The lucid David Warren writes in "Next" that the evolving nature of the war means fewer announced missions and more clandestine operations.
The reality is that the Bush administration now finds itself in the position of the one adult in a room full of unhappy children. The adult carries responsibilities that none of the children fully understand. A mortal threat presents itself to adult and children alike, but only the adult appreciates this. He must find a way to proceed in spite of the children's very active non-cooperation.Posted by Van der Leun at September 30, 2003 11:36 PMI realize this is not a flattering account of the spectacle of the "United Nations" at work, but it is unfortunately true. And it is the most useful analogy I have found to guess how the Bush administration must proceed, given the nature of its actual problem -- an enemy vowed to the destruction of the West, which will stop at nothing, and must soon be armed with unimaginably lethal weapons and nearly undetectable methods for delivering them.
My impression from speaking with several administration, especially Pentagon, insiders, and by observing what one can discover of the extension of U.S. operations overseas (through the securing of basing and landing rights and other joint agreements), is that we should expect the field struggle against international terrorism to disappear off our television screens. The media have been discovered to be an enemy, pure and simple, and no attempt to brief or include them in operations makes any sense. Indeed, shaking off media attention is now intrinsic to the strategy.
Moreover, it has been discovered that for both political and tactical reasons, it is counter-productive to build up forces in any one location. Since this is necessary to full-scale invasions, full-scale invasions have to go. They only give the enemy a chance to prepare his resistance, whether directly or indirectly.
I once said, that suicide bombers would get a lot more mileage out of not killing others. Instead, calling TV cameras to be sited out of range. And watch while he duz hiz thang enroute to his bevy of babes in the sky.
The living breathing death machines do not pre anounce their arrival. Why the fug should we?
Posted by: Elmo at October 1, 2003 12:22 AMWhat a superb article. I love Warren when he doesn't talk about religion.
Posted by: RLS at October 1, 2003 7:34 PMThe problem with Elmo's idea is that it assumes suicide, and publicizing it, is the reason the bombers have for doing what they do. It is not. These are not Buddhist monks setting themselves on fire to protest the Vietnam War.
"Shaheed" has the same root meaning as "martyr" - "witness" - but translating the one as the other blunts the profound difference between these two concepts. Islam began its period of ascendancy as a warrior religion, and the shaheed is one who dies in jihad - in war in the path of Allah, war to destroy or subdue the infidel. A suicide bombing that didn't kill others would be utterly pointless. The whole point of the exercise is to kill people.
Posted by: jeanne a e devoto at October 3, 2003 2:20 AM
HOME