That Missing Factor

The New Republic is wrong as usual. Initially backing nations-building, they were ignorant of the traditions, culture, and religion that are antithetical liberal democracy. They still are. It is apparently our fault that Iraqis are killing each other: “in some important sense, we are its cause.” Yet, the Islamic Revival (i.e. fundamentalism) is sweeping the Muslim world from end to end.

Pakistan created the Taliban and is becoming more fundamentalist every day. Iran and Saudi Arabia are prime examples of fundamentalist regimes. An election brought Hamas to power in the West Bank and would have brought a fundamentalist regime in Algeria if the military hadn’t stopped the election. It is expected that a fully free election in Egypt might do the same. A return to original Islam is widespread as the Salafists are expanding their influence. Even Saddam, the arch secular Baathist, embarked on a mosque building program and funded Hamas before his fall.

We don’t control this change but we can prepare for it. We can’t end civil wars whether in Sudan, Somalia, or Iraq. It is not unusual for mixed-ethnic nations newly freed from tyranny or colonial rule to disintegrate into internal warfare. When the British left India, civil war killed millions. When Tito was no longer holding Yugoslavia together, civil war took its toll. Algeria, after the French, has had internal conflict to this day. Iraq will likely go the same route. We may have delayed it with better planning but that doesn’t change the long term problem: Islam.

Both Democrats and Republicans have missed the crucial element. Some are starting to realize that we’ve overestimated the Arabs. As a nation we are, unfortunately, still learning about the enemy. And we have a long way to go.