Newt alludes to the fact that our "allies" like