Would you please explain to me again why reducing our foreign-oil consumption would have been effective in combatting al-Qaeda? I'm not sure I understood the first time (nothing elaborate, please, just a couple sentences would be fine). Thank you...
Well, let's start with Osama's 'open letter' to the US.
He seems to indicate that our involvement with ME countries, mostly Israel but others too like Saudi Arabia, is a major reason for his hatred of the US.
Why are we so interested in ME countries? Oil. They have it, we need it.
If our interest and presence in the region were lessened, which would result from a decreased interest in the oil on which the ME dictators sit, I think it would be much more difficult for AQ to recruit because they couldn't sell their America hate propoganda as well.
I am 100% comfortable letting the ME remain a 7th century relic full of poverty and mayhem. I don't care if they have free elections and I'm not interested in forcing them to adopt our style of government, or anything similar.