Tom Friedman, Smartest Man on Earth, says radical Islam is losing

Tom, you are my hero (well, you and Big Al). You make so much sense, suggest such brilliant solutions, and generally agree with me on almost everything. I would like to formally submit my application to join the "Tom Friedman Mentoring Society". I may also get a "Tom Freidman is My Hero" t-shirt to go along with the "Al Gore is My Hero" shirt already in my closet.

Not kidding about the t-shirt. The sentiment happens to be true; I am a supporter of We Can Solve It and Repower America, but the shirt itself is a good way to start an argument in good old suburban North Texas.

At any rate, My Other Hero Tom wrote in yesterday's NYT about the current state of the jihad. Did you notice the radical Islamists are losing the War of Terror? Well, they are.

As Tom so deftly points out, everywhere the the Beardy Boys have taken charge (Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, etc), they have brought with them total economic stagnation (if not outright retreat), lowered standards of living and education, unnecessary and unwanted violence, repression, etc etc etc. And now we're seeing militant Islamists lose elections (Lebanon, Iraq) or steal elections (Iran). The Paki middle class is tired of bombs in the streets of Peshwar and have withdrawn support for the Taliban and foreign rebels causing trouble in the Northwest.

The bad news is that the US' friends in the Arab world, those shining examples of secular, progressive, populist democracy like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, are not really "winning", despite their medieval rivals' decline. This lack of a better idea is what keeps the jihadists in business, albeit in a much more limited capacity.

Go read the op-ed, along with everything Tom Friedman has ever written. The man's a genius.

New, utterly revolting terror tactic

By now, you've no doubt read about the latest atrocity (FAR too mild a word) committed by Iraqi terrorists. Two women with Down syndrome were strapped up with explosives, sent into Baghdad markets, and blown to bits (along with more than 70 passers-by) via remote control.

Mentally disabled women used as unwilling suicide bombers. Shall we count up the number of horrific, morally bankrupt points which show up in that statement? I get at least six.

Dear God. I don't know what to say. I am so speechless that I really wrestled with even writing this post. What can I possibly say that will accurately convey my horror, disbelief, revulsion, and anger at this cowardly, morally bankrupt act? There IS nothing I can say which will do my sentiments, or those of any human, any justice.

The terrorists, presumably AQ or a franchisee, claim to be doing God's work. I believe God is keeping track of acts committed in His name. The bill will come due for these miserable cretins in time.

When does the Enniskillen moment come in Iraq? When does AQ commit an act so repugnant, so cowardly, and so shocking that it turns their support base against them? If this isn't it, then God help us all.

Iraq: "We are freaking winning out here"

There's been a whole bunch of positive (not "relatively positive", for-real positive) news and opinion coming out of Iraq in the past few weeks, and I think it is more than worth noting.

According to Marine Regimental Combat Team 6 in Camp Fallujah, Iraq, the new anti-insurgency tactics employed by Coalition forces are working, and not just a little. For example:

...The change over the past year has been amazing. Hell, even the change
since we got here in January has been noticeable. The sheiks and the tribes they
lead have thrown in their lot with us despite a constant murder and intimidation
campaign by Al Qaeda. Our approach to counterinsurgency is working and is an
illustration that given enough time, ordinary men and women -- the Iraqis we
work with every day -- will say "Enough violence is enough." They're tired of
their children dying, and of fearing for their lives just because they had the
nerve to try to keep their neighborhoods safe...

...The bottom line is that we are freaking winning out here. And the really
astonishing thing is that Coalition Forces aren't the main effort -- we're
simply an enabling factor. The Iraqi people, the moms and dads of Iraq, are the
ones who are winning this war.

How about Omar in Iraq:

...Iraqis are awakening, one very telling example can be seen in the
ongoing operation in Diyala; members of the 1920 revolution brigades, once
bitter enemies of the US military and Iraqi government are
now assisting US and Iraqi military in fighting al-Qaeda even though the
majority of the Iraqi soldiers and officers are Shia. If the change in
exclusively Sunni Anbar is good then the change in Diyala is good beyond
words...

