The Grand Strategy
Jonathan Rhodes
efreedomnews 22 February 2003
The United States and its willing allies have developed a Grand Strategy in the War on Terrorism to eliminate the fundamentalist Islamic terrorist hegemonists and worldwide terrorism - the tools and offspring of despotic state sponsors - and in the end to eliminate the seeds of discontent that spawned that terrorism. The elements of that strategy are:
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Tactically destroy al Qaida - the base - the central command for global Islamic terrorism - and associated terror groups.
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End state sponsorship of terrorism.
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Remove the risk of WMD transfer to terrorist groups.
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Change the mindset of the "Arab Street" - bring the middle east into the community of free nations.
That strategy is in operation as follows:
The US defeated the Taliban and al Qaida in Afghanistan. Worldwide arrests occurred. The organization was severely diminished but not destroyed. Worldwide operation against al Qaida continue.
Throughout the Arab world there is a history of despotic leadership. The troubles of the Arab world are all blamed on Israel and America. This deflects anger and criticism from the despotic leadership.
We are not deceived by their pretenses to piety. We have seen their kind before. They are the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions -- by abandoning every value except the will to power -- they follow in the path of fascism, and Nazism, and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way, to where it ends: in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.-President George W. Bush, September 20, 2001. The Islamic clerics are propaganda masters, preaching hatred for the west and Israel; casting freedom as the great evil, and thus the righteousness of their unyielding control through suppressive, ancient Islamic law.
For decades the Arab states have funded mosques and madrassas - "religious" schools where hatred for the west is the main course resulting in generations of Arabs taught to hate America and Israel. Most of these graduates are without access to outside news and information. The Taliban burned books. The Koran is essentially the only allowed literature under fundamentalist Islamic governments and mosques. This "political" brand of Islam, replete with fatwahs instructing the masses to attack the west, spawned al Qaida - the base - exporter of fascist totalitarian Islamism.
What are we to do with this reality - that has taken decades to form? There is not a simple, quick answer - to the chagrin of the American psyche so accustomed to immediate gratification.
In order to accomplish this, in the short run the US must show strength and resolve - as the lack of this led to energizing al Qaida's success and thus popularizing their pan-Islamic movement in the Arab world. American weakness also led to strengthening the despotic rule of tyrants in states like Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. [Read Osama's description of the US "...the extent of your impotence and weaknesses became very clear." bin Laden 1st Fatwah]
Establishing freedom and democracy as a successful alternative to Arab political history is the strategy for dealing with this long term.
"For the sake of all humanity, things must change in the Middle East." President Bush, 2002
This goal - the establishment of democracy in the Arab world - begins with Iraq. Removing Saddam Hussein from power and establishing a successful democracy in Iraq will go far in realizing this noble goal and eliminate the most immediate threat of WMD attacks against the United States.
Iraq is the chosen target for several reasons:
Iraq is ruled by a tyrannical, cruel dictator who has massacred his own people and seeks regional hegemony through use of WMD - He has given refuge and support to al Qaida and other terror groups, stockpiling terrorists like al-Samoud missiles. Saddam's human rights record alone is justification enough to liberate Iraq.
[The Case Against Saddam: War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity]
Iraq has the natural resources to sustain a capitalist free market system - a requirement for building a democratic society.
Iraq has a built in educated middle class ready to move forward in freedom and democracy - The Iraqi people are members of the "Coalition of the Willing" in this war of liberation.
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We fight, as we always fight, for a just peace -- a peace that favors human liberty. We will defend the peace against threats from terrorists and tyrants. We will preserve the peace by building good relations among the great powers. And we will extend the peace by encouraging free and open societies on every continent. President George W. Bush June 24, 2002 Building this just peace is America's opportunity, and America's duty. The gravest danger to freedom lies at the perilous crossroads of radicalism and technology. When the spread of chemical and biological and nuclear weapons, along with ballistic missile technology -- when that occurs, even weak states and small groups could attain a catastrophic power to strike great nations. Our enemies have declared this very intention, and have been caught seeking these terrible weapons. They want the capability to blackmail us, or to harm us, or to harm our friends -- and we will oppose them with all our power. Deterrence -- the promise of massive retaliation against nations -- means nothing against shadowy terrorist networks with no nation or citizens to defend. Containment is not possible when unbalanced dictators with weapons of mass destruction can deliver those weapons on missiles or secretly provide them to terrorist allies. President George W. Bush, West Point Graduation 2002
We are committed to democracy in Iraq. That is a promise."
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"It's going to show that democracy can take hold in the Middle East."