Is Waging War on Innocent People the Solution?
Many families are starting life in Paris today minus loved ones who were savagely murdered on Friday night. Who could have predicted that attending a rock concert featuring an American band would be their last act on this earth. People were gunned down in restaurants also. Explosions occurred at a soccer friendly but I don't know if it resulted in any deaths. The question on many people's minds is why? It seems like the attackers were linked to ISIS. How can shooting people with automatic weapons while shouting religious epithets be synonymous?
The usual impression that we have of war involves soldiers fighting on a battlefield. I was fortunate enough not to live through campaigns where cities were bombed. There is always collateral damage when nations commit to acts of aggression against each other. In July of 2014 almost 300 people were killed in the skies over the Ukraine when flight MH-17 was hit by a surface to air missile. The pro-Russian separatists who committed this act were trying to send a message to the Ukranian citizens who were fighting for their independence. The individuals who boarded that ill fated flight had no idea that they would not land peacefully at their intended destination.
Just recently, a plane bound for Russia was shot down by supposed ISIS militants over airspace in Africa. All 224 people on board were killed. Once again, innocent civilians became the target of combatants who should be focusing on a war being waged with willing soldiers. I was expecting a more strident response from Vladimir Putin in regards to the death of innocent Russian civilians. It is a risky proposition in today's nuclear world to make unprovoked attacks on citizens of super power nations. The silence is deafening as investigators hesitate to say that a bomb caused this damage.
There is worldwide outrage this morning over the carnage in Paris. One thing many observers will wonder about is the expected response. It was reported this week that a drone missile had killed Jihadi John. He had attained short lived fame for beheading a number of Americans and other citizens who were kidnapped in the Mideast. He knew he was a target and it is amazing how you cannot hide even if it is behind a mask. One of the alleged attackers was a French citizen who had become radicalized recently in his native country. A Syrian passport was found in the aftermath of the shooting. I doubt any of these shooters had ID as this is not the signature of someone not expecting to live through a bloodbath.
I was appalled by the plight of Syrian refugees recently. They were seeking asylum in Germany and many other countries based on the ongoing civil war in their country. Political pundits predicted the fall of President Assad in Syria years ago. Almost 90,000 people were killed two years after the start of this conflict in 2011. It is estimated that over 4 million people have been displaced as a result of this conflict. Add in the hard line ideology of ISIS militants and we are witnessing a tragedy of astounding proportions. France has closed its borders in response to the recent shootings. How does France and other countries move forward when ISIS predicts that this is just the beginning of a prolonged storm? What will be the new normal in the world? God bless all families affected by the deaths of innocents as we begin the week.
The usual impression that we have of war involves soldiers fighting on a battlefield. I was fortunate enough not to live through campaigns where cities were bombed. There is always collateral damage when nations commit to acts of aggression against each other. In July of 2014 almost 300 people were killed in the skies over the Ukraine when flight MH-17 was hit by a surface to air missile. The pro-Russian separatists who committed this act were trying to send a message to the Ukranian citizens who were fighting for their independence. The individuals who boarded that ill fated flight had no idea that they would not land peacefully at their intended destination.
Just recently, a plane bound for Russia was shot down by supposed ISIS militants over airspace in Africa. All 224 people on board were killed. Once again, innocent civilians became the target of combatants who should be focusing on a war being waged with willing soldiers. I was expecting a more strident response from Vladimir Putin in regards to the death of innocent Russian civilians. It is a risky proposition in today's nuclear world to make unprovoked attacks on citizens of super power nations. The silence is deafening as investigators hesitate to say that a bomb caused this damage.
There is worldwide outrage this morning over the carnage in Paris. One thing many observers will wonder about is the expected response. It was reported this week that a drone missile had killed Jihadi John. He had attained short lived fame for beheading a number of Americans and other citizens who were kidnapped in the Mideast. He knew he was a target and it is amazing how you cannot hide even if it is behind a mask. One of the alleged attackers was a French citizen who had become radicalized recently in his native country. A Syrian passport was found in the aftermath of the shooting. I doubt any of these shooters had ID as this is not the signature of someone not expecting to live through a bloodbath.
I was appalled by the plight of Syrian refugees recently. They were seeking asylum in Germany and many other countries based on the ongoing civil war in their country. Political pundits predicted the fall of President Assad in Syria years ago. Almost 90,000 people were killed two years after the start of this conflict in 2011. It is estimated that over 4 million people have been displaced as a result of this conflict. Add in the hard line ideology of ISIS militants and we are witnessing a tragedy of astounding proportions. France has closed its borders in response to the recent shootings. How does France and other countries move forward when ISIS predicts that this is just the beginning of a prolonged storm? What will be the new normal in the world? God bless all families affected by the deaths of innocents as we begin the week.
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