Charles Krauthammer adds this:

...Accordingly, Petraeus and Crocker have found a Plan B: pacify the
country region by region, principally by getting Sunnis to join the fight
against al-Qaeda.

This has begun to happen in Anbar and Diyala. First, because al-Qaeda are foreigners. So are we, but --
reason No. 2 -- unlike them, we are not barbarous. We don't amputate fingers for
smoking, decapitate with pleasure and kill Shiites for sport.

Third, al-Qaeda's objectives are not the Sunnis'. Al-Qaeda adherents
live for endless war and a reborn caliphate. Ultimately, they live to die. Iraqi
Sunnis are not looking for a heavenly date with 72 virgins. They are looking for
a deal, and perhaps just survival after U.S. troops are gone...

By now, you should know I am, at heart, an optimist. I welcome good news. While I still think the Iraq debacle has been, well, a debacle, we are where we are. All we can hope for is a somewhat positive outcome. For a change, that actually seems to be a possiblity.

U of Wisconsin strikes again?

The southern Iraqi city of Basra is being victimized by a plague of ferocious badgers, which some residents claim have been released into the area by British troops.

The Brits, with typical stiff upper lip, have categorically denied any involvement.

The animals, which have been identified as honey badgers, are actually indigenous to the area, and may have been driven into the city by flooding to the north. It does seem, to the casual observer, that there is, in fact, no Western, anti-Islamic plot at work here.

Its also important to note that, while the University of Wisconsin does maintain a rather robust US-Iraq Web site, the folks in Madison probably didn't have anything to do with the badger infestation either.

Everyone's an expert

Everyone's got an opinion on Iraq. Even some folks you might not expect. You can't argue with this guy's credentials though; he definitely has skins on the wall...

Retired Gen. George Washington Criticizes Bush's Handling Of Iraq War

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Revolutionary War veteran noted that while Hussein was a tyrant, that alone did not justify a "conflict that seems without design or end."

An acronym so good, it deserves its own post

Hell, this probably deserves a Wikipedia entry:

TSBFPMEMBACEHE – The Single Biggest Foreign Policy Mistake Ever Made By Any Country Ever in the History of Ever. A new name for the bone-headed, wasteful-in-every-manner, option-killing, economy-crippling, moral-authority-destroying, foreign-policy-emasculating-for-the-next-20-years, ally-alienating, enemy-making, next-three-generations-of-Islamic-terrorists-training FIASCO which is the entire US campaign in Iraq.

For the record, I oppose a pull-out, as I believe it will just make all of the above worse. And I know its crying over spilled milk, but, GOD ALMIGHTY, we should never have invaded in the first place!

Something new in the world of terrorism

There's a very interesting piece on MSNBC today by Richard Engel, regarding a new trend in the world of international terrorism. Engel calls it "Al-Qaeda Franchises", and it's not good news at all.

What he's talking about is exemplified by those Fatah al-Islam jackasses who are currently slugging it out with the Lebanese army in the Nahr al-Barid refugee camp in northern Lebanon. While not technically part of AQ, these morons are clearly "inspired" by Uncle Osama and Friends. Engel compares them to your local McDonalds franchise – locally owned and operated, locally staffed, but supported by marketing, brand recognition, and "secret ingredients" from the Home Office.

The really interesting part is Fatah al-Islam and their ilk, and there's a bunch of such bands of jerkoffs scattered around Lebanon in Palestinian refugee camps and all over the Middle East, are Sunnis, just like Uncle Osama. In Lebanon at least, the strongest non-government force (hell, maybe stronger than the government) is Iranian-backed, ultra-Shiite Hezbollah. Shockingly, the Lebanese government and Hezbollah now have a common enemy. However, Hezbollah honcho Hassan Nasrallah, who may be delusional, psychotic, immoral, and a liar, but is definitely not a dummy, is pulling the "Oh, we'll help, but it's gonna cost you" bit with the Siniora government.

I don't really know what to make of this, but it's interesting (and scary) to see AQ remake itself yet again. It's equally interesting (and scary) to see just how long the Sunni target list is. These clowns are already going head-to-head with the US in Iraq, are spoiling for a fight with Israel (of course), are after most of the fascist Arab governments, and are ready to throw down with Shiites wherever and whenever they can.

