Quieter presence urged in Mideast

[MGKrebs]

The report, completed Monday, says the United States should rely on "proxies" for military action in the Middle East, if force is necessary.

"Direct engagement with the United States has been good for the jihadi movement," the authors argue, because it reinforces the perception in the Mideast of the United States as an anti-Islamic crusader.

"The United States should avoid direct, large-scale military action in the Middle East."

Such action, the report says, "rallies the locals behind the movement, drains the United States of resources and puts pressure" on allied regimes.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-02-14-terrorism-critique_x.htm

How is it possible that so many here on this message board are so much smarter than the experts? Many here pointed out these same issues 3 years ago.

[dusmcj]

1. why don't we just get our head out of our ass...

regarding our defective consumer economy based on resource overconsumption for masturbatory "productivity" and on our petroleum overconsumption habits ? Then we wouldn't have to care about the mideast as much. "Proxies" sounds like just more wannabe empire-boy realpolitik. We already have a bunch of failures at that working at DOD, State and the White House, we don't need more.

[rodeodance]

2. so, we are going to hire some other nation to do it?

[cliss]

3. You got it, R.

Notice the word "proxy". Every time I read something like this, I remember a statement by Bush a few years ago.

In-between his butchering of the English language, he said something to the effect, "See - we're going to set up governments around the world, but they won't look like ours. But they'll stand for freedomd and democracy".

I knew EXACTLY what he was talking about. Puppet governments, rule by proxy, rig elections, get in there and foment violence.

[Orsino]

4. Imagine Iran-Contra...

...but set in Iran.

What they're alluding to is eternal secret war.

[onager]

6. Well, the results of that are coming in...

And like everything Bushie tries, it's turning to shit for the Faux Freedom And Democracy Faction in Washington.

Hardline theocratic Muslims are being democratically elected all over the Middle East right now.

I'm in Egypt, where the "banned-but-tolerated" Muslim Brotherhood recently went from 15 seats in the Egyptian Parliament to 88 seats.

Just today we heard that Egypt has "postponed" the scheduled municipal elections, probably to prevent the M.B. from gathering even more political power at the local level.

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. They need UN Peacekeepers

They've had their screw ups, but in general they do a much better job then we do. It's time to end military operations and begin a serious peacekeeping mission.

[katty]

5. OK, look at these new, horrid AbuGharib photos & BE QUIET