Quote:
from The Economist of 6 Oct 2001
... Americans, largely on the right, who think the country will indeed eventually have to wage war on Islam- or, at least, various chunks of the Muslim world. These voices say that you cannot defeat terror without confronting its backers in Iraq, Iran and to some extent Saudi Arabia and Syria.
... One version ... has already divided the administration. Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy secretary of defence, has clashed with the secretary of state, Colin Powell, over whether to overthrow Saddam Hussein as well as the Taliban. This dispute has not been settled, just deferred.
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Indeed, rumors persist that the battleplan has no exit strategy - a definition of when we have completed the task. Mission creep is already suggested by using bin Laden as an excuse to go after Saddam Hussein. We have gone full out in conventional warfare rather that take time to first put all the pieces in place. Look - it will take time just to rearm and establish anti-Taliban forces. Not just to win the war but to win the securing of peace. It will take anti-Taliban forces time to establish a coordinated government that can start as soon as the country falls. You don't just take over a country - then decide who is its leader will be. Such civil wars only result in more civil wars. Just another reason why the anti-Taliban coalition needed time to get ready. Instead we even have word from Pakistan's leadership that the war must be short.
Did the administration panic? Did they decide they must capture bin Laden before winter sets in? That rush to action may be a few right wingers running a campaign in direct contradiction to most every cooperating world leader - including Tony Blair. As noted, having taking the flagratant approach to the problem, then we may have lost the advantage of time. We may have put those Special Forces to great disadvantage. We may also be conducting a solution that even our closest friends think is wrong.
This London Times article is a wee bit worrying:
They opted to bomb, it had better work
A repost is available here:
Newsgroup repost