Perhaps that's the answer, or part of the answer. Can we successfully get the Sunnis and Shiites to concentrate on beating the crap out of each other? The answer is probably yes, but we'd need to get out of Iraq first, then have Israel lie as low as it can. Those to pre-requisites are unlikely – we're too stuck in Iraq and it's way too late to just admit it was sheer stupidity to get involved there in the first place, and the Israelis can't afford to roll over, no matter what's at stake in the larger picture.

Still, it sure seems like there's something to be leveraged there. The Sunni-Shiite antagonism seems to present opportunities. I've given up on the Bush administration ever having the intelligence to recognize such opportunities or the skill and subtlety required to act on them, but it's something to keep in mind for January 2009 (how effing depressing is that?).

The lesson from Fatah al-Islam and groups like it is probably something along the lines of the adaptability of the fundamentalist Islamic terrorist world. We will never beat these guys with force, and force applied in the wrong place for the wrong reasons only makes them stronger (yes, that is a not too subtle reference to the Iraq boondoggle, henceforth referred to here as "The Single Biggest Foreign Policy Mistake Ever Made By Any Country Ever in the History of Ever" or TSBFPMEMBACEHE). And, thanks in no small part to TSBFPMEMBACEHE, our options stink.

Daily YouTube: Some fairly intense video

Here's a heavy-duty bit of video: KBR (the former Halliburton sub which is the main US contractor in the "rebuilding" of Iraq and Afghanistan, and a company I have become quite familiar with lately - more about that another day) truck convoys criss-cross Iraq, carrying all sorts of supplies and goods. Here's a convoy that made a VERY wrong turn.

WARNING: Not for the faint of heart, and ABSOLUTELY not for kids.

Iranian “diplomat” seized in Baghdad

Someone or another has apparently grabbed Jalal Sharafi, the second secretary at the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad.

I wonder if “second secretary” is like “cultural attaché”, which was the cover always taken by KGB agents in spy literature.

Regardless, I think we all know the Iranians are up to nefarious deeds in Iraq these days. More nefarious than the US? I don’t know about that. Certainly they are acting more quietly and deniably. Those two attributes probably mean a higher degree of nefariosity (on, like that’s not a word!) and, let’s face it, if you’re a supporter of Israel, then Iran is pretty much guilty until proven innocent.

So, was Sharafi merely an unsuspecting, uninvolved pigeon? Or is/was he something more? And who nabbed him? Iraqis working for the US? Iraqis working for their own govt? Iraqis working for Iran who wanted an excuse for something yet to come? Penny-ante crooks looking to score a Rolex and a nice ride? Will we ever know? How do we know if we know?

Ah, yes. The “wilderness of mirrors” is back. The bad guys drink tea instead of vodka now, they’re probably better funded, and they’re certainly more motivated, but it’s the same game. And, as long as we’re basically stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan, they’ve got us by the nose.

Insurgency now and 60 years ago

VERY interesting post on Faster, Please! today comparing the similarities between today's Iraq and Germany in 1945.

Hollywood hasn't made a major motion picture about it (Clooney's The Good German may mention it - I haven't seen it so I don't know), so it's not widely known, but unrepentant Nazis made life very difficult for occupying armies. Insurgents, who called themselves "Werewolves", ran around killing Allied soldiers, blowing stuff up, conducting reprisals against civilians suspected of collaborating with the occupiers, and generally terrorizing anyone and everyone.

Sounds familiar, right?

The Werewolves were defeated within a couple of years, and Germany calmed down, due to a number of different reasons, including the occupiers' (both Western and the Soviets) brutal repression of the insurgency, and, by the way, probably not-just-a-few innocent civilians as well.

There are a great many differences between post-Hitler Germany and post-Saddam Iraq, including outside support, via Iran and Syria, of Iraq's insurgency, VERY different attitudes about rights and responsibilities of occupiers and occupied, general cultural history and disposition of the populace, and motivations of the insurgent themselves.

