French Ride Forth to Check Islamic Aggresion

[Zundfolge]

I have to disagree. This isn't a war on Islam; in the sense that, the goal is not the destruction of Islam as a religion, or the conversion of any adherents, which is the only sense a "war on islam" makes sense.

It IS (or should be) a war to keep Islam out of the political arena, where it has proven to be destructive to human well-being and liberty.

You just articulated The West's fundamental misunderstanding of Islam.

Islam is a religion. Islam is a political system. Islam is a life system. There can be no religion of Islam without the Islamic state and without the Islamic life system (Sharia Law). They are inseparable. Political Islam must be eradicated. Unfortunately you can't eliminate it without eliminating the religion as well. You can beat them back to where they're not a significant threat but as long as the religion of Islam exists, political Islam will always return and try to take over the world.

The central tenant of the religion of Islam is the central tenant of political Islam. Kill or convert everyone.

[KestrelBike]

Islamists taking hostages in Algeria in retribution for the French intervention in Mali: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21042659
Meanwhile, criminals, vagabonds and psychopaths - sorry, I mean the French Foreign Legion - are rolling out of Bamako: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21038856

Reportedly engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the Islamists.

This whole thing has an eerie ring of history to it.

I know you jest, but the FFL really has the pick of the litter these days with the economy so they're not all terrible thugs.

[Pancho Villa]

I know you jest, but the FFL really has the pick of the litter these days with the economy so they're not all terrible thugs.

I know.

I still love the history of the thing, though. Like post-WWII where most of the FFL seemed to be ex-SS...

[Pancho Villa]

You just articulated The West's fundamental misunderstanding of Islam.

Islam is a religion. Islam is a political system. Islam is a life system. There can be no religion of Islam without the Islamic state and without the Islamic life system (Sharia Law). They are inseparable. Political Islam must be eradicated. Unfortunately you can't eliminate it without eliminating the religion as well. You can beat them back to where they're not a significant threat but as long as the religion of Islam exists, political Islam will always return and try to take over the world.

The central tenant of the religion of Islam is the central tenant of political Islam. Kill or convert everyone.

History disagrees with you. There are sects of Islam that are fervently antipolitical; I think this sort of thing is just more conservative masturbatory fantasies about a repeat of the crusades.

You can do it, you just have to set about with the goal being to do it; not "install democracy and hope everything works out."

[ruthabagah]

I know.

I still love the history of the thing, though. Like post-WWII where most of the FFL seemed to be ex-SS...

When I trained with them in Guyana they were all former east german Stasi or Romanian securitat... Yeah, lot of blood on their hands.

[Pancho Villa]

When I trained with them in Guyana they were all former east german Stasi or Romanian securitat... Yeah, lot of blood on their hands.

That's a story you need to tell some time. I'd love to hear it over a beer.

[ruthabagah]

That's a story you need to tell some time. I'd love to hear it over a beer.

Will be happy to.

[Rucker61]

You just articulated The West's fundamental misunderstanding of Islam.

Islam is a religion. Islam is a political system. Islam is a life system. There can be no religion of Islam without the Islamic state and without the Islamic life system (Sharia Law). They are inseparable. .

There are quite a few Turks who would disagree with this statement.

[Pancho Villa]

Related: recently, French Operatuers tried to rescue a spy in custody of the bad guys in Somalia...the bad guys were somehow tipped off to the incoming raid and were present in numbers and ready. The French team was repelled with 2 casualties.

A bit ghastly, so don't look if you aren't okay with it. Pic of one of the killed french operatuers:



Apparently the french SF guys (or at least this guy and one other) favored the MP7 and Glock 19. Typical gear for a SF raid otherwise - breaching stuff and so forth.



Arrow is where they deployed from helis, expecting to roll in with total surprise. The box is where the target was, and where lots of somalis were, ready for them.

There have been a few western SF teams apparently ambushed by the enemy who is ready and waiting. Is the enemy penetrating our intelligence services or are we just becoming predictable?

Or are they just getting lucky?

[KestrelBike]

I know.

I still love the history of the thing, though. Like post-WWII where most of the FFL seemed to be ex-SS...

I read somewhere that about 66% of the legionnaires who parachuted into the siege of Dien Bien Phu were all ex-wehrmacht/SS.