Worsening the Problem?
As this report points out, a leaked National Intelligene Estimate has charged that the war in Iraq has "contributed to an increased threat of terrorism."
Hm. It will be interesting to see if all the lefties -- who dismiss the fact that the National Intelligence Estimates also said there were WMD in Iraq -- decide that this one is eminently credible.
But it strikes me that some fairly significant logical leaps are necessary in order to reach this conclusion. How is it that the war in Iraq -- as opposed, say, to that in Afghanistan -- has increased the terrorist threat? Why would zealots object more to the removal of Saddam Hussein than to the removal of the Taliban?
And finally, what exactly is the implication of such a report? That we shouldn't do anything -- will that ensure that the threat of terrorism will diminish? And how, exactly, would such a strategy be feasible, and how, exactly, would it keep us safe? After all, we were in neither Afghanistan nor Iraq on 9/11. And does anyone really think that if the 9/11 terrorists had had nuclear bombs then, they wouldn't have used them?
Hm. It will be interesting to see if all the lefties -- who dismiss the fact that the National Intelligence Estimates also said there were WMD in Iraq -- decide that this one is eminently credible.
But it strikes me that some fairly significant logical leaps are necessary in order to reach this conclusion. How is it that the war in Iraq -- as opposed, say, to that in Afghanistan -- has increased the terrorist threat? Why would zealots object more to the removal of Saddam Hussein than to the removal of the Taliban?
And finally, what exactly is the implication of such a report? That we shouldn't do anything -- will that ensure that the threat of terrorism will diminish? And how, exactly, would such a strategy be feasible, and how, exactly, would it keep us safe? After all, we were in neither Afghanistan nor Iraq on 9/11. And does anyone really think that if the 9/11 terrorists had had nuclear bombs then, they wouldn't have used them?
posted by LadybugUSA at 10:22 AM
2 Comments:
Carol,
If the 2002 NIE was good enough for the US government to start this war then you on the political Right ought to be sober enough to agree that this one goves you a chance to end it.
There is plenty America can do in the form of HUMINT to stove in the chests of the terror threat to America and eventually decapitate it through winning the hearts and minds of Muslims globally. America used to be great at such work see Japan and Germany post WW2.
You just have to realize that America like all other nations of the globe, will no longer be immune to attack. in time the response will be as natural and efficient as that as Israel or Spain or Germany and the reprisals will make the sponsors of such crime think twice.
The great lesson learned is that America did not learn rthe real lesson of Vietnam: That no matter her might and size those willing to die for their cause can bleed her into retreat solely because a large free nation is rarely 100% behind its governmental leadership. WW2 was truly an anomaly where the entire world was threatened by nation states bent on destroying freedom. Now you have an element within a religion with global that is only a few supplies from an attack so devastating that they could threaten freedom once again.
The threats are superficially similar but one is true fascism and the toher is a violent agent of change in a world far different from the affluence and secualrism of America. It seeks politcal change in their own region not submission as many of the pundits think. I would guarantee as would many historians that if the US government recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv and ceased aid to Israel and instead threw itself behind the Palestinian state with the same fervor, al Qaeda's lone beef with the US would be gone.
Of course this is a historical scenario so far from possibility that it is fantastic as the US would not wish to see its economy collapse overnight nor would the valued ally in region care to be destoyed.
Liberals have had to hear the drumbeat of the 2002 NIE for so long it has nearly become gospel, members of the GOP can do and have done wrong and made missteps. Accept the errors and move forward or risk losing the wider war because of political pride.
D.T.
What's in the rest of the National Intelligenc Estimate? They New York Times has, *ahem* CHERRY-PICKED a certain portion.
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