It was the hugely ambitious project of the Bush administration to transform the entire Middle East by remaking Iraq into an irresistible model of prosperous democracy. Having failed in that worthy purpose, another, more prosaic result has inadvertently been achieved: divide and rule, the classic formula for imperial power on the cheap.
When the Bush administration came into office, only Egypt and Jordan were functioning allies of the U.S. Iran and Iraq were already declared enemies, Syria was hostile, and even its supposed friends in the Arabian peninsula were so disinclined to help that none did anything to oppose al Qaeda. Some actively helped it, while others knowingly allowed private funds to reach the terrorists whose declared aim was to kill Americans.
The Iraq war has indeed brought into existence a New Middle East, in which Arab Sunnis can no longer gleefully disregard American interests because they need help against the looming threat of Shiite supremacy, while in Iraq at the core of the Arab world, the Shia are allied with the U.S. What past imperial statesmen strove to achieve with much cunning and cynicism, the Bush administration has brought about accidentally. But the result is exactly the same.
Mr. Luttwak, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, is the author of "Strategy: The Logic of War and Peace" (Belknap, 2002).
#2
I agree with the observation, AND with the implication that this outcome was not the TRUE intention. Moonbat liberals assume an intention, select a few facts, cobble together a narrative, and declare the thesis proven. This sort of reasoning would normally be regarded as massively deficient, if it wasnt for the fact that it is the main form of argument used to establish Darwinian Evolution.
#2
The possession of nukes, an enormous population and the jihadi mindset makes it of special interest.
Posted by: john ||
01/20/2007 7:43 Comments ||
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#3
So, is there any Muslem country which isn't?
Morocco.
Malaysia.
Turkey.
Let's not ignore reality: you have a few Muslim states that are managing in the real world today. Only a few.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/20/2007 11:57 Comments ||
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#4
Of course Pakland is a failed state. Paks are a failed humanity. Can't make silk purses out of sows ears. And, worse, if you're Muzzie, you ain't got any pigs to start with.
#5
Doc Steve, I'd add (parts) of Indonesia. Also, I'd add that Egypt and Jordan seem to be doing (comparatively speaking) well vs. other Muslim nations. Heck, you could even somewhat consider Kuwait and Bahrain as successful (in terms of wealth and commerce) nations. Even to the worldly eye (looking at wealth and infrastructure), Saudi looks advanced. BUT, all these nations have either dictatorships, ruling families, and/or the jihadi undertow (w/in the gov'ts) enough to worry about them.
Other failed states? France, Spain is quickly heading that way, and pretty much 1/2 or more of Africa.
Posted by: BA ||
01/20/2007 17:36 Comments ||
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#6
BA, agreed about Kuwait and Bahrain, and I suppose I could add Qatar and Oman. Not sure about Jordan, I think it could blow at any seam. And Egypt is going to blow the day after Mubarak dies and Sonny Boy tries to take over.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/20/2007 18:41 Comments ||
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#7
#3 Check out Moroccan emigration/Islamic activity.
Malaysia began oppressing its Chinese minority = coming economic collapse.
Turkey, marely takes longer than other Muslim countries, but all the signs are there.
#8
(parts) of Indonesia aren't Muslim. Bali is Buddist, I think. The Suhartos, who used to run the place, were not Muslim, if the niece that I was friends with in Germany was a proper sample. Smart lady, last I heard she was a department head at Bell Labs, and looking higher.
This is a promising looking not-quite-a-blog that covers the UN from a human rights angle. I didn't read much of it, but maybe other RB'ers would like to poke around a bit...
Michael Moore's searing examination of the Aragorn administration's actions in the wake of the tragic events at Helms Deep.
With his characteristic humor and dogged commitment to uncovering - or if necessary fabricating - the facts, Moore considers the reign of the son of Arathorn and where it has led us.
He looks at how - and why - Aragorn and his inner circle avoided pursuing the Saruman connection to Helms Deep, despite the fact that 9 out of every 10 Orcs that attacked the castle were actually Uruk-hai who were spawned in and financed by Isengard.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
