I was reading over at the Washington Note by Steve Clemons (by the way I really like Steve's work) regarding an article by Nir Rosen , which seems to be a well informed picture of Iraq right now (minus Candy Cane Mountain and Children with Flowers).
But there was a comment in Mr. Clemon's reaction to the piece that struck me,
I'm paraphrasing now(by the way I love the Wash Note, but it doesn't let me highlight and copy which is a bummer) but Clemons asked a Saudi foreign minister what kind of trouble he evnisioned for the future and the Saudi official remarked that the dilemma was going to be what do we (the Saudis) do with the foreign fighters now in Iraq if Iraq is ever pacified.
I think this is a discussion that we need to discuss.
This seems to set up a situation awfully similar to 9/11 where even if we pacify Iraq the overflow of jihadi influenced youth will remain (we can't kill them all) and where will they go. If this sounds too familiar to the rise of al Qaeda after the Soviets left Afghanistan than you're on the same page with me.
The questions as I see them are where do these foreign fighters (very often Saudi) go after Iraq?
Do they target Saudi?
If not Saudi, where? America?
What would an attack on Iran do to these Sunni partisans, would they be wiling to fight for the Shiite Iran, or would they take advantage of regional instability to expand their terror campaign.
Would a pullout of American troops from Iraq play a role in spreading these terrorists throughout the mid-east?
Or does our presence help keep these fighters from terrorizing the Shi'ite population of Iraq?
In the end I agree with Mr. Clemons in that we need strategic thinking about the aftermath of theIraq war in regards to the jihadi element we have drawn to Iraq and thus benefited with advanced training against the u.s. army.
Answers, I don't really have any for now.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Thursday, April 06, 2006
LOST
Hopping around Technorati looking for other souls who were probably as confused as I was from last night's LOST, I found, not much.
Ok so after last night,
1. God I hope the whole thing isn't in Hurley's Brain or in the girl's brain either (what the hell both of them at Santa Rosa?, that's good Twilight Zone shit). (but it does give them an easy out if they ever have to pull the series.)
2. Who is the man that Henry Gale is scared of? And what the hell. I'm interested to see where this plot line goes, and whether we get more information on the others, or if it more information on whoever is in charge of the hatch, etc.
3. Damn I wish I would have started watching this show earlier. While last night's episode did have a little too much cheese, the timing and music are enough to keep me hooked.
4. Can't wait til next wednesday.
Ok so after last night,
1. God I hope the whole thing isn't in Hurley's Brain or in the girl's brain either (what the hell both of them at Santa Rosa?, that's good Twilight Zone shit). (but it does give them an easy out if they ever have to pull the series.)
2. Who is the man that Henry Gale is scared of? And what the hell. I'm interested to see where this plot line goes, and whether we get more information on the others, or if it more information on whoever is in charge of the hatch, etc.
3. Damn I wish I would have started watching this show earlier. While last night's episode did have a little too much cheese, the timing and music are enough to keep me hooked.
4. Can't wait til next wednesday.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Net Neutrality
I'm not sure what to say about this new action in Congress regarding Telecommunications, other than that if Joe Barton is involved than it's got to be bad for the little guy.
To Gloat or Not to Gloat
Last night as the wife and I were finishing up the relaxing evening of ncaa championship basketball (go gators (the one time in my life i'll say that) but I would've preferred a closer game) and some BBC show that was an American Idol for opera singers., we flipped to the news and who was there, Old Bugman. Yes, KSAT 12 did the honor of bringing me the news that Tom had decided to hang up his spurs and take the slow boat to Northern Virginia.
But this turn of events left me in a quandry. To Gloat or not to Gloat. As I stood over the sink washing a few dishes I tried to muddle through my mixed emotions. On the one hand abusing the public trust to line your own pockets is perhaps one of the cardinal sins in my book. To abuse public office is oh to easy, but goddamnit you can't stoop to it. Let alone the fact that the Bugman bilked money from Indians, come on, Indians, what's next smallpox infected blankets.
Yet i feel somewhat bad gloating, it's not that Tom DeLay does not deserve it, but am I in amy position to judge. The questions that arise for me are how to act when someone who is obviously deserving of scorn and derision finally gets taken down?
My decision is to keep the actions that brought Bugman first and foremost in my mind. This is not about his redistricting, or his love for oppressive Christianity, this is not about his success. No this is about one thing, taking money that did not belong to him. And what's worse using the cover of political office to get away with it.
So that's it, I still really want to Gloat, but I will do as the Jesus would want and hold my tounge, unless you see me today cause I'm grinning like a monkey eating peppers.
But this turn of events left me in a quandry. To Gloat or not to Gloat. As I stood over the sink washing a few dishes I tried to muddle through my mixed emotions. On the one hand abusing the public trust to line your own pockets is perhaps one of the cardinal sins in my book. To abuse public office is oh to easy, but goddamnit you can't stoop to it. Let alone the fact that the Bugman bilked money from Indians, come on, Indians, what's next smallpox infected blankets.
Yet i feel somewhat bad gloating, it's not that Tom DeLay does not deserve it, but am I in amy position to judge. The questions that arise for me are how to act when someone who is obviously deserving of scorn and derision finally gets taken down?
My decision is to keep the actions that brought Bugman first and foremost in my mind. This is not about his redistricting, or his love for oppressive Christianity, this is not about his success. No this is about one thing, taking money that did not belong to him. And what's worse using the cover of political office to get away with it.
So that's it, I still really want to Gloat, but I will do as the Jesus would want and hold my tounge, unless you see me today cause I'm grinning like a monkey eating peppers.
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