In his most recent news release, independent Congressional candidate Jake Towne is now suggesting we pull out of Afghanistan and treat al-Qaeda like Barbary pirates. Here's an excerpt."To deal with the problem of Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, Towne believes that constitutional letters of marque and reprisal – used previously to deal with the Barbary pirates – are the best solution to deal with small groups. Letters of marque and reprisal are warrants issued by Congress to specified parties giving them permission to commit what would otherwise be illegal acts as they capture 'marked' enemies or seek retribution. America currently has 68,000 troops in Afghanistan to combat less than 100 al-Qaeda members with 'no bases, no means of launching attacks' per National Security Advisor James Jones."
Aaaargh.
Bernie,
ReplyDeleteI believe the US government has had a sizable reward on the heads of many Al Quada leaders since 9-11 yet none have been brought in as a result. This doesn’t seem effective.
Scott Armstrong
It continues the hunt for bad guys without using 68,000 souls at $1M apiece.
ReplyDeleteNot a completely bad idea; one that seems to pay attention to the lessons of history re: Afghanistan and lawless Islamics.
Bernie, 7am THURS
ReplyDeletePermission to Change Topic.
Fox News is about to air a piece on a Scout vs. SEIU Could it be Allentown?
Oh Bernie you have all the answers to the country's problems...
ReplyDeleteHow about you just stick to Lehigh Valley Politics?
After reviewing 8 years in Afghanistan it is high time we take a look and see where we stand.
ReplyDeleteAs I see it where we stand, we support a corrupt leader who won his office by extremely dubious election results. One who is in bed with the drug lords and has no Presidential authority beyond the borders of Kabul.
Who also was the chief mediator for the pipeline that was to have run through Afghanistan. (Which hasn't even happened)
Whom his own people see him much like the Iran's did when our puppet Shah was installed.
If.. I say IF we are going to stay there, we certainly need a better results then we've seen over these many years that go beyond just the last eight years. After all we're the guys that brought the Taliban to power in the 1st place.
If we're going to clean up the mess we made there, this old saying comes to mind.. "Work smarter, not harder".
Anonymous 8:27 AM said.. How about you just stick to Lehigh Valley Politics?
ReplyDeleteObviously you have no members enlisted in the local reserves. This is VERY LOCAL and VERY POLTICAL.
How many readers here have family, friends or relatives who have had to go over and risk their all. I'd hate to see another 8 years of spinning our wheels and saying goodbyes to our local men and women.
Towne makes a good point. There's no reason to spend billions upon billions of dollars for our soldiers to occupy a foreign nation in order to get a hundred or so enemy combatants. There are enough bounty hunters in this world that would go after the Taliban if the U.S. government issued letters of marque and reprisal. http://towneforcongress.com/platform-issues/afghanistan-war
ReplyDeleteYeah, maybe they could send Dog the Bounty Hunter or some really good repo guys.
ReplyDeleteMy Pirate Name is Simple Tom.
Such a bummer.
ReplyDeleteLibertarians advocate (to me, anyway) such common sense economic policy, but the are the goofiest of bastards on almost everything else.
Maybe provide a link to his actual platform?? There's a lot more there than what you quoted
ReplyDeletehttp://towneforcongress.com/platform-issues/afghanistan-war
What is Obama's platform with Afghanistan?
ReplyDeleteI thought he said he had a plan during the election...or is this another of Obama's broken promises?
"There's a lot more there than what you quoted"
ReplyDeleteI linked to his site. perhaps you think people are fools who need to be spoonfed. I don't.
I like his idea's. Why not?
ReplyDeleteWell considering how our Generals are saying that we need 40,000 additional troops in Afganistan or we'll lose, it might be time to consider alternatives. Putting a $1billion bounty on Bin Laden seems alot more effective than the current hundereds of billions we spend every year without even catching him.
ReplyDeleteIt was privateers carrying letters of marque and reprisal who suppressed the Barbary pirates? Military action by the European powers and the United States had nothing to do with it? Stephen Decatur? To the shores of Tripoli?
ReplyDeleteGo unions! People who make a good wage are less likely to need social services.
ReplyDeleteThis guy reminds me of a young Ralph Nader. He loves to say crazy things that will get him attention but never elected.
ReplyDeleteBernie, A good read on Afganistan is 'Bin Laden' The man who declared war on America by Yossef Bodansky. It explains why Western strategy is doomed for failure in Afganistan and Pakistan.
ReplyDeleteMuch like Mr. Towne, I also have a plan for victory in Afghanistan and all I need is
ReplyDeletea stick of diet chewing gum
a 10 foot length of dental floss
a traffic cone
and one 10 megaton nuclear weapon!
I'm ready for Congress!
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThis guy reminds me of a young Ralph Nader. He loves to say crazy things that will get him attention but never elected.
4:43 PM
I saw a "who is Jake Towne" yard sign driving through Bethlehem Township yesterday. Regarding Anon 4:43's comment above, it is awefully early. Considering how much money outside Dems may funnel into this race, Charlie Dent should be concerned about an Al Gore/Ralph Nader-type scenario with Mr. Towne. The "tea bag", "9-12" ers, or however one wants to identify this energized minority, could only serve to help Mr. Callahan, as they will likely be attracted to Towne's message rather than a GOP whom they feel betrayed their beliefs on fiscal matters. Could be a factor in a close race.
As a PS, Towne's comments were not new. I read a variety of material across the spectrum, and either Ron Paul and/or the Libertarians have been suggesting the Letters of Marque approach at least a year or more ago.
Bomb Afghanistan back to the stone age.
ReplyDeleteThen bomb it again.
Make the rubble bounce.
Well, I don't know about this specific suggestion.
ReplyDeleteHowever, before the surge vote Charlie was going to vote against it - because of the polls. His campaign manager declared that "only right-wing whackos support the surge". It took a meeting of the Lehigh County Republican Committee (which Charlie sent his surrogate, Shawn Millan) to provide enough pressure for Charlie to do the right thing.
And, as many of us stated, the Surge worked.
"Well, I don't know about this specific suggestion."
ReplyDeleteOh my God! Joe Hilliard admitting that he doesn't know something about something.
How did that manage to slip through his normal arrogance?
True Joe Hilliard Story --
ReplyDeleteI was at a GOTV meeting for the Lehigh County Republican Committee in 2007.
Shawn Millan was distributing some "Support our Troop" signs he had paid for out of pocket. I was present when he offered a sign to Joe Hilliard.
Joe refused to take the sign and Millan looked surprised. He asked Joe why he wouldn't take the sign.
Joe's verbatim response was: "I am helping a candidate run for office and it is well known that I am helping him. If I display that sign (Support Our Troops) people might not appreciate the political message and take it out on my candidate."
I will not tell you the name of the candidate involved but it was a candidate running in Allentown.
Joe is being very disengenous with his post.
Former Lehigh County Committeeperson