"Americans, rightly so, are concerned about whether or not we can succeed in Iraq. Nobody wants to be there if we can't succeed, especially me. And these -- violence on our TV screens affects our frame of mind, probably more so today than what took place in Vietnam. I want to remind you that after Vietnam, after we left, the -- millions of people lost their life. The Khmer Rouge, for example, in Cambodia. And my concern is there would be a parallel there; that if we didn't help this government get going, stay on its feet, be able to defend itself, the same thing would happen. There would be the slaughter of a lot of innocent life. The difference, of course, is that this time around the enemy wouldn't just be content to stay in the Middle East, they'd follow us here." from: President Bush Discusses the Global War on Terror in Tipp City, Ohio
Hmm, so pulling out of Vietnam caused the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia? And it's America's fault? Don't quite get that one.
The thing I REALLY don't get is this whole "terrorists will follow us home" crap.
This is the epitome of reasoning being replaced by catch-phases. Let's take a look at a fairly recent and relevant example in the Middle East. Let’s look at a large imperial country whose occupation of a Middle Eastern country was ended by the staunch opposition of the inhabitants, many of them religious extremists, and let's see what happened afterwards.
You may remember the USSR's disastrous occupation of Afghanistan. They were eventually driven out by a population that did not want foreign occupiers in their country. They were driven out in part by some religious extremists (back when the United States BANKROLLED the Taliban as part of the Kissinger Style "work with any asshole if it helps the US" diplomacy of the times).
And what happened to Russia after this? Did the Taliban and groups it worked with make a major terrorist strike against the USSR or it's remnants in Russia?
Why no, what REALLY happened was that the big terrorist attack coming from the Taliban assisted Al Qaeda (with a big assist in foot soldiers from Saudi Arabia) was against Russia's "enemy", the United States.
So the whole "follow us home" thing is exposed as a catch-phrase with no basis in history.