fact that beheading hostages might be somehow more revolting than killing them in some other way.

Correction: Customary as a part of Sharia. I'm not aware what countries actually practice beheading. At least Saudi Arabia?

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apeman

what's left of it would, i don't think it's in great condition at the moment to be honest

we shall see what happens post-handover... good luck to the new government, I think they might need it

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Kadath

"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind."

Not a good plan.

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Dragonlich

I suggest desecrating the bodies of dead terrorists. As far as I know, there was this rule in the Koran about not going to heaven if you have been in contact with a pig or something... If this is true, I'd say that'd pretty much ruin their plans of going to heaven.

But then I don't give a rat's arse about dead bodies. Nor do I care about Muslim anger at our treatment of their poor innocent terrorists...

/wishful thinking.

wonderwench

Some food for thought:

General Black Jack Pershing:
was born Septs. 13, 1860 near Laclede MS. He died July 15, 1948 in Washingtone D.C. Highlights of his life are as follows:
1891 Prof. of Military Science and Tactics University of Nebraska
1898 Serves in the Spanish American War
1901 Promoted to rank of Captain
1906 Promoted to rank of Brigadeer General
1909 Military Govenor of Moro Province, Phillippines
1916 Made Major General
1919 Promoted to General of Armies
1921 Appointed Chief of Staff
1924 Retires from Active Duty

Just before WWl, there were a number of attacks on the U.S. Forces in the Phillippins by Muslim extremists.
So General Pershing captured 50 terrorists and had them tied to posts for execution. He then had his men bring in two pigs and slaughter them in front of the now horrified terrorists. Muslims detest pork because they beleive pigs are filthy animals. Some of them simply refuse to eat it, while others won`t even touch pigs ay all, nor any of there by-products. To them, eating of touching a pig, it`s meat it`s blood ect., is to be instantly barred from Paradise (and the virgins) and doomed to hell. The soldiers then soaked their bullets in the pigs blood, and proceeded to execute 49 of the terrorists by firing squad. The soldiers then dug a big hole, dumped in the terrorists bodies and covered them in pigs blood and entrails ect. They let the 50th terrorist go. And for the next 42 years there was not a single Muslim extemist attack anywhere in the world. Maybe it`s time for this segment of history to repeat itself, maybe in Iraq.

djtestudo

I agree with that.

At least bury the bodies with pig carcasses. Make sure it's ONLY the terrorists, though, and not anyone who just happened to die in the way. Otherwise, it could get even uglier over there.

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wonderwench

A member on another board I frequent told a story about a friend of his who is a contractor. He was hired to rebuild a mosque in the Mid-East. He completed the work, but the customers wanted to pay him only half of the agreed upon price. They then wanted him to redo a large portion of the building. He re-did the work. They still refused to pay the full fee.

What he didn't tell them is that, while redoing the walls, he put slabs of bacon inside of them. He plans to contact them in a few years and tell them that they have been praying to a dead pig.

Zeld2.0

Well he probably would win jackass of the year award.

I don't care much for terrorists but disrespecting another religion no matter happened is a pretty shitty thing to do.

wonderwench

Yes, he probably would at that.

I still think it is rather funny - and they did invite a bit of retaliation by not honoring the agreement.

Zeld2.0

Funny? - Yeah, in a way, it is funny.

But still, I think disrespecting a mass of people is pretty shitty.

Of course, if he did it if they did honor the agreement - that would just plain be bad.

onetime2

Should the notion of Delenda Est grow, perhaps the terrorists will succeed in creating a war on Islam.

Morality aside, people will either become numb to the barbaric acts or they will decide to act out. Should people decide that killing one for one isn't enough, it could become a city for one. It's, in some ways, similar to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Basically making it far too costly to continue down this road.

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kutulu

whatever happened to taking the high ground?

silent_jay

Peopel disgusted by beheadings talking about beheadings as reprecussions, what is this world coming to.

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wonderwench

Wars of survival are not pretty.

Dragonlich

Well, while you're taking the moral high ground, I'd rather put an end to this senseless slaughter. You can be high and mighty all you want, but your extremist enemies won't give a rat's arse about your morality, and will continue to kill people in nasty ways.