However, there are some parallels as well, and it's an interesting history lesson for us to review.

2006 Review

You’ll read year-in-review articles everywhere in the next week or so. For the most part, they’ll be a beating, and this one will be no exception. I often struggle with things like this: Is it worth wasting electrons on my screen to even go thru this exercise? Will anyone care? The answer to that is, of course, NO. But who cares about any of the crap I write about here? A few of you do (and I appreciate every one of you), but, for the most part, I do this whole bit just for me.

So, with all the usual self-flagellation out of the way, I think this will be some fun to look back at in the near and distant future. Here goes:

News Story of the Year

The knee-jerk is to say something like “Iraq” or “War of Terror”, but that’s pretty broad. If we’re going to narrow it down a bit, then we should focus on a specific event. To me, that’s the mid-term elections.

The Republicans losing control of Congress was no surprise – they’d doing everything in their power to hand it over for several years, and it was only Democratic ineptness which prevented it from happening at least two years ago. Not a surprise, but an historic, game-changing event nonetheless, and an opportunity to make some new moves at last. Would Rumsfeld still be at the Pentagon if the Dems hadn’t won? Dunno, but they did and he’s not. That’s a start, but, obviously, not nearly enough. I don’t know what the answer is in Iraq, but the status quo obviously ain’t working. I’m not going to say “anything would be better than what we’ve got”, because that’s foolish and untrue. However, there are better approaches available, and its way past time to start trying them. The change in DC makes those other approaches a legitimate part of the debate, where they might not have been before.

International Story of the Year

Ariel Sharon’s catastrophic stroke, North Korea joining the nuclear club, Iran starting the application process for the same club, general zaniness from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hugo Chavez, and the continuing horror shows in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Burma are all noteworthy, but the story of the year in the International section has to be Israel vs. Hezbollah.

For most of the mid-summer, Israel, Hezbollah, and, to a lesser extent, Hamas, Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan had a serious disagreement. The roots are, of course, one of the most complex, frustrating, and violent differences of opinion in the history of mankind. The immediate cause was the kidnapping (or capture, depending on your perspective, I suppose) of three Israeli soldiers by Hamas and Hezbollah.

The result was weeks of open hostilities, the resolution of which is unclear at this point. Israel certainly did not lose, but it’s difficult to tell if Hezbollah and Hamas did either. Hamas and Hezbollah didn’t win, but it’s difficult to tell if Israel did.

One thing we know for sure coming out of this little soiree is the Israeli govt has lost most, if not all, of its stones. Sharon, and most of the PMs before him, knew that, if it comes to shooting at anything above the platoon level, then it’s time to throw everything up to, and including, the kitchen sink at the other guys. Half measures don’t get it done. However, all Olmert and his tottering coalition could muster was half measures.

VERY discouraging!

Sports Story of the Year

A close one here: Mavs going to the NBA Finals was BIG, but I have to go with Vince Young and Texas winning the National Championship. That Rose Bowl was an All-Timer – I proclaimed it the Greatest College Football Game Ever, and I stand by that. There was MUCH rejoicing all over Texas and at the CIT Compound in particular back on Jan 4.

Entertainment Story of the Year

My vote goes to Sacha Baron Cohen’s emergence as a major comedy star. I have been a fan of the guy since I first laid eyes on “Da Ali G. Show” several years ago. Talladega Nights and, of course, Borat have introduced Cohen to mainstream America. Not everyone gets him, but well north of $150 million in box office for Borat indicates that enough do. Borat takes its place with Monty Python and The Holy Grail, Team America, and Blazing Saddles as the funniest, most offensive movie ever in the history of ever. Shockingly, my smart and insanely hot wife laughed her ass off at it, which is a bet I would have lost for sure.

Local Story of the Year

It’s hardly ever good news in the City of Dallas, and this year is no exception. The big story was the unveiling of plans for the giant new Jerry-Dome in Arlington. The news is all good for Arlington, the Jones family, Cowboy fans, and probably humanity in general. However, its just one more example of Dallas’, and especially Laura Miller’s, inability to get it done.

Best Week of the Year (Personal Edition)

Back in June, I got to attend Microsoft’s annual Tech Ed, this year held at the spiffy new Boston Convention and Even Center. The week-long event was excellent, as always; well-planned, well-executed, well-attended, and chock full of great info. And, since it was in Boston, I got to make a bit of a vacation of the whole thing.

In my 10 day stay, I managed to: spend two days in Providence RI, boating, eating at nice restaurants, killing many brain cells, and generally reliving my college days; see cousins, aunts, and assorted other family from both sides on a number of occasions; go for several runs along the Charles on spectacular New England early summer days; go for several walks through Back Bay and the Financial District on spectacular New England early summer days; get introduced to City Bar, a new entry on my very short list of favorite Boston bars; and enjoy several meals in Back Bays finest restaurants.

I need more business trips like this one!

Big Time Family Story of the Year

There’s a litany of events in the running. Rather than boil it down to a single one, let me briefly list the big stuff:

Our five-year-old son, who has an extremely rare metabolic disease called Tyrosinemia Type 1 and who got VERY VERY sick before he was a year old, started Kindergarten and is learning so much, so fast that I literally can’t believe it. In addition, FISD and the folks at his school have really accommodated him. It took minimal effort from us on some things, and quite a bit of effort on some other things, but we are very pleased with how things have worked out for him.

Our eight-year-old daughter got recruited for select soccer. She’s very athletic, which is shocking, considering how nonathletic her dad is, and, when she’s into it, is an outstanding player. We’re working on the “into it” part, and playing at a higher level should help. This is quite an honor, though, and something we’re all very proud of.

I changed employers, moving from International Network Services to Catapult Systems back in Sept. The work is exactly the same, but I’m doing all of it in the DFW Metroplex of Love. Other than a day trip to Houston and a day trip to Austin, I haven’t traveled for business since I made the change. I actually have time to help Aly with her homework, make the kids dinner, do baths and bedtime, and have a hobby or two. What a revelation!

Robynne continues to add to her legend in the medical community in Dallas, Collin, and Denton Counties. She’s had parents say to her, “I had to wait a month to get an appointment with you, but it was worth the wait.” That’s pretty high praise. She’s had huge positive impacts on so many families in North Texas through her work – it’s great to see her do so well at something she clearly loves to do. She is, quite literally, an inspiration to me.

Thanks for sticking with me thru this outrageously long post, and with the blog thru long periods of less-than-active posting (and less-than-interesting content). Have a great Holiday Season, and a happy 2007!

Iraq: Another dreadful milestone

As of today (Nov 25), the US has spent more time fighting in Iraq that it did in WWII. Talk about instant perspective.

Interestingly, I ran across this in the Sydney Morning Herald, not in a US paper. Draw your own conclusions from that little tidbit.

Cindy Sheehan "hunger strike" update

As mentioned here a few weeks ago, Cindy Sheehan and selected other peace activists are on "hunger strike" until the troops come home.

Here's an update on said "strike" - it seems that Cindy is allowing herself smoothies and ice cream.

What, exactly, is this supposed to galvanize us to do?

Somewhere in the Great Activist Beyond, Bobby Sands is either tearing his hair out, or laughing his ass off.

For God's sake, if you're going to protest, PROTEST. Don't waste everyone's time with this crap. And don't open yourself up to this kind of criticism.

Geography the AQ way

Omar from Iraq The Model writes about the latest missive from Ayman al-Zawahiri and the nutty geography lesson contained within.

Al-Zawahiri, as usual, keeps the focus on Iraq. Clearly, AQ is targeting Iraq as the center of their new, party-all-the-time Caliphate, and this time al-Zawahiri is gobbing off about it's proximity to Israel as a big selling point.

Omar points out, as would anyone with access to a map, that Syria is quite a bit closer to Israel than Iraq is, and is actually in between the two. Further, Omar makes two additional points:

1. Syria shares a bit of border with Israel (in fact, Israel has occupied Syrian territory - the Golan Heights - since they took it in 1967's Six Day War).

