Bomb Mecca

I really doubt that you haven't heard about Colorado's Sixth District Congressman, Tom Tancredo, who suggested a possible scenario whereby America would advise the world that Islamic holy sites would be bombed if Islamic fundamentalist terrorists "nuke" American cities or historically significant sites.

The site, Crooks and Liars, provides the following (listen carefully to the audio):

Tom Tancredo-"Bomb Mecca"
"Well, what if you said something like -- if this happens in the United States, and we determine that it is the result of extremist, fundamentalist Muslims, you know, you could take out their holy sites," Tancredo answered. "You're talking about bombing Mecca," Campbell said.
"Yeah," Tancredo responded.
Audio-Mp3

Now, whether or not you think Tancredo is an idiot, or a nut; or you think he's absolutely prophetic and one of the very few politicians with a backbone who doesn't test which way the wind is blowing before he opens his mouth; whether you like him or despise him, here are the questions:

What do you think this country would do if Islamic fundamentalists detonated a nuclear device on, oh, let's say the Empire State Building? What would America do if Islamic fundamentalists detonated a nuclear device within the Lincoln Memorial? What do you think this country would do if Islamic fundamentalists detonated a nuclear device in downtown Atlanta or Denver or Houston or Portland? What would America do if Lady Liberty is nuked by Islamic fundamentalists?

What would America's response be?

After 9/11 -- c'mon your memory can't be that short -- there were a whole bunch of otherwise reasonable Americans who suggested (I'm remembering General Curtis LeMay's quote from the Viet Nam era) that we bomb the nation of Islam (approximately 1.4 billion human souls ) back to the stoneage. Right?

What would America's response be?

I can't answer that question. I'm working on it, though. All I can provide is what I said in a prior post:

The terrorism of religious fundamentalists is, however, a whole new ballgame. And, I do believe the old, sacred notions that drafts or the requirement that all persons--once they reach eighteen years of age--be conscripted into the armed forces, with few exemptions, are probably necessarily going to have to be tossed like last year's cell phone. There's something new on the death, hate and destruction market and Uncle Sam better be prepared. Dubya's little wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are remnants of an age-old war mentality that argues to the victor goes the spoils. That just doesn't work anymore, buckoes.

Bring our soldiers home. Protect our homeplace. Retool the armed forces for the conflict that is, sadly, based upon religious zealotry where one's death in the good fight against the infidels necessarily opens that golden stairway to heaven; necessarily promises nirvana.