03-05-2010, 06:06 AM
Malcolm Pryce Wrote:This seems to me to be a misinterpretation of the New Pearl Harbour thesis. When the neo-cons called for a NPH they were simply referring to the shock value of Pearl Harbour in galvanising American public opinion to accept a radical militarisation of society. It makes no difference who the pilots were or who they were fighting.
As for MIHOP, LIHOP or your new PIHOP, the fact remains that US troops were preparing in July to go into Afghanistan in September so they knew damn well the attack was coming. I don't believe PIHOP is that accurate.
As for LIHOP, the problem is, it sounds nice on paper but out in the real world, as I understand it, you simply cannot allow such latitude and have to take control of every aspect of such a plan, hence MIHOP. To see what I mean, consider the famous case of Hani Hanjour the miracle pilot who did the famous corkscrew dive on his alleged approach to the Pentagon. This aeronautical manoeuvre ensured he flew into the empty wedge of the Pentagon and missed the offices of the Joint Chiefs. Now imagine you were Rumsfeld on the morning of 9/11 sitting in your office knowing the attack was on the way. You know, too, the suicide bomber has given you his solemn word that he will fly into the back of the building and miss you at the front. How do you feel? Confident that he will keep his word? I think not. There's no way you can rely on that to happen. Hence the use of a missile to hit a pre-ordained spot.
That's my take on it anyway.
The neocon manifesto called for a Peal Harbor type of attack to rally the public to support an invasion of Iraq.
Just attacking one of our ships as they did the Stark would not be enough. Nor stepping on our Ambassador's foot at the UN. They said we NEED another Pearl Harbor.
That's why I pointed out the fact that we provoked the Japanese to attack us which you weren't even aware of. Al Qaeda had been planning the plane attack on the US for seven years so this is not about preparing in August for a September attack. US forces were already preparing for an invasion of Iraq for several years. Your idea that they could move into action in a few weeks is ludicrous.
You assume you know why the pilot chose the path he did. Maybe his original target was the White House and at the last second decided to hit the Pentagon instead. I am sure that he did not study the floorplan and know exactly where Rumsfeld was every second. Likewise I said nothing about Rumsfeld knowing every detail of the attack, so leave that straw man out.
FYI, the debris on the lawn indicates a plane rather than a missile.