Wars like this aren't won by being nice, they're won by making sure the other side understands they'll die a horrific death if they try anything.

kutulu

Pardon me if I'm not willing to undermind everything this country is built on to win. I'd like to think that we are different than the terrorists. Your solution turns our military into terrorists.

djtestudo

Our country was built on the idea of everyone being free to live their lives. They are undermining that freedom. In my mind, that allows us to do whatever it takes to stop them.

__________________
"Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen."
--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

kutulu

I'm sorry but that's just insane to think that the terrorists are taking away the right for us to live our lives. They have made a few attacks that don't even come close to the amount of violence we've committed against ourselves over the same time period.

The terrorists are not the ones who are taking away our rights bit by bit. The terrorists probably wouldn't even give a shit about us if we weren't constantly trying to manipulate the balance of power in their area and influence their culture.

We are not the terrorists. We should not act like we are either.

wonderwench

It most certainly is not insane. The terrorists' objective is to destroy our way of life.

Period.

Appeasement is impossible. Co-existence equally so. They started it. It is up to us to finish it.

Fortunately, others in the Islamic world are finally awakening to the danger posed by extremists. The sooner moderate Muslims stop supporting terrorists by remaining silent and inactive, the better.

james t kirk

I had heard that Pershing story before and wonder if it is true.

It is probably going to turn into a religious war whether we like it or not. Mind you, I don't think beheading a few terrorists is going to help.

The pig idea may actually go further. (As crazy as that might be.)

Although I am not a Denis Miller fan, I heard he made a joke the other night about Abu Ghraib. Something to the effect of, "well at least the guys at Abu Ghraib with the panties on their heads still have their heads attached"

wonderwench

I don't like the idea of retaliatory beheadings. But pouring pigs' blood on the corpses of terrorists who are executed after a fair trial in which they are judged guilty and sentenced to death wouldn't bother me in the least.

brianna

ok, lets say we adopt this simplistic "eye for an eye"/"head for a head" idea. where are you going to get people to murder that we *know* are actually terrorists? how do you plan to prove that they are terrorists? or do you find that fact unimportant? what actions would warrant being a possible candidate? is being muslim enough? is professing a hatred for america enough? how about a hatred for president bush? how about trying to form an organization that is against the U.S. invasion and occupation of iraq? what about having attacked an occupying soldier? you're certainly not going to have any opportunity to kill suicide bombers and we've yet to capture any of the men doing the beheadings for the terrorist groups.

it seems to me that on top of this plan being morally repugnant and sure to turn every single one of our allies and the majority of the american populus against us it's also less than realistic.

absorbentishe

Two wrongs don't make a right, no matter what. If we were to execute any terrorist, they would see it as open season on anyone that isn't middle eastern (muslim).

wonderwench

They already do.

fuzyfuzer

i think the ends do justify the means to an extent and this is not necissarily steping over the line

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Dragonlich

I agree. The terrorists have no problems with killing any non-Muslim, nor with killing their own people. They already hate us, so it's not like revenge is going to change that.

...besides, what's the alternative here? Do you have a solution that's better, and works in the long *and* the short term?

Zeld2.0

Would it be a solution is the better question.

And to that, I would say, no it probably wouldn't be (it being retaliatory beheading or pouring pig blood).

Because you stated it yourself - they wouldn't have a problem either way.

apeman

yeah good idea, i'm sure that will work. it won't alienate the few remaining allies the US has, or make all the moderate muslims hate you too. it's a fantastic idea.

/sarcasm ends

please may i leave the planet?

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onetime2

Absolutely. They did just fly the first privately owned craft into space you know.

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cosmoknight

Since the whole object of some of these terrorists is martyrdom why not deny them after they are dead the reason they committed these acts. If a suicide bomber blows himself up, confiscate the body and bury him with a pig or suitable defacement. According to their religion this would deny him the virgins and other gifts he was promised. It would also make other think twice about killing themselves if they were going to be barred from their afterlife.

highthief

Hey CK, welcome aboard!

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apeman

what body? there's not much left of suicide bombers afterwards... why not just hose down the area with pig blood?

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cosmoknight

Not true in many cases in Israel they have even enough left to identify the body. I was told in instances were they wear a bomb vest the head sometimes is blown clean. Also any insurgents shot sshould be confiscated for the same treatment.

cosmoknight

Thanks for the link HT, cool place!

apeman

ah ok, i'll allow you that point still sounds a bit macarbre to me though

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