It's one week later. 

Last Thursday I ate turkey,enjoyed friends and family. I feasted and celebrated the things I was thankful for.  Even though the origin of the holiday celebration is only remotely related to why I celebrate it, I've never been critical of the disparity.  I am thankful and on the third Thursday of November my family and I celebrate that which we are thankful for. 

However, this year was more melancholy.  I felt something subtle and personal inside.  I felt for people on the other side of the world.  I cared for their tragedy, and their fate.  I paused, and considered the ramifications, and understood that their fate was inextricably tied to my own.  This terrible incident has global impact.  We must acknowledge this, and act appropriately.



Through what  I've read it appears that perhaps 119 or more people were killed in this tragedy.  This brazen attack was executed with precision, audacity, and a nihilist mindset by a group of men of unknown affiliation.  Who were they?  Why did they attack?  What was their purpose?  How was this planned and executed?  What were the details around the plan and how did they maintain operational security.  I've recently heard that American intelligence informed the Indian government of an impending terrorist attack.  Did they?  What do I know? 

Next to nothing. 

What have I seen?  I've seen outrage, horror, fear, the erosion of faith and hope, the strengthening of hate, and the impending mobilization of action derived of national pride.  This is incredibly dangerous.  When I went back to work on Monday a friend of mine from India said, "we continue to reach out to the Pakistanis, but every time we think things are going well, they fall apart.  They attack us!"

She said attack.  Is this the truth? 

I don't know.  I don't think she knows.  I think she's angry, which is justified.  And, much like us Americans, she wants her country to get a little getback!  However, in this instance, the two nations that would engage in conflict are armed with nuclear weapons.  A war between Pakistan and India is completely and totally unacceptable.  Members of the US State Department, and the wider International community, are urging Pakistan to completely denounce this attack, and reach out to India in earnest cooperation to identify, isolate, and destroy the terrorist.  Still, the need for something radical has become clear.

What do I mean when I say radical?  I'm not talking about bombing runs.  I'm not talking about Special Forces.  I'm not talking about SHOCK & AWE.  Am I ruling it out?  Never!  Military options must always remain on the table.  However, when considering how we can destroy terror, I think it's necessary that we STOP & THINK, and utilize every tool at our disposal to bring a full court press against the purveyors of terror.  The movement must be squashed at its root.  The ability to recruit must be hobbled, hacked, starved, and eliminated.  The young recruits must be given a different option.  They must be made to see that the path of terror is not a means to an end.  They must be made to understand that it is not viable, and that their lives will serve no purpose, and as such their afterlife will be an empty hollow thing with no glory or gratification.   



As you examine the picture above you see the stains of death, blood, bags, and empty spaces.  The empty spaces denote where people moved aggressively, running, ducking, stepping on friends and family, grabbing and holding onto friends and family, running, praying, screaming, crying, slipping on blood as people unknown looked up, surprised, shocked, as life fled their body, and they fell to the floor, making another stain, the imprint of death.  There was running, and more running, emptying spaces, demanding that life keep them, not let them go, and release them to the madmen at the rear, the sweating manic, cocaine crazed madmen that have almost inexplicably been convinced that their actions are justified, that what they're doing is right, that as each second passes, and they rain hot, metallic, death down on the infidels before them they're getting closer and closer to paradise, and 75 alluring gazes, and spread legs, undefiled by any other man. 



Madness. 

It's sheer madness.  Terror begets terror.  The objective is an ephemeral thing.  The belief is that given enough time, enough acts of terror will convince those against whom the terrorist fight to give in.  The hope is that they will capitulate.  There has been capitulation in the past.  The US left Lebanon due to terror attacks.  The Soviets got out of Afghanistan because they could not sustain their position against the Mujahadeen.  In some situations terror does achieve an objective.  However, terror leaders don't think critically, and their foot soldiers don't think at all.  If they did, they would know that they cannot ever hope to win against an organized and militarily superior nation-state.  They dream of plans of breaking the economic system.  They think of total demoralization.  They think of atrocities, and readily put them into action.  None of these actions will result in eventual victory.  At most, it will do what it has done, result in blanket bombing, freezing of assets, and all out war against their positions.  What is at the core of this desire to win through sheer stupidity is the sincere lack of critical thinking skills.  They lack education. 



Now please, let me be clear.  The leaders of many of these movements are quite educated.  They simply don't take the time to think.  They don't study history appropriately, and what they do study they don't apply strategically.  If they did, they would understand that to move the West they should seek to make the West understand them.  This cannot be accomplished by the business-end of a gun. What they are doing is creating intractable enemies, and even those of us they would desire to see all this conflict end with some sort of peace will gladly join our more warlike brethren in smashing them down if our hands are continuously forced.  We can only bear so much. 

Still, there is hope.

I heard Deepak Chopra on CNN following the attacks.  He spoke of renaming the War on Terror.  I don't know what we can call it ... maybe the Defense against Terror, The Redemption of Terror, The Anti-Terror Movement, or the World Anti-Terror Initiative.  The point would be to rename it, and make it something more positive that is world-inclusive, emphasizes change, and motivates and rallies people around the world.  I agree with him in this.  We need something new, something better.

Deepak talked about what a young man would call an action that resulted in the death of his entire family, leaving him alone.  What if his family lived in the village?  What if they didn't do anything but raise sheep?  What if there were terrorist in the village?  What if in an effort to kill the terrorist with advanced directed weapons, something went awry, and hit his house instead?  What if hot burning death rained down on all he knew from 30,000 feet?  In all likelihood, we have just created another terrorist.  People, we will use our bombs.  However, we must be sure we use them effectively.  Did we have appropriate assets on the ground directing munitions?  Did we have the right target?  And, are we pulling double duty, recruiting other locals in the area to our cause?  Are we helping them understand that terror is not only wrong, but it's ridiculously stupid, does not achieve strategic objectives, eventually ends in a complete mess, and nothing more than the loss of life, glorious life that could have contributed something wonderful? 

People, education is key.  Diplomacy is key.  The Military is key, but must be used effectively and appropriately.  Just look at what General Petraeus was able to accomplish in Iraq.  He used diplomacy, education, cash, and coalition.  These were his chosen weapons.  He turned foe into friend.  Said former-foe turned into combatants, rooting out and routing more intractable foes.  This was wisdom.  This was critical thinking.  This was the effective use of everything at our disposal.  The General is nation building, and he's ready to take his methods back to US Central Command and project into Afghanistan, where it is sorely needed.  Yes, the General went to Iraq ... he brought change ... he brought innovative ideas ... he's a critical thinker and a powerful motivator.   He's a warrior.  Still, even though he is a breaker, he is also a mender.  Education is key, people.  In Iraq, the General is building schools.  We must always be ready with an olive branch, even when our other hand remains firmly wrapped around the handle of a firearm.