Building the Arab Bomb

Building the Arab Bomb

Now that the Muslim world has become convinced that the U.S. will withdraw from Iraq, the Sunni Arab world is preparing for dealing with a nuclear armed Shia Iran. This should have been self evident, but our political and chattering classes are absolutely clueless when it comes to the rest of the world. They think that anyone who does not know English is an idiot, and is unprepared to undertake their own defense. In their racist worldview the Arabs are children, utterly unable to pursue their own interests without American interference.

Of course, this is not the case. If the Persians are capable of operating a nuclear program, then the Arabs are as well. Now, I am not sure if either of them is. But it is clear that the Pakistanis are able to at least expolde a single nuclear test. So why not the Arabs?

It is easy to understand the dynamic at work. The Sunni are used to weilding power in Arab lands, and have seen the Shia as a mostly Persian phenomenon. The Shia Arabs in their midst are seen as mere heretics among them, and more "modern" Arab states have been pretty tolerant about them. Now that the U.S. has interfered with the natural order of things, and created a powerful Shia Arab state in Iran, and then seen, with American withdrawal looming, an Arab/Persian Shiite axis rising in the East. The American interference has had much to do with this axis forming, but, if America does in fact withdraw, expect Washington to take a "Who, us?" position, disclaiming any and all responsibility for helping to creat this morass. But that is exactly what happened.

For more detail on this story, check out this week's Front Page article on this subject, with more links and background.

A Plan for Victory in Iraq

A Plan for Victory in Iraq

So now along comes a think tank, The American Enterprise Institute this time, with a plan for Iraq that includes, for the first time, Victory. Imagine that? Actual victory over the enemy. Winning. If only. James Baker and a few other members of Daddy's crowd have just freshly minted a plan for ignominious defeat. Defeat is so loved by the Left, and count about half of the American electorate as being on their side in this, that it appears to have the upper hand. It will take a giant of a man to resist the forces of defeat. I don't know if President Bush has it in him to resist them. We can only hope that he does.

One thing we do know: If the President succeeds in this, and changes course in Iraq, and therefore snatches victory out of the jaws of defeat, the American media will never give him credit for it.

The Loneliest Man

The Loneliest Man

As Tony Blankley points out on Townhall, President Bush now has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Like Abe Lincoln before him, he has major decisions to make, with the lives (and deaths) of thousands, nay, millions, in the balance, and he has not the faith of many, even in his own administration. Yet he must make them, alone.

He has demonstrated the temerity to act without the support of popular opinion, and the ability to do it right (at least sometimes), but none of this makes it any easier. We can only pray for him, since we can not help him.

If Iraq falls into the abyss, he gets the entire blame. The sufferring, however, gets spread over the lives of many others. But at least it is him, and not a lesser man, like his last few predecessors, who has this cross to bear. I have faith in him. Not a lot of faith, but faith, nonetheless. With no clear or right way out before him, he must make the least wrong choices. I wish him luck.