[rmlew]

Professor Pipes is correct, but he is overly optimistic. He fails to mention the official sanction for Islamists in the US, through Bush Administration support for CAIR and other groups.
He also misses President Bush's support for Turkish entry in the the European Union/Eurabia.

[rmlew]

Ping

[Mmogamer]

O’s policy? Israel bad Pali’s good...

[Cacique]

Nothing new, the Bushies have always been Arabists. It's a wonder the US didn't nuke Israel under their tutelage. They are Rino elites, the only difference is that they are prone to be more antagonistic than the left which believes that Vaseline aptly enhanced with KY jelly is the normal offering that American diplomats should carry with them in lieu of a neutered military so they can spend the money bribing voters with social programs to keep them in power perpetually. They fear conservatives and Christians far more than they fear communist or islamist fanatics. We are in for a hell of ride and when the proverbial sh*t hits the fan the old generation willing to fight will by then be geriatric. I only hope that our replacement does as well as the WW II generation at survival, somehow I am not too hopeful.

[utahson]

No Pipes is wrong. (BTW, I am not a newbie, just a new screen name).

Prior to our intervention into Afghanistan and Iraq, moderate Muslims across the middle east were not taking the fight to the radical elements fomenting terrorism. They are now, thanks to our lead. They are fighting and dying in greater numbers than our soldiers and those of our allies. The middle east is seeing the light of freedom that it has never before and GW was correct when saying this was going to be along fight that would continue long after he has gone. He has said that since day one.

BDS distrastactors are short sighted and ignorant when it comes to the WOT and the global fight against radical Islam.

[bert]

Pipes was. He is in the old and completely ineffective rut in the ME.

W ended the old game and began a Gulf centric game that marginalized all the old hands. The Gulf is prospering and will include Iraq befroe too long.

The west bank is a different place than a short while ago. There is a new security force trained by a US General, in Jordan, that will change the rules in Palestine. There were recent announcements of major investment in Bethlehem to strengthhen the tourist business and produce hard currency income.

The progress is under the cover, not flashy , but real.

[RightWhale]

Appearing to favor one party over another is a classical failing of binary relation that is disastrous when applied to any postmodern text. Since the various interests from Africa to India seem to be adept at deconstructing diplomatic foreys, the best solution might be to bone up on de Man, Adorno, and Derrida’s techniques and let fly with totalized iterations.

[plain talk]

Not sure the ME is any better off but Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya are. For all his faults Bush deserves major kudos for progress made in these three difficult countries.