Iraq inflating terrorism

Well folks I've been saying it for years and now the intelligence community is confirming it. A report was declassified this week that in a nutshell stated two things. First, that while we have caused major damage to terror networks they continue to stay in power because new leaders are coming into power. And second that a major cause of that is the Iraqi War.

I am not the only one that has said this for a very long time. Their have been so many blog debates regarding this topic that it would be impossible to read them all. But the entire time their were those, especially in the Administration who continued to stand by the belief that the Iraqi war is fighting, not causing terrorism. I have even been called unpatriotic and a soldier hater for my views regarding this.

The question is why is this a surprise? Why are there people who are actually shocked to hear that those in the intelligence sector may thing that Iraq spawns terrorism. Have Americans been so brainwashed by Bush's "every thing's going great" rhetoric that they can not see the simple logic behind this statement.

Think about it logically for a second. We invaded a sovereign nation. We then began occupying that nation turning a deaf hear to the please from it's citizens for us to leave. To makes matters even better we started torturing those citizens as well as other Muslims around the world. Add in a little rape and mass murder and you have a terrorist recruiters best ad campaign. All the Osama bin Laden's of the world have to do is point to Iraq and say "hey see what those American dogs will do if we let them" and the recruits come flocking towards them. History has proven time and time again that the oppression of a certain sect of people or a nation for the gain of others never works, and almost always backlashes against the oppressor.

Now don't take what I am saying to mean that I think our soldiers are oppressing the people of Iraq, I don't. I think that our current administration is, I think our military leadership is, but I do not think that the common soldier is. I think most soldiers are doing their job either because they truly want to help the people of Iraq and/or truly believe that they are keeping America safe or that they are following orders even though they do not agree with them because they are loyal to their country, and I highly respect them for this. I do not think however that our leaders have done them justice, and it's a shame.

The thing that is important to remember is that regardless of your intentions, good or bad, it is your actions the determine if a group of people will consider you an oppressor. Regardless of whether the U.S. Military in Iraq and the administration back home are trying to oppress the people of Iraq their actions make it seem as if they are. Any time you use torture and fear to reach a goal this is going to be the reaction. Anytime that the few bad apples of the military who commit atrocities that truly do not reflect the military as a whole (the rape of Iraqi women for example) and are not punished to the fullest extent of the law the message is sent that this must be acceptable to all of the brave soldiers in Iraq.

Now I am sure that you are thinking that a rational person would see that this is not the case, that most soldiers are just there to help and that the American people as a whole do not want an occupation of Iraq, but just want to help them rebuild. But understand that someone who just saw their best friend killed, or watched the neighborhood that they grew up in get blown up is not rational. Someone who has no money, no education available, and no way out is not thinking rationally when the "terrorist recruiter" comes along and tells them about how bad the U.S. is.

What they see is someone who can give them something the U.S. is not giving. Protection from the death squads and destruction in Iraq, and a chance to escape. Sure that escape might be for their family after they sacrifice themselves to detonate a bomb, but in their mind at least their family will be safe, and free. Whether they are right or wrong, whether you think they are completely ignorant to think this way, there is one inescapable fact. And that is that anytime you put someone in a situation were they have nothing to loose they will listen to the first person who gives them hope, in this life or the next. Right now their is no hope for those in Iraq, and the only ones talking are the terrorist, so the people are listening.

There is only one way to stop that and that is to change the way we approach our foreign policy when it comes to Muslim nations and when it comes to Iraq. Instead of automatically assuming that any group that takes up arms and is Muslim is a terrorist organization and automatically siding with the other side (i.e. Israel in their recent invasion of Lebanon) actually attempt to see why they are taking up arms and try to fix the problem instead of just condemning them and killing them.

Instead of trying to set up a puppet government in Iraq let the Iraqi people actually have a voice, and protect them from those who would try to take it away instead of standing by as those who are not of the right religious sect are killed by radicals. (Baghdad Burning's blog gives a very in depth and grim explanation of why I say this.)

And finally, if they want to separate let them! If the Iraqi people want to form three separate states, one for each major religious sect, LET THEM! It's their country, not ours. We have no right in telling them that they should be forced to stay together. What is the point of forcing three groups that obviously want their own government's to stay under the rule of one unpopular government. The only logical explanation I have been able to come up with as to why the U.S. is so adamant about Iraq staying as one nation even though the people seem to make it clear that they would like it otherwise is oil. It is easier to negotiate with one puppet government than three government that are not controlled by the U.S.