Here is a Barry Rubin column from July that gives his explanation of American policy with attention to certain indisputable facts on the ground
Good to know - tells us who is really not worth reading. In this case Barry Rubin. A most unimpressive performance.
His entire tirade is amounts to a series of "guilt by association" and "six degrees of separation" arguments not worthy of even cheezy high-school debating tricks.
"Iran is bad. Iran supported the Taliban [they strongly opposed them, LOL!], or at least some Al-Quada. Iran also supports the PA terrorists with money. Therefore Al-Quada is the same as PA and Bush is right to link them."
A more pathetic, contradictory, mixed up, laughable chain of "reasoning" it is hard to come by. Really below minimum standards of journalism.
Iran strongly opposed the Taliban (engaged them militarily), and were in fact not happy with Al-Quada. So, right there, we got some factual problems. Of course, as in ANY country, particularly one as riven by internal conflict as Iran, you will find different factions. Some of those certainly found AQ useful. AND some Iranian factions support Palestinian armed struggle. But to go from there to "therefore AQ=PA" is the crudest kind of propaganda.
But regardless of all that - here is where Mr. Barry Rubin is so spectacularly blind:
Let us assume for a moment that in fact AQ is supporting the PA.
Ask yourself WHY is the PA accepting AQ (and Iranian, and Iraqi and whatever) support?
Maybe because they are fighting for their freedom and are not particular whom they turn to? Isn't that true for liberation movements the world over? Even a developed state like the U.S. used the help of the Mafia in Italy when they invaded to get rid of the Nazis during WWII. Not savory, but a truism - the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
SO WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? Where is ISRAEL in all this? If Israel was not bent on destroying the PA and stealing Palestinian land, the PA would not have to search for allies wherever they can get them!
It is ISRAELI policies that are pushing the PA into AQ arms (and Iranian, Iraqi and whatever unsavory characters)!
And where is the U.S. here? Rubin is here to tell us why Bush policy is "not stupid" (btw. "stupid" happens to indeed apply very well to Georgie junior), LOL!
Well, the U.S. is busy denying them any support against Israel, which of course leaves the PA with nowhere to turn. So, the Palestinians ask themselves: if the U.S. does not support us, only Israel's aggression against us, then let us turn to whoever is left, be it AQ, or BQ or XQ.
And so the U.S. and Israel are busy radicalizing the Palestinians and pushing them into the embrace of AQ and the like, after which they can turn around and say: "see, the PA is the AQ, lets declare war!" LOL!
Of course, there is NO excuse for the horrible WTC attacks. But ask yourself - why is the AQ attacking us, and does the U.S. foreign policy have any connection to it? How can we be smarter about creating friends and allies rather than creating enemies?
I submit, that blind support for indefensible Israeli policies are a bad way for the U.S. to go. There is no need to do Israel's bidding (including the Israeli push for a U.S. attack in Iraq that'll help create massive Arab enmity), or take a bullet for Israel. Above all, there is no reason to encourage suicidal Israeli policies, and no reason to join them in their madness. |
