David Re...I believe the ouster of Saddam will go a long way, however, and probably bring about change in the region as quickly as it can be absorbed. Iran WILL move to democracy. SA, I believe, will change over time. And Syria is going to end up being isolated. All this takes years, though -- and to try to rush the process likely would end up in a bad outcome.
I mostly agree with what you said, but I disagree somewhat with Perle on SA. It is not that I think SA shouldn't be changed. It is that we need to wait until OBL and the Wahibis are weakened enough, such that SA can be changed to a democracy. Right now, the Wahibis would probably win an election outright, or make SA so violent, fair elections would be impossible. In Iraq Saddam was strong enough, and with his sons as heirs, there seemed to be no end in sight. In SA, the kingdom is too weak to keep things the same, so change is coming whether they want it or not. The trick is to make sure the change is beneficial to Sa and the region. That's why Saddam was chosen instead of the kingdom.
The war on terror isn't just about getting rid of Al Qaeda or OBL. It is about getting rid of all people using terror, in all of its shapes and forms, to subject people. The Taliban in Afghanistan, and Saddam were a good start. Perle is right that all of the countries need change; however,he doesn't emphasize enough that change could entail change from within also. |
