bvm Loc: Glendale, Arizona

lightcatcher Loc: Farmington, NM (4 corners)

Better known as the beginning of the end of days.

bvm Loc: Glendale, Arizona

I say lets end theirs first!

lightcatcher Loc: Farmington, NM (4 corners)

Agree.. :thumbup: :thumbup:

bvm Loc: Glendale, Arizona

I got this from a friend. And for those dumb asses that live in Lala land, they will ignore it.

The great British poet Rudyard Kipling, understanding today's
situation in Afghanistan better than our State Department, wrote:

"I have eaten your bread and salt.
I have drunk your water and wine.
The deaths ye died I’ve watched beside
and the lives ye led were mine."

There are two points the President and the Secretaries of State and
Defense may want to keep in mind as they evaluate future problems in the
Mid-East and how to successfully address them. Both are easiest illustrated
by real life happenings.

Point 1

The story begins:

Many years ago I attended the Infantry officer Advanced Course at Fort
Benning, Georgia. Probably ten percent of the students attending that ten
month course of instruction were from foreign countries. For about half of
the course my table-mate was an Arab. We studied together, completed
homework assignments together, got to know each other's families and
generally enjoyed each other's company. Part of that time we students were
immersed in reading about, researching and discussing wars and problems of
the Middle East. By this time my Arab classmate and I had, I thought, become
close friends. A question popped into my mind and without evaluating it I
said, "I have a question to ask you, but you may find it a little
impertinent, or perhaps, offensive." "That's quite alright", he replied. "We
know each other well enough to be honest with each other. So go ahead and
ask your question." "Well," I began, "Each time you Arabs start a war with
Israel, they beat your socks off. Why don't you learn your lesson and quit
making war on them?"

The words hadn't passed my lips before I felt that I shouldn't have
asked that particular question. But I was wrong. My Arab officer friend
didn't get angry. He didn't even think before replying. "My dear friend,"
he said in his British accent, "You are absolutely right. Each time we
attack the Israelis they whip us. But have you noticed that with each loss
we get better. We get whipped not as badly as in the war before."

Then he got a faraway look in his eyes, pounded on the table and said,
"Sometime in the next thousand years, we will win!" Up until then I’d never
thought in terms of a thousand years, and I don't think I'm very good at it
today. But for those formulating foreign and defense policy for the nation,
it is worth making the effort. For it’s difficult to think in terms of the
immediate future while negotiating with a nation whose leaders are thinking
in terms of hundreds or thousands of years.

Point 2.

During the 1st Gulf War, US and Arab forces fought side by side and
some of the officers became close friends. When the war ended in victory
there was a celebration in the Officer's Club with congratulations all
around. A lot of handshaking and hugging was going on. It was a time of
displaying real brotherly love. Seeing this, one of the senior Arab generals
felt the need to set the record straight. "Look," he said to a small
cluster of American generals. "We’ve fought together and some of us have
died together. I know you feel that makes us brothers. But that’s not the
way it is in my world."

He looked around the circle making eye contact with all of them. "I
don't want to see you hurt, so I need to share this with you. There will be
no tomorrow for us jointly. No matter how much you have helped my country
and you came and helped us when we desperately needed your help and no
matter how friendly you feel toward us, we are still Muslims and you are
still Christians. That means that in our eyes, we can never be brothers. I'm
sorry, but to us, you will always be Infidels!"

Yes, we Infidels have tried to liberate Iraq and Afghanistan, but we’ve not
made their countries, nor their people, depositories of freedom and liberty.
No matter how hard we work to rebuild their governments, infrastructure,
educational and medical institutions, and no matter how desperately they
need our help, as the Arab general noted, we can never be brothers to each
other.
.
Also, I learned what Kipling meant when he wrote:

"East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall
meet".

He was pointing out to the western world that to Muslims, we Christians
will always be Infidels!

lightcatcher Loc: Farmington, NM (4 corners)

Your points 1 & 2 says it all. The world needs to learn this as this is what will always be in their eyes and hearts.

bvm Loc: Glendale, Arizona

Turkey is not out friend.

NeilL Loc: British-born Canadian

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: Do unto others before they do it unto you.

bvm Loc: Glendale, Arizona

Twice!