The Anti-War Dirty Little Secret
As the article shows, the war in Iraq continues to be a war against Al Qaida. Granted, there is more going on than just that. But, sadly, too many critics are being allowed to assert the false claim that the Iraqi insurgency is just a manifestation of a civil war. It is not, it is a regional war and one that has real consequences for the west (that means you and me). If Iraq cannot be stabilized it will become a staging ground for attacks against the west. The same is true for Afghanistan. The same is also true for Syria and Iran. Like it or not, the reality is that Islamic terrorists will continue to kill us non-Islamic terrorists by launching attacks from ungoverned areas and sympathetic regimes. Iran is funding terrorism in Iraq and Israel, as is Syria. Al Qaida is funding terrorism in Iraq, Europe and the U.S. All of them have resources exposed in Iraq. Iraq is the place we should be destroying those resources. I will continue to appeal to those who want to see the U.S. abandon Iraq. How else do you propose we strike at the threat that is Islamic terrorism? Or do we not strike? Do we just attempt to build a fortress that cannot be penetrated? What cost offense and what cost defense? There is no cheap solution.
Posts
2 comments:
"The same," stable or not, is true of London, Paris, Madrid, and--for all we know--parts of Canada, Michigan, and upstate New York.
The "dirty little secret" is we can't occupy them all, and we certainly can't expect stability in Iraq when we tell anyone who'll listen that the purpose of our fighting terrorists "there" ("there" being the home of millions of Iraqis safer, 'though certainly not freer, under Saddam)is so we don't have to fight Jordanians, Egyptians, Saudis, and now, unfortunately, Iraqis, "here."
"Home of the brave": not the Oval Office.
Again, my friend, there is no "solution" to terrorism, offensive or defensive, that we as a nation are willing to pay. Any man, woman, or child mortally committed to killing is, and will remain wherever we Americans, Brits, and Israelis are, as free as he or she needs to be to take at least a few of us with 'em.
So, sadly, be it.
I don't disagree with your assessment that wars abroad will not solve the problem. However, I do believe that the efforts there reduce the impacts here. We are safer because of the wars in Irag and Afghanistan. We will be even safer if free democratic countries can be established in those area. And safer still if those democracies spread to consume the region at large. For that reason, I will not condemn the project at hand. However, I will confess that I am not optimistic at this time that the last two objectives will be achieved.
As soon as a better solution is identified I will happily jump ship.
Post a Comment