The House that George Built

While our enemies, adversaries and competitors are smart, it’s doubtful that they could have conceived of how effectively they would be able to tie us up in difficult struggles across Islamic lands.

Osama bin Laden must have known that the U.S. would come after him and al Qaeda after 9/11 and must have anticipated going to ground much as he has. But I find it difficult to believe that he thought that we would attack Iraq as a result of his terrorist attack on America.

Now embroiled in Iraq for well over three years, the administration has no firm plan for disengagement. Our goal of establishing in Iraq a democratically elected government that promises to have staying power beyond our exit seems very shaky, and the cost in lives, bodies and treasure for Americans and Iraqis has been astronomical and is rising rapidly.

Iran appears to have far greater influence in Baghdad than we ever intended, and the Shiite Iraqi prime minister – apparently looking anxiously toward Tehran – condemns the Israeli incursion into Lebanon. It is likely that Iran at least gave a nod to Hezbollah’s initial attack on Israel. Whether they anticipated Israel’s overwhelming response is beyond my knowledge, but it has certainly embroiled Israel and the U.S. in another very difficult situation that makes aggressive moves toward Syria and Iran less likely.

By its perceived role in backing Hezbollah, Iran, a traditional enemy of Arabs, especially Sunnis, and most especially of Iraq, has put itself in a stronger position with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other moderate Arab states. Its soft alliance with Syria against Israel has also strengthened its situation with the Arab world. With the U.S. bogged down in Iraq and Israel involved much more heavily than anticipated in Lebanon, attacks against Syria and Iran look much further down the road. And, of course, in the meantime the Iranians are working feverishly to create the ultimate deterrent against attack, nuclear weapons.

Anticipating a far quicker and more decisive result against Hezbollah, our approach to the U.N. of stalling as Israel degraded its enemy is now working against us and our prime ally in the region. It is likely now that both sides will claim victory, but outside the U.S. and Israel, the result of the propaganda war will not likely to be favorable to us.

All in all, the house that George and his neocon friends built appears ill suited to stand against the blowing of the big bad wolf.

The Congress must have more oversight. We’ve got to elect Democrats in November. It’s time for a change.

Had enough? Vote Democrat!

Blog on!

Wild Bill