In Other Words

Failed Foreign Policy

Excerpt from an article in the Washington Post:

"There is a total collapse of trust in American intentions and it's only gotten far worse over the past year," Telhami said. "When people hate or resent the United States far more than they dislike bin Laden, how can you succeed? That's the bottom line."

Funny, that’s what I was saying for the last year. I said that before the Americans attacked Iraq, I was saying that right after 9/11.

You know what the American I talked to then said? Bomb them. Attack, destroy and burn. Let God sort them out.

I said then that the only way to stop the terrorists was to cut them off from their greatest resource, the Muslim people. How every attack that killed a terrorist would in all likelihood create half a dozen more, as family, friends and loved ones rose up to take their brother’s place. I pointed to Corsica as an example. In Corsica blood feuds have been raging for going for generations, with nobody even certain who started them anymore. Machiavelli said something to the effect of if you can’t completely annihilate your enemy, then don’t go after them. Just hurting them and leaving them the power to strike back will almost certainly inspire them to hit back.

Now they agree. That while they have already turned the entire population of the Middle East against them, as polls showed.

American failed policy has successfully reduced the world’s freedom and safety. For once, I hate being right.

posted by Symbol @ 20.8.04