Posted by
JDComments on Thursday, December 21, 2006 3:45:33 PM
I hope the governent did not pay a whole lot to arrive at the conclusion that a US defeat in Iraq would embolden jihadists [see
article from Washington Times]. There are somethings which common sense and experience should make perfectly clear, and if our intelligence services have to run elaborate war games to arrive at the same conclusions we are in worse shape than we thought.
However, to be fair, most Liberals refuse to acknowledge this obvious ramification of our retreating from Iraq, so perhaps a big Government program with lots of bells and whistles and a hefty price tag was thought to be what that bunch needed, but I doubt it will change their minds.
The article points out that starting with the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan and continuing through various minor attacks and perceived victories over the US, the Terrorists have become increasingly more confident and audacious, something anyone who has ever watched the dynamics of a schoolyard bully would understand., or should anyway. I guess CIA types lead sheltered lives as kids.
Those who argue that the Iraq war has increased recruitment among the Islamic radicals should stop and think about what a major victory over the Great Satan will do. Somehow I do not think that Bin Laden and Company are going to call it a day and retire satisfied. Now we have CIA confirmation of that.
Regardless of how we have fared in bringing democracy to Iraq , we have for three years tied up the men and resources of our enemy and in the process killed many and dealt them blows from which they are reeling, as they themselves have admitted in communiques. We have a tendency to overblow the capabilities of our foes, and so think that our endeavor in Iraq is only a minor inconvenience for the jihadists, but in reality it is, as they have said, their version of WWIII and a defeat there would seriously set them back , while a victory would supercharge their cause and allow it to metastasize throughout the world, while putting us on the defensive .
We would go from controlling the battle to reacting to a burgeoning enemy, not a good place to be. Just ask the CIA.