Bush, Bin Laden and Iraq

Tech Central Station ^ | Published 01/10/2005 | By Terry Barnich

[Jim Robinson]

Even strong supporters of President Bush's foreign polices are not blind to the merit of some of the opposing strategic arguments. Those who maintain that the invasion of Iraq was a diversion from the war on terror and that Bush was dead wrong to assert that Iraq was the frontline in the war at least deserve a nod to the respectability of their case. As for those who claim Bush is wrongheaded to push democracy on the Middle East, some weight of history seems on their side. And, to those who label advocates of the Bush Doctrine ignorant of the complexities inherent in the Islamic world, I plead nolo contendere.

But no less an authority than Osama bin Laden has settled the strategic argument, for he has now joined Bush's policy of doing battle with international "jihadism" in Iraq.

In his newest tape he has demanded that Iraqis refrain from voting in the upcoming elections and has declared those who do exercise the franchise to be apostates. In effect he has confirmed that what is really going on is an Islamic civil war. Bin Laden's vision of a restored caliphate and a resurrection of Saddam's fascistic absolutism are at war with acceptance of the need to reconcile Islam to modernity.

In contrast, Ayad Allawi, the interim Iraqi prime minister, believes in consent of the governed. There is no in between in that struggle. And on that score the issue should now be settled for Americans of all stripes.

[Chgogal]

It seems to me that in the last three years Bin Laden has lost Afghanistan, billions of dollars of funding and most recently Fallujah. January 30, 2005 is his last stand. If Bin Laden cannot stop elections on "his turf", he has lost much.

[Barlowmaker]

So you disagree with the above in this article?

Yes. I think it's nonsense. The reinstitution of both a caliphate and Saddam's fascistic secular police state are wholly antithetical.

[tallhappy]

No, just this part: Bin Laden's vision of a restored caliphate

You are claiming bin Laden does not have this vision?

[garylmoore]

Syria and Iran have sent people to Iraq to stop democracy because they understand the stakes. The U.S. knew this would happen. They made Iraq the battlefield in a carefully laid strategy to keep them occupied away from our land, and to lure terrorists to one spot to wipe out. Iraq is a strategic place in the M.E., as is Afganistan. they border a majority of Islamic states. It was by no accident these two were chosen to spearhead the war on terror.

"Wise assesment" good job.

[Teplukin]

I don't care who wins and who loses. I just want to know what the end game is here. When does Iraq become a self-sustaining entity?

Or is this a situation where 150K of our troops will be in Iraq indefinitely?