The Failure of the Bush Doctrine

Submitted by Prof. Paul Eidelberg (Israel), Nov 12, 2006 at 01:58

The failure of the Bush Doctrine in the Middle East may be attributed to two major factors: (1) Bush's lack of moral clarity concerning Islam, and (2) the inability of a commercial democracy permeated by moral or cultural relativism to pursue a democratic crusade in the Middle East.

Bush failed at the very outset to identify the enemy—which is not "international terrorism," but totalitarian Islam. Islam had declared war on the United States, but the day after 9/11 Bush disarmed the American people by calling Islam a religion of peace. This religion was not hijacked by "extremists." Muslims of mainstream Islam hijacked the planes that destroyed the Twin Towers and killed almost 3,000 Americans.

Although 16 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis, it remained business as usual for Washington and Riyadh. Never mind that Saudi financed mosques throughout the US preach hatred of America. Never mind that Saudi money subsidizes Middle East study programs at American universities which are seedbeds of anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism.

Moreover, and as Robert Baer (Sleeping with the Devil) points out, that there's hardly a living former assistant secretary of state for the Near East, CIA director, White House staffer, or member of Congress who hasn't ended up on the Saudi payroll in one way of another. "At the corporate level, almost every Washington figure worth mentioning has served on the board of at least one company that did a deal with Saudi Arabia."

The enemy confronting the United States is far more numerous and far more dangerous than Nazi Germany. Of course the presence of millions of Muslims in the US complicates what the President may say to galvanize the American people against Islam. Another complicating factor is the doctrine of moral and cultural relativism that permeates the media. But Christian, middle class America would support a war against Islam if properly defined and orchestrated.

To appreciate Bush's failure, consider this. After Pearl Harbor, the US the placed some 114,000 Japanese—many American-born—in detention camps. Today it is forbidden do "ethnic profiling" at airports!

I'm not advocating detention camps for Muslims in America, but surely many mosques should be closed down and many Muslims should be deported. This would have a salutary impact both on Muslims and Americans.

As I urged after 9/11, All Arab ambassadors in Washington should be called into the White House and read the riot act.

Defense spending should be increased. The Saudi oil fields should be taken over by the 82^nd Airborne Division. The US Navy should be conspicuous in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean. Muslim and Arab tyrants, especially in Iran, Pakistan, and Syria, should be filled with fear.

Obviously, all this comes from another planet. The Chamberlains have won control of the US Congress.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".