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August 18, 2006

It Sounded So Good In The Begining, But Where Did It All Go Wrong, George?

Gerard Baker, the US Editor of The Times, lays into President Bush in a must read, no holds barred, look at where we are in the war against the Islamic fascists:

Let's see. You invaded Iraq because you argued you would be able to bring about a peaceful, democratic society in the heart of the Arab world, a step vital to the eradication of modern terrorism. Many of us supported the project because we believed the stakes were so high that you would not stint in committing the resources necessary to achieve it.

But you tried to do it on the cheap. If many of us miscalculated the scale of the threat Iraq posed, there was no excuse for the woeful lack of preparation by your Administration for the task of pacifying the country.

The outcome? A broken nation on the verge of civil war, prey to the avarice of tyrannical regional neighbours, violently immolating itself and nurturing new generations of terrorists.

How'm I doin'?

Well, you supported and perhaps even encouraged Israel to invade Lebanon last month, after repeated provocations by terrorists. The aim -- a good one in principle -- was to crush Hezbollah, weaken its Syrian and Iranian sponsors and put Lebanon on a path to long-term, terror-free stability. But when the largely aerial campaign predictably failed and equally predictably led to the world's media reaching their one-sided conclusion about Israel's "aggression" , you quickly backtracked. You encouraged Israel to accept a ceasefire that amounts to the country's most serious defeat in its 57-year history.

The result? A strengthened Hezbollah and a new Arab hero, Sheikh Hassan Nasrullah; a reprieve for the beleaguered Assad regime in Damascus and a further fillip to Iranian ambitions; a strategic setback for Israel and the condemnation of Lebanon tragically to replay the turmoil of the 1980s.

How'm I doin'? You rightly identified Iran as the gravest threat to the West's long-term security and you pledged to bend US policy to ensure that it did not gain the regional hegemony that would allow it to blackmail the world into acquiescence of its hateful ideology. Above all, Iran would be stopped from getting the bomb.

The result? The despised regime in Tehran has emerged as the true hegemonic power in the region, leeching on the battered bodies politic of Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, elevating its brand of Shia fundamentalism into position as the dominant force in the Islamic world and continuing on its path towards nuclear status.

Pat Santy has updates that offer important perspectives, includint Victor Davis Hanson's piece at NRO: "Hope Amid Despair?."

Related important read - What the future might hold if we fail to deal with the Leftist/Marxist-Islamist Alliance [keep in mind that not all Muslims believe in the this particular application of jihad (see The Sudanese Thinker), although some believe that a large percentage do (Former Palestinian terrorist interviewed on Fox News today said 73% are now Islamists)]:

There are many misconceptions about Islam that need to be understood. The primary goal of Islam remains from the teaching of Muhammad--to create the "Islamic kingdom of God on Earth." The goal is not negotiable. There is no compromise. The aim of the Islamic movement is to bring about somewhere in the world a new society wholeheartedly committed to the teachings of Islam in their totality and to strive to abide by those teachings in its government, political, economic and social organizations, its relation with other states, its educational system and moral values, and all other aspects of its way of life. The approach will be triple pronged jihad militarily through the sword, economic control and cultural influence.

Posted by Abdul at August 18, 2006 4:01 PM