Gov. Tim Pawlenty Friday suggested the idea that the September 11, 2001 attacks started World War III.
"I had a discussion with somebody recently who said this and I just want to bounce it off you and see what you think: His view was the World War III started on 9/11, that the war that we are going to be engaged in will look and feel differently than World War I and World War II," he said to guest Vince Flynn during the governor's WCCO radio show Friday. Flynn is a thriller novel author who writes frequently about terrorism and the Middle East.
"It will span decades, it will be episodic, it will come and go in flash points, it will be asymmetrical, it will shift from nation states to places, maybe just individuals or groups, or places like Yemen or Somalia and this is going to go on for decades," Pawlenty went on. "He believes that World War III has begun and we are going to have to change our mindset about what it going to take to diligently pursue and prosecute and defend our interests."
Flynn said he didn't see it that way: "I do follow that progression. I wouldn't I still refuse to call it World War III because I don't think it does service to how many people died in World War I and World War II."
