[rescue] God bless America

[Mike Meredith]

On Thursday 13 September 2001 19:34, you wrote:
> > In the UK, the IRA were persuaded to stop using terrorism by
> > talking to them. Attempting to defeat them militarily just didn't
> > work.
>
> Sorry to burst your bubble.  See the BBC Online from yesterday.
> One of the editors quoted information from bin Laden to the effect
> that he was out to kill Americans by any and all possible means.
> That does not sound like anyone that wants to come to the table and
> talk.

I didn't mean to imply that talking to Osman(sp?) bin Laden would stop 
him, but that the partial peace in the 6 counties has been achieved by 
means other than conventional military action against the IRA.

Personally I believe that whether or not Osman is behind Tuesday's 
attack, he's done enough to deserve imprisonment for life. Causing him 
to be deported from the land of the living isn't something I can 
enthusiastically support, but I certainly wouldn't oppose it.

> The IRA were reasonable gentlemen by comparison.

The IRA have made some pretty extreme statements in the past --- it's 
the sort of thing that terrorists say in their statements.