I was interested to learn that the Gorelick wall has in some form been duplicated at Gitmo. I’m sure there are medical ethics rules to be concerned with here, but I suspect there are a lot of missed opportunities because of it.
They were questioned by military intelligence folks and we kept a strict separation from them to avoid any appearance that our knowledge of their medical and psychiatric background could be used to exploit weaknesses. There were psych personnel there to advise intel on avenues to explore, but they did not have access to medical or psychiatric histories. . . . We just avoided getting into things that interrogators were seeking. We were never to actively gather intelligence and could have gotten in trouble if we were trying to be James Bond or something.
As to whether the enemy believes they are going to win this war –
Stashiu’s view is this:
In my opinion, most of them are sincere in their belief they will win for the following reasons:
a. They are told they are assured of victory by their religion. They are raised with the belief that Islam is destined to become the dominant way of life for this planet. No matter how long it takes, it is inevitable. Once Islam is supreme, there will be no war, crime, poverty, or need. These are frequent talking points every Friday in the mosques.
b. Their leaders consistently stress that jihad is working and our culture is a hollow shell. They point to VietNam, Somalia, 9/11, Madrid (both the bombings and the elections immediately following), and the anti-war propagandists here in the United States. . . . The jihadists are constantly told that America is weak-willed and will turn and run if they can be inflicted with enough damage and peace can be delayed long enough.
c. They believe they are more committed to victory at any cost because it is all in God’s name and is the Will of God. They point to our efforts at minimizing both our own casualties and those of civilians. You never see them worry about collateral damage and destroying infrastructure. They see our compassion as weakness and our integrity as blindness to reality.
[emphasis added]
The anti-war crowd is providing aid and comfort to the enemy. Anti-war demonstrations had already started two weeks after 9/11, well before we invaded Afghanistan, much less Iraq. Will today’s anti-war demonstrators be enshrined in a global caliphate museum someday, as John Kerry and Jane Fonda are honored in a North Vietnamese museum celebrating the victory over America? The last few jihadi speeches have been Democratic talking points, almost verbatim. Does the anti-war crowd have the right to free speech? Certainly. Do we have the right to despise them for exercising it in this way? We have not just the right, but the duty to denounce them when it’s clear that they are encouraging the enemy to continue to fight.
The only alternative to winning is to lose. Neville Chamberlain tried to have “peace with honour.” Who defends Chamberlain’s actions today? Winston Churchill gave us victory, and if there is any hope of winning this war, it will be found in a Churchill who will inspire and rally us with the will to win.
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