[quote=Arraya][quote=surveyor][quote=Arraya]If we “won” Vietnam, would anything be different? What would we have won, bragging rights?[/quote]
Bin Ladin said specifically that when he studied American history, that he concluded that America was a paper tiger, that if you bloody its nose, it would run away.
He got that lesson from Vietnam.[/quote]
Do you have a link for that quote because it sounds like a right-wing myth. Here is the only OBL vietnam quote I could find.
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So just because it contradicts your world view you think it’s a right-wing myth?
Sorry that the facts get in the way. Even from your quote it was obvious that bin Ladin studied history. He may have a sick view of it, but he did study it.
From an interview in 1998: http://www.meforum.org/435/usama-bin-ladin-american-soldiers-are-paper-tigers
“Bin Ladin: After God honored us with victory in Afghanistan, and justice prevailed against those who slaughtered millions of Muslims in the Muslim republics, Muslim minds no longer believed in the myth of superpowers. The youth no longer saw America as a superpower.
After leaving Afghanistan they headed for Somalia and prepared for a long battle, thinking that the Americans were like the Russians. They were surprised when the Americans entered with 300,000 troops, and collected other troops from around the world-5,000 from Pakistan, 5,000 from India, 5,000 from Bangladesh, 5,000 from Egypt, Senegal, and others like Saudi Arabia. The youth were surprised at the low morale of the American soldiers and realized more than before that the America soldiers are paper tigers. After a few blows, the Americans ran away in defeat.
After a few blows, they forgot about being the world leader and the leader of the new world order. They left, dragging their corpses and their shameful defeat, and stopped using such titles. They learned in America that this name [i.e., God] is larger than them.
When this great defeat took place I was in Sudan, and it pleased me very much, just as it pleases all Muslims. God willing, the next victory will be in Hijaz and Najd, [provinces of] Saudi Arabia, and it will cause Americans to forget the horrors of Vietnam and Beirut.”
So realize whatever you feel about how the war started and who started it, there will be huge repercussions based on how it is resolved. If the U.S. leaves Afghanistan and Iraq in shame, then the muslim world will have won a tremendous victory against the great satan. This will result in a huge rallying cry that will increase alQaeda’s popularity and recruitment drive. It will increase attacks against the U.S. and all its allies, esp. Israel.
