Thursday, September 11, 2003 :::
 
The second anniversary of September 11 is upon us, and finds us less sanguine about the future, and less realistic about the threats to our safety. A paradox, but life is paradoxical. I can think of no better reminder than to urge you all to read again this moving essay by Daniel Henninger, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for it.

Now, on to those threats...



Drip, drip, drip...

Do you remember how we were all supposed to be reassured that Shi'ism is traditionally apolitical, and that therefore the Shi'ite majority of Iraq would not be tempted by the theocratic ideology that has governed Iran for 25 years?

Well, conservatives are also supposed to understand that "nature abhors a vacuum," and the bombing at the most holy mosque in Najaf has apparently convinced a reasonable number of Shi'ites that there is a power vacuum in their city. As reported in the Post and in the Journal, different Shi'ite factions have told their supporters to walk around with their guns exposed, in open defiance of US rules. In other words, it turns out that they have had militias at the ready for a while.

Realistically, but unwisely, our commander there, according to the Journal this morning, let it be known that he does not have enough troops to handle a civil war. It would be an odd military commander who telegraphed his own weaknesses like that, unless he had tried to send the same message through back channels and been rebuffed. Will someone please tell Donald Rumsfeld that we need more troops?

The Muslim version of "nature abhors a vacuum" is "Allah is with the winner." If we continue to not look like winners, we will start to be considered losers, and any sane person would choose the side that will ensure public safety. The vision of a dessicated and starving Iranian population may exert some control, but then again, the Ayatollah Khomeini was not the first leader to paint a vision so compelling that people made decisions that went against their own best interests.

More troops NOW!!

::: posted by A Mind That Suits at 10:41 AM


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What doesn't kill me, makes me laugh... usually.