Those are indeed some of my failings, but I do think we ought to have a correct scorecard for recognizing both our enemies and potential short-term allies in the Middle East, so I’ll persist in being a pain about such things. (Damn shame State doesn’t seem to have even any moderately competent amateur orientalists, much less actual professionals, on staff. Everything from the invasion of Iraq onward would have gone better if they had. And no, I don’t believe for a moment they have such folks and are ignoring them. If they did someone would have gotten rich with a tell-all book about being ignored and going on the lecture circuit.)