Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sig who wrote (130075)	4/25/2004 7:06:17 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Respond to of 281500

For example, I have never been able to picture why our relationships with any other Arab Nation would be expected to improve as result of our invading Iraq. Absolutely.. Face it, prior to the US invasion of Iraq, most regimes in the region were only worried about being overthrown by Islamic militants (or secular rivals). And in response they bribed and collaborated with them in order to delay the inevitable and preserve their regimes. But now they have to contend with the prospect that the US will overthrow them if they continue their faustian flirtations with Islamic militants. And this has put them in a bit of a pickle.. But it has also opened up the opportunity, if the US remains steadfast in its support, to directly confront these militants. However, the US MUST require that these regimes open up their political and economic systems to represent the needs of the overall population. And many of them obviously have an interest to delay such pluralistic moves as long as possible.. But in my opinion, what's important is that we're forcing them to make this choice, to quit paying protection money and permitting the people within their countries to fall under the influence of non-democratic Islamism. This is going to take a long time.. And it will be bloody at times.. But it's the only way to deal with Islamic militancy and diffuse the appeal it has to the region's despairing youth. Hawk