All Things
When will they ever learn?
In the 1980s while the Soviet Union was occupying Afghanistan, the United States government helped to create Al Qaeda. They financed Osama bin Laden and his mujaheddin in their fight against the Russian occupation. Not much later we invaded Afghanistan to capture bin Laden. We are still involved in this war which, at the moment, is not going well.
In retrospect financing bin Laden turned out to be a terrible mistake for which we will pay for a long time.
In the same Cold War period, Somalia was first a client of the USSR. They had a guided missile base there. The Russians supported Somalia. The United States supported neighboring Ethiopia. Then left-leaning generals took over the government in Ethiopia and we and Russia played musical chairs. Russia sponsored the left-leaning generals in Ethiopia and Somalia now became a client of United States.
Enormous quantities of weapons flowed into the region. In the 1990s the government in Somalia collapsed. The United States rescue effort ended in a shameful defeat for us. Today Somalia has no functioning government. But its coastline harbors pirates who are taking in millions of dollars every year in ransom for big ships they managed to take over. The Pirates are armed with weapons we supplied in the years of Cold War rivalry.
There are other examples of this knee-jerk policy of arming the enemies of our enemies. Again and again this policy has backfired dramatically. But our Department of State has not learned its lessons.
They are about to do it again. The Obama administration is considering selling $60 billion worth of advanced aircraft in Saudi Arabia -- a country mired in medieval customs and government. Run by a king and his family, Saudi Arabia is ultraconservative and oppressive to its population, especially to women. It is not a suitable political partner for a country that presents itself to the world as a champion of free institutions.
But following the disastrous principle that the enemies of our enemies are our friends we will sell cutting-edge military supplies to the Saudi kingdom because they are enemies of Iran.
How long before we will bitterly regret this action?
-
A new American Moment? "Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton declared Wednesday that `a new American moment` has arrived in international relations, `a moment when our global leadership is essential, even if we must often lead in new ways.`" That...
- Restoring America's Honor
Restoring America’s Honor Last weekend Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck managed to get tens of thousands of Americans to rally on the Mall in Washington in order to “Restore Honor.” Middle of the road reporters have, by and large, been content to make...
- The Afghan War Is Not A Just War
The Afghan War is NOT a Just War.. In his Nobel acceptance speech, President Obama once again showed himself for the intelligent, brave, and upstanding man he is. He boldly sets out to face the contradiction of receiving a peace prize while trying...
- Corruption Abroad And At Home
Corruption abroad and at home. Corruption is a central topic in discussions of Afghanistan. From the American side the matter looks very simple: the Afghanis are corrupt; we are not. There is some support for that view. In the index of 180 countries compiled...
- Escalation In Afghanistan
Barack Obama won the Presidency with the promise of change. What kind of change? It now appears that one change will consist of sending another 20 to 30 thousand US troops to Afghanistan, more or less doubling the number of Americans fighting in that...
All Things
In the 1980s while the Soviet Union was occupying Afghanistan, the United States government helped to create Al Qaeda. They financed Osama bin Laden and his mujaheddin in their fight against the Russian occupation. Not much later we invaded Afghanistan to capture bin Laden. We are still involved in this war which, at the moment, is not going well.
In retrospect financing bin Laden turned out to be a terrible mistake for which we will pay for a long time.
In the same Cold War period, Somalia was first a client of the USSR. They had a guided missile base there. The Russians supported Somalia. The United States supported neighboring Ethiopia. Then left-leaning generals took over the government in Ethiopia and we and Russia played musical chairs. Russia sponsored the left-leaning generals in Ethiopia and Somalia now became a client of United States.
Enormous quantities of weapons flowed into the region. In the 1990s the government in Somalia collapsed. The United States rescue effort ended in a shameful defeat for us. Today Somalia has no functioning government. But its coastline harbors pirates who are taking in millions of dollars every year in ransom for big ships they managed to take over. The Pirates are armed with weapons we supplied in the years of Cold War rivalry.
There are other examples of this knee-jerk policy of arming the enemies of our enemies. Again and again this policy has backfired dramatically. But our Department of State has not learned its lessons.
They are about to do it again. The Obama administration is considering selling $60 billion worth of advanced aircraft in Saudi Arabia -- a country mired in medieval customs and government. Run by a king and his family, Saudi Arabia is ultraconservative and oppressive to its population, especially to women. It is not a suitable political partner for a country that presents itself to the world as a champion of free institutions.
But following the disastrous principle that the enemies of our enemies are our friends we will sell cutting-edge military supplies to the Saudi kingdom because they are enemies of Iran.
How long before we will bitterly regret this action?
-
A new American Moment? "Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton declared Wednesday that `a new American moment` has arrived in international relations, `a moment when our global leadership is essential, even if we must often lead in new ways.`" That...
- Restoring America's Honor
Restoring America’s Honor Last weekend Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck managed to get tens of thousands of Americans to rally on the Mall in Washington in order to “Restore Honor.” Middle of the road reporters have, by and large, been content to make...
- The Afghan War Is Not A Just War
The Afghan War is NOT a Just War.. In his Nobel acceptance speech, President Obama once again showed himself for the intelligent, brave, and upstanding man he is. He boldly sets out to face the contradiction of receiving a peace prize while trying...
- Corruption Abroad And At Home
Corruption abroad and at home. Corruption is a central topic in discussions of Afghanistan. From the American side the matter looks very simple: the Afghanis are corrupt; we are not. There is some support for that view. In the index of 180 countries compiled...
- Escalation In Afghanistan
Barack Obama won the Presidency with the promise of change. What kind of change? It now appears that one change will consist of sending another 20 to 30 thousand US troops to Afghanistan, more or less doubling the number of Americans fighting in that...