Here is a little history and a little history being repeated. In the 60s, MacNamara had a classified study done on the history of our involvement in Vietnam. He wanted to know how we got into this mess. That study became know as The Pentagon Papers. it was leaked by Daniel Ellsberg in 1971. That's another story. Here is a paragraph from The Pentagon Papers:

The Pentagon Papers
Gravel Edition
Volume 1
Chapter I, "Background to the Crisis, 1940-50," pp. 1-52.
(Boston: Beacon Press, 1971)

With British cooperation, French military forces were reestablished in South Vietnam in September, 1945. The U.S. expressed dismay at the outbreak of guerrilla warfare which followed, and pointed out that while it had no intention of opposing the reestablishment of French control, "it is not the policy of this government to assist the French to reestablish their control over Indochina by force, and the willingness of the U.S. to see French control reestablished assumes that [the] French claim to have the support of the population in Indochina is borne out by future events." Through the fall and winter of 1945-1946, the U.S. received a series of requests from Ho Chi Minh for intervention in Vietnam; these were, on the record, unanswered. However, the U.S. steadfastly refused to assist the French military effort, e.g., forbidding American flag vessels to carry troops or war materiel to Vietnam. On March 6, 1946, the French and Ho signed an Accord in which Ho acceded to French reentry into North Vietnam in return for recognition of the DRV as a "Free State," part of the French Union. As of April 1946, allied occupation of Indochina was officially terminated, and the U.S. acknowledged to France that all of Indochina had reverted to French control. Thereafter, the problems of U.S. policy toward Vietnam were dealt with in the context of the U.S. relationship with France.

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"Through the fall and winter of 1945-1946, the U.S. received a series of requests from Ho Chi Minh for intervention in Vietnam; these were, on the record, unanswered." Ho Chi Minh was asking for US help. Ho Chi Minh was willing to make Vietnam a protectorate of the US, much like the Phillipines. But Truman sided with his white buddies, the French. And millions died because of that decision.

History repeats itself. Osama bin Laden just offered Europe a truce. Move your military out and we will stop killing you.

Understanding Osama

As everyone has probably heard by now, last week a tape from bin Laden offered reconciliation with Europe. The condition was simple, any government that agrees to not attack Muslims and to not interfere in Muslim affairs will, in turn, not be attacked.E It was rejected out of hand... ... and bin Laden is smart enough to know that the offer would be rejected. Moreover it's clear that this tape wasn't directed primarily at Westerners. It is directed at Muslims and its' effect, in the West, is probably to strengthen those who want to continue to keep boots on the ground in the Middle East - after all many will believe that if bin Laden suggests anything - we should do the opposite. It should be obvious, that if that is so, then he can make us do anything he wants just by suggesting the reverse. Leaving that aside, it's worth going through the tape in some detail because in many ways there's nothing new here - it's a tape that hits most of the standard points that bin Laden covers in his statements. We return your terror to you The greatest rule of safety is justice, and stopping injustice and aggression. It was said: Oppression kills the oppressors and the hotbed of injustice is evil. The situation in occupied Palestine is an example. What happened on 11 September [2001] and 11 March [the Madrid train bombings] is your commodity that was returned to you. Having said this, we would like to inform you that labeling us and our acts as terrorism is also a description of you and of your acts. Reaction comes at the same level as the original action. Our acts are reaction to your own acts, which are represented by the destruction and killing of our kinfolk in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine.

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"It is directed at Muslims and its' effect, in the West, is probably to strengthen those who want to continue to keep boots on the ground in the Middle East - after all many will believe that if bin Laden suggests anything - we should do the opposite. It should be obvious, that if that is so, then he can make us do anything he wants just by suggesting the reverse." And this is from a liberal website. Reading this shit is like listening to Vizzini in The Princess Bride.

The Princess Bride

CUT TO: VIZZINI, watching excitedly as the Man In Black takes the goblets, turns his back. A moment later, he turns again, faces Vizzini, drops the iocane packet. It is now empty. The Man In Black rotates the goblets in a little shell game maneuver then puts one glass in front of Vizzini, the other in front of himself. MAN IN BLACK: All right: where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right and who is dead. VIZZINI: But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you. Are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet, or his enemy's? He studies the Man In Black now. VIZZINI: Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I'm not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool; you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. MAN IN BLACK (And now there's a trace of nervousness beginning): You've made your decision then? VIZZINI: Not remotely. Because iocane comes from Australia, as everyone knows. And Australia is entirely peopled with criminals. And criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me. So I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. MAN IN BLACK: Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.

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Why can't anyone see that maybe, just maybe, bin Laden is saying exactly what he means: "Stop killing us and we'll stop killing you."? Oh, by the way, Vizzini drinks the poison and dies.

Charlie Reese gets it.

Bush Blows It Again

As much as you might hate bin Laden, he is telling the truth about the cause of the conflict, and Bush is lying. Bush ought to come clean and tell the American people the truth about why we are in this war instead of spreading the lie that we were just innocent bystanders picked on by madmen. Even terrorists have rational reasons for what they do. Bush is following the Israeli example. Rather than address the cause of the problem, he just tries to kill his way out of it. That policy has failed the Israelis, and it will fail us.

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How many have to die before we start listening?