TheSequitur.com Editorial Board
Oct. 5, 2006
Is it possible that the situation in the Middle East could become worse – much, much worse – and spread full force to Western countries long before we see any real chance for a meaningful peace? Unfortunately, an examination of what is happening both in the halls of power here and on the ground half a world away suggests that it not only is possible, it is expected.
From top U.S. spymasters to Riyadh royalty, expectations of a long-term, frontier-crossing orgy of violence have laid the first bricks in a wall between Iraq and Saudi Arabia and bound reams of double-super-secret Beltway paperwork likely entitled “Everyone Seems Determined to Attack Inside the United States.”
Actually, the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate warns that U.S. occupation of Iraq is creating more, not less, terrorists around the world. According to the declassified CliffsNotes-version of the report, “[t]he Iraq conflict has become the ‘cause celebre’ for jihadists, breeding a deep resentment of US involvement in the Muslim world and cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement.” So, as we fight them “over there” more people everywhere decide to fight back. Go figure, we’ll just fight them “over there,” which really is everywhere, until there is no one left here. That’ll show ‘em.
In all fairness, the report also states that “[s]hould jihadists leaving Iraq perceive themselves, and be perceived, to have failed, we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on the fight.” Unfortunately that presupposes we will somehow persuade demoralized jihadists to leave Iraq, which may have been their home to begin with.
Indeed, our enemies seem far from demoralized; they appear stronger each time we hit them. In fact, the Estimate ominously goes on to remark, “We assess that the underlying factors fueling the spread of the [jihadist] movement outweigh its vulnerabilities and are likely to do so for the duration of the timeframe of this Estimate.” In other words, Islamic extremism will continue to spread despite the continuous American assault.
Meanwhile, as some in the United States continue to harp on the “liberal media” for not covering the “good things” happening in Iraq, the Saudis are preparing for a long-term period of widespread violence, instability and fear - which, from their perspective, are not “good things” - by walling off their northern border. To the Saudis, Iraq is an occupied neighboring land spiraling out of control. They are gambling this high-tech 550-mile barrier will help prevent the Sunni-Shiite insurgency from spilling over the border, stem the tide of Saudi extremists into Iraq and otherwise secure the frontier.
We interpret a commitment of this magnitude in conjunction with the conclusions of U.S. intelligence officials to suggest that tougher times are ahead. Instead of trying to see the bright side of the Iraq situation, we likely are better off bracing ourselves, strengthening our resolve and preparing to sacrifice for a long-lived, unfortunate and unnecessary global conflict whose dimensions are completely unpredictable except in one regard: Everyone Seems Determined to Attack Inside the United States.
Whether or not we should be in Iraq can no longer be an issue. We’re there, and despite it, the decentralized cancer of radical Islam still spreads increasingly rapidly on a global scale. The attacks in the United Kingdom, Yemen, Kenya, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, India, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Jordan, the United States and elsewhere show our problem is not now, and never has been, limited to Iraq. Unfortunately, it’s time to start acting accordingly, and, like proud Americans, face the difficult choices that lie ahead.
[National Intelligence Estimate (declassified portion), Washington Post, NYTimes, Daily Telegraph]
TheSequitur.com Editorial Board welcomes new Members-at-Large Branden Hart, of San Antonio, and Brian Williams, of central Kentucky, to its ranks. Senior Editor Dwayne Robinson always abstains from staff editorials.
|
Conclusions 
