Tyrant dictators who are ruling the Arabs with iron fists are powerless against the Islamic fanatic movement. As we observe the radicalization of the Islamic world in the past 30 years, we simply elected to look the other way. That was because the culprit behind the radicalization of the Arabs and Moslems were our best friends, the Saudis who bought almost every Washington politician with their petrodollars. As a matter of fact, we (America & Israel) even tapped into this Islamic fanatic movements to our benefit. A good example, the first Afghanistan moujahedeen movement financed by the Saudis and the CIA, the Bosnian Moslem war supported by the Iranians, the Saudis, the Egyptians, and the US. The Israelis also did their foolish recruitment of fanatic Moslems (Hamas) to counter the Arafat PLO leadership. The Israelis bribed the fanatic Moslems by giving them money to build Mosques! Of course we all know that Mosques are the center of dissemination of hate against the Christians, and Jews.
As long as our leaders chose to ignore the real problem-that is FANATIC ISLAM, the RELIGION itself, there will be lots of tail-chasing.
A brief history for the young, and the uninformed: The oil prices were around $3 before the embargo of the early seventies. The Egyptians wanted their land back from Israel or they would go to war, and will they also threatened that the Saudis would cut their oil production in support. We failed to react to that demand, and once the Arab oil embargo started, the oil price went to $20, that instant wealth for the Arab rulers was channeled to capture “old Islamic glory”. They funded Islamic missions all over the world, converted American black prisoners by the drove, and started JIHAD on every continent on this planet. We looked the other way in fear of offending our “friends” the Saudis.
At this point of history, killing Saddam, or even Osama Ben Ladin is not going to do any good to reverse the tide of Islamic terrorism. The only way to achieve that is by:
1) Dictating to the Arab dictators to control their Mosques, and their media
2) Dictating to the Saudis that they are governing because we allowed them to live. Their money and power comes from us. They should stop ALL charities/Islamic missions or we will depose them and install a democratic government.
3) The same thing to Mubarak. We are feeding his hungry population with $2 billions per year. He either control the hate emanating from his clerics, and media, or he will be deposed.
4)Israel must kill Arafat, and recruit new leadership for the Palestinians (perhaps some American Palestinian intellectual). As long as this raghead is alive, we will always have problems. A new leadership with new vision can do wonders.
5)The Israelis, and the Americans MUST put their money were their mouth is. We should start MASSIVE economic aid to that region to illustrate to the man on the street that the new pro-west leaders are better for them. I hope some of the so called experts in Washington would get to read this post and adjust their thinking. Daniel Pipes should be tapped as an advisor to the national Security Council. His deep understanding of the enemies must be utilized. He can run circles around Condeliza Rice!
In other words, we should attempt to buy them off. Been there, done that and it don't work. For one thing, Arafat and his cronies shunted nearly all the bribe aid money into their own personal numbered Swiss bank accounts. For another thing, the Arab mind views this payoff scheme as weakness, pure weakness, and paying jizya to the Mohammedan overlords.
The Arab world is like the dog that bites the hand which feeds it, but licks the boot which kicks it.
I think that Bush has better instincts than any previous president with regard to the Middle East; he refuses to meet with Arafat and has taken an enormous gamble with his vision for Iraq as the poster child for a democratic Arab country.
Whether it suceeds or not, Bush has broken from the mold of the past of endless negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. He is attempting to sweep the proverbial rug out from under the Arabs and remodel the Middle East in a way that hasn't been attempted in 100 years.
This is what will either suceed or fail; not more aid, but the choice for democracy. If the Arabs take the bait, investment, not aid will follow.
If it fails, then Fortress Israel will be necessary and a kind of quarantine of the Arab world.