Priceless

Submitted by Pat (United States), Dec 12, 2006 at 11:51

You can't make this stuff up. 9/11 was our fault because we "supported" dictatorships in the Middle East, earning the enmity of Muslims everywhere. Now the problems in Iraq are our fault because we "won't work" with dictatorships in the Middle East. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict was why Saddam invaded Kuwait, according to some people. Well, Bill Clinton spent most of his presidency trying to get both sides to reach an accord. (Did Yasser Arafat ever list Iraq or America's presence in Kuwait or Saudi Arabia as a grievance or a hindrance to peace with Israel?)

It would be nice if President Bush just ignored this report, but the ISG learned the lessons of the 9/11 commission and are probably going on a publicity tour where they will receive wild applause and fawning questions from hosts who know less about Iraq than they do. I'm not sure Bush has much fortitude left for this fight. He talks a good game, but he's probably more worried now about his own legacy and how he will be remembered in the history books than he was right after 9/11.

There is only one lesson to learn here: if Iraqis really want peace, they'll find a way to make it happen. The world gave them a helping hand by removing Saddam Hussein. What happens next is up to them. The same goes for the Palestinians. They got more mileage out of Gulf War I than anyone could have hoped for. What did they do with it? Post 9/11, George Bush became the first American president to support the creation of a separate Palestinian state. Again, what did they do with the opportunity they were given? If Palestinians really want peace, they'll find a way.

The best thing the US can do as far as the Arabs are concerned is walk away and let them sort it out. If Iraqi Shiites want to be dominated by Iran, that's their problem and not ours. The Sunnis don't deserve our sympathy or concern. The Kurds must be protected, which means they will most likely gain a modicum of independence. The irony is that this situation might have been avoided had our "ally", Turkey, not reneged on its commitments prior to the start of the war.

The people who complain that past American support for dictatorships is at the heart of most of the world's problems need to explain their position. Should we work with established governments or not? We can work with them (Pakistan, Saudi Arabia), ignore them as much as possible (Iran, Syria) or overthrow them (Iraq). Which do they prefer? They obviously know what's best, so let them show us how it should be done.

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