Scheuer portrays the US as having been placed in a brutal dilemma because of its support for the "repressive apparatus" in the Middle East. According to Scheuer, bin Laden objects to US "support for Israel, support for the tyrannies." Israel, in Scheuer's eyes, is as obnoxious as Saudi Arabia. Indeed, Scheuer brackets the two together, calling Israel a "theocracy-in-all-but-name." As Scheuer explained to Chris Matthews on Hardball in November 2004, bin Laden is attacking the US to force it to change policies "which he views as lethal to Muslims."Actually, it is not just bin Laden who regards these policies as lethal, but also Scheuer. The man who was in charge of hunting down bin Laden is telling us that our enemy has legitimate grievances because the US, by supporting tyrannies (Israel, Saudi Arabia and others), costs Muslim lives.
The remedy that Scheuer seems to propose in response to bin Laden's attacks is wanton brutality. As Scheuer believes that changing US policy towards Israel is all but impossible, thanks to successful "covert action" as exemplified by the Holocaust Museum, the only option is war. In Imperial Hubris, Scheuer argues that "The military is now America's only tool and will remain so while current policies are in place."
Scheuer believes that the war should be conducted mercilessly. Again, clearly linking necessary violence to "current policies" of support for Israel and countries like Saudi Arabia, Scheuer argues that the US must wage war with the utmost ruthlessness. He writes in Imperial Hubris that "Killing large numbers is not enough to defeat our Muslim foes. With killing must come a Sherman-like razing of infrastructure…such actions will yield large civilian casualties, displaced populations, and refugee flows. Again, this sort of bloody mindedness is neither admirable nor desirable, but it will remain America's only option so long as she stands by her failed policies toward the Muslim world."
The message from Scheuer is that Israeli, and by implication American Jewish, "covert action" as well as US support for Saudi Arabia, has cost American lives. The only US response, again thanks to the constraint imposed by Israeli "covert action", is death and suffering for Muslims. Scheuer is telling us that ultimate responsibility for 9/11 lies not with the hate-inspired fanatics who murdered 3,000 innocents, but largely with Israel and its domestic supporters.
Of course, Scheuer may well not be serious about this violent policy dilemma. For all his "nationalist" self preening, Scheuer may be hoping that the response from Americans will not be "let's get butchering", but a change in "current policies", particularly towards Israel. Scheuer seems to wants to cut Israel and Arab authoritarians adrift and so stop the US being a target for justly aggrieved terrorists.
That such a change in policy could be disastrous for Israelis and many Arabs would probably not bother Scheuer. Better still, by placating extremists like bin Laden, an alteration in policy would conveniently free the CIA, in which Scheuer served for over 20 years, from the tedious requirement of having to find and fight terrorists. With such a view of the world, it is no wonder that Scheuer never caught bin Laden.
This ping list is not author-specific for articles I'd like to share. Some for perfect moral clarity, some for provocative thoughts; or simply interesting articles I'd hate to miss myself. (I don't have to agree with the author 100% to feel the need to share an article.) I will try not to abuse the ping list and not to annoy you too much, but on some days there is more of good stuff that is worthy attention. I keep separate PING lists for my favorite authors Victor Davis Hanson, Lee Harris, David Warren, Orson Scott Card. You are welcome in or out, just freepmail me (and note which PING list you are talking about).
Fascinating !