An Iraqi Dividend
posted in General |AN IRAQI DIVIDEND
Long before the bombs started to fall on Baghdad, the Arab Street issued dire warnings that an attack on Iraq by the US would throw gasoline on the flames of terrorism and would spawn “hundreds” of Bin Ladens. One might argue about the math, but the prospect of heightened terrorism cannot be taken lightly. Of course the opposite side of that argument is that terrorism would recede or go away if we did NOT attack Saddam, and most reasonable people would agree that that is very specious reasoning. Yet among all of these rainclouds there may be a ray of sunshine.
For the first time in many moons, the US now has a sold base of support from a lot of middle east muslims. They are, of course, the anti-Saddam Iraqis who look upon the US as a benefactor, friend, and maybe even a saviour. These folks will enthusiastically help us in tracking down Saddam's henchmen who have fled the country with their booty, and I think we also will be able to count on them to put the finger on would be terrorists and their cells. If we have to face the prospect of an ongoing war on terrorism, I think the pro-US Iraqis will be most helpful. And I also think they will blunt the inflammatory rhetoric coming from other Arab/Islam countries – especially after Saddam and sons are exposed for what they are and have been.
Maybe the searches will be like those which pursued the Nazis who escaped from Germany after WWII. Some were caught and brought to justice in well publicized trials. It is in our interests that the actions of these War Criminal Iraqis be shown to the world. Even Al Jazeera can't stop that. Of course, in other instances, these bad dudes will be located, apprehended, and then sort of …. disappear – permanently. That's the way business is conducted in the “spook” world.
All of this says that we need 6 months post-Saddam to get our teams identified, assembled, trained and focused, and we don't need the UN, France, Germany or Russia to participate We probably won't read about this sort of thing – at least I hope not – but it will quietly go forward as a solid dividend from the major investment we are making in a new Iraq.
Already, some of the arab “rogue” countries are a little bit nervous or uncomfortable that they may be on our hit list. As far as I am concerned. we should keep them thinking that way. Our new Iraqi friends might help them to think and act differently. Nothing like first hand evidence.