Not So Misunderestimated After All

The 'big bang,' as invading Iraq has sometimes been called, was meant to reorder the nature of politics in the region. This has been accomplished in a fundamental way. The idea of dividing an enemy force into its constituent parts and then dealing with it piecemeal is at least as old as Caesar's actions in Gaul. It applies no less to US strategy in the Middle East. Every faction there has been made to reconsider its relationship with every other. Rather than there being a monolithic clash of civilizations, thus far the US is dealing with the area in pieces -- in whatever way it sees fit to do so -- whether making it tacitly clear to Syria that what happened in Iraq could more easily happen to it, or threatening Iran on behalf of the region and world, or seeking cooperation with the Saudis in hunting down al Qaeda....,Shaken And Stirred, Josh Manchester, TCS Daily, 7/25/2006

Manchester's slant is so different from the usual BAF/MSM's it's as if he were reporting from another planet. Wait! It is another planet; it's called Earth!

This article on TCS Daily looks at the Israel/Hezbollah(Iran) war in the context of a growing awareness in Arab capitals that, with Saddam gone, Israel and America may be all that's protecting them (and their oil) from Iran.

The leading Arab League states, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt, call Hezbollah's actions "inappropriate and irresponsible." This lessens the urgency of calls from the international community, whether the G8, UN, or EU, for a ceasefire....Shaken And Stirred, Manchester, continued, TCS Daily

Why? If Israel knocks down Hezbollah, Iran's client terrorist organization, Arabs will be safer too. A big if, but...

But let there be no mistake: this moment would not have been possible without the invasion of Iraq, and the destruction of Hezbollah is very much in the interest of the United States and that of any other nation that abhors terrorism....Shaken And Stirred, Manchester...

An advantage that Manchester doesn't mention but bears repeating is easy to note: the invasion of Iraq has exposed the Democrat Party's dominant left wing as a political Hezbollah, willing to uphold its claims with any lie, cheat, or slander. It's nice to know who your friends are!

Luther