Sean Krupa – 7/14/05

This page was last updated on July 14, 2005.

Rethinking terrorism; Sean Krupa; Beaver County Times; July 14, 2005.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“The terrorist attacks that occurred last Thursday in London have proved one very frightening fact. No matter what country, regime or dictator we take military action against, there will always be terrorists plotting to destroy the innocent.”

[RWC] Was this news to Mr. Krupa?

“While it is true that this attack did not occur on American soil, our nation was led into this fight against terror with the promise of a safer world, rather than just a safer America.

“Maybe it is time to sit down and reflect. Rather than launch a full-on military action against these terrorists, could not our resources have been put to better use here at home? Perhaps doubling, tripling or quadrupling our security at our borders, airports and train stations would have in fact kept us safer than rushing to the offensive.”

[RWC] What is Mr. Krupa’s suggestion? Make us prisoners in our own country and give terrorists a safe haven from where they can train, plan, and launch attacks against us.

“Some may be angered at such a suggestion, but remember whom we are fighting against. These are murderers, criminals and suicide bombers. The territory they occupy has seen nothing but war for the past 2,000 years.

“Is it too bold an assumption to say that if we would have never gone after the terrorists, they would not have simply blown themselves up? Here we sit, 1,752 lives and nearly $180 billion later.”

[RWC] Did Mr. Krupa forget the following occurred BEFORE we got serious about going after terrorists?

· 1993: World Trade Center - six dead civilians

· 1993: U.S. peacekeepers in Somalia - 18 dead soldiers

· 1996: Khobar Towers military barracks in Saudi Arabia - 19 dead soldiers

· 1998: On February 23^rd, Osama bin Laden declared war on the United States.

· 1998: U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania - 224 dead African civilians

· 2000: USS Cole - 17 dead sailors

· 2001: Pentagon, World Trade Center, and Pennsylvania – approximately 3,000 dead civilians

“Saddam is behind bars, and Osama’s funds are cut. Still we live in fear because the terrorists are greater than two men or two countries.”

[RWC] Who lives in fear?

“The attacks that happened Thursday make it awfully hard to believe that the casualties and cost of this war have pushed the world anywhere closer to being a safe place.”

[RWC] I’m not sure, but it appears Mr. Krupa favors so-called safety over freedom. We can never be perfectly safe, but if we take Mr. Krupa’s position, we’ll also lose our freedom. If that happens, the terrorists will have won.