2. Syria's giraffe-necked "President", Bashar al-Assad, is supposedly an ally of AQ.

Given all of this, wouldn't you expect Syria to be the spot to launch the Emirate? Wouldn't it be, like, more cost effective than fighting the US, the Shiites, the Kurds, and who-knows-who-else for Iraq?

Hmm, maybe Syria isn't quite as in-the-pocket as AQ and Iran might like? Wishful thinking? Perhaps, but wouldn't you LOVE to be a fly on the wall when Condi Rice uses her anonymous Wal-Mart calling card to ring a payphone next to the falafel stand on Hafez Blvd in Damascus, where a long-necked, big-eared dude in a fake Bedouin robe and Groucho glasses waits to answer?

I would!

Anti-war hunger strike - oh PLEASE!

I meant to blog this earlier in the week:

A group of anti-war activists started a hunger strike to protest US involvement in Iraq. While most of the strikers gave up food just for the day on July 4, some, including Cindy Sheehan, have stated they will continue until US troops are pulled out completely.

I have no real problem with the anti-war crowd. I think they make some legitimate points and I'm in sympathy with many of them. However, this is ridiculous.

Bobby Sands and a few other Irish Republicans kind of set the standard for hunger strikes back in 1981. Unless you're prepared to go the distance, don't waste our time with this drivel.

Don't screw with the Russians

Former KGB boss Vlad Putin, now President of the Russian Republic (in case you had forgotten), reverted to his roots earlier today. He ordered the Russian Secret Service to hunt down and kill the Iraqis who executed four Russian diplomats earlier this month.

Back in the bad old days of the Soviet Union, Middle Eastern and European terrorists knew better than to mess with the Sovs. Anyone who forgot this directive often got mailed back to his relatives in multiple packages. The KGB took no crap, and quickly the word got out not to give them any.

The Russians look to be using the same tactics their Commie ancestors employed. They need to, as events in Chechnya have the Russians on radical Islam's coal-in-the-stocking list.

Talk about a Hot Sports Opinion

Lunatic Brit MP George Galloway has said it would be "morally justified" for an assassin to target PM Tony Blair. He went to to add that he was not advocating such an act, as if that would make it OK to spout off this insane opinion.

Galloway was already booted from Labour for urging Brit soldiers not to fight in Iraq. This time, he may find himself in a bit more trouble.

What good can possibly come from a statement like this?

What really happened in Iraq last week

Mohammed at Iraq The Model has a VERY interesting post today regarding the events of late last week in Iraq.

Of course, you know that someone blew up one of the most sacred sites in Shia Islam. The Western press nearly wet themselves proclaiming "CIVIL WAR IS HERE!!"

Now, less than a week later, things are quieting down. The Iraqi Army apparently has performed well, and the Iraqi government has continued to function.

Mohammed informs us that things were not quite as they appeared - "spontaneous" street demonstrations were not so spontaneous, the Muslim clerics who seemed to be keeping the lid on things may have been the very parties that were encouraging the situation to blow, and the elected authorities may have handled things better than anyone expected or is willing to say now.

Go read this post. And keep in mind that Mohammed and his brother Omar have been blogging from Iraq for a long time, are credible, and understand the impact of their words.

Iraq - good, bad, somewhere in-between?

I keep seeing articles like this one from servicemen and women back from Iraq. The picture a lot of them paint of the situation on the ground there differs pretty sharply from that presented on the front page of the Dallas Morning News or USA Today.

What is the honest-to-God truth? I suspect it's somewhere in between, but it's hard to argue with the folks who are there, on the ground, living it on a daily basis.

I miss Tom Friedman

Greg Djerejian of The Belgravia Dispatch recently shared a cab with Tom Friedman of the NYT. As you may be aware, you can't read Friedman's columns on the NYT site anymore, unless you're willing to pony up $50/year to join "TimeSelect", which I am not as a matter of principle.

My loss, as far as Friedman goes. Djerejian reprinted a bit of a Friedman column on the next steps in Iraq following the election. As always, it's rational, positive, and well-written.

I miss that guy. Not $50-miss-him, but I do miss him.