9/11 Commission should have supported Iraq..
Reader comment on item: The Triumph Of the 9/11 Commission

Submitted by Doug Stracner (United States), Jul 27, 2004 at 15:44

Praise to you, Mr. Pipes, for pointing out the severe condemnation of Islamist terrorism in the 9/11 report. Far too many of the news outlets focused entirely on what the report said about what the Bush administration did or did not do to prevent it.

You pointed out that hope for eliminating Islamism rides on changing the way Muslims see themselves. While Washington cannot do this alone, the U.S. has taken the only logical step -- we have taken down Sadaam's regime and laid the groundwork for a model of a hopeful society in Iraq.

It is sad that due to European and Third-World sensitivities the Bush administation cannot be truly honest about Iraq. The invasion of Iraq had little to do with WMD, ties with Al Qaeda, or family revenge. Iraq was invaded to establish a beachhead of semi-Democracy, hope, and economic well-being in the heart of the Islamic world. (It's also a key base for potential operations against Iran or Syria, and perhaps Saudi Arabia).

Iraq was an easy target -- weak military forces commanded by an idiot megalomaniac dictator. Unfortunately, the anti-war Democrats and Liberals just don't get it, but the Islamists do. They are pouring their explosive insanity all over the Iraqi landscape, because they understand that a successful Iraq is the beginning of the end for Islamism. A successful Iraq will serve as a model for young Muslims all over the Middle East that is much more attractive than what the Islamists offer.

Bush will probably lose this election, because the Left, it's media allies, the 9/11 commission, and most passive Americans just don't get it. But like Lincoln, cursed -- and murdered -- in his own time, Bush will be praised 30 years from now when the threat of Islamist terrorism has faded into the thriving Universities, businesses, and endless opportunities of the new Iraq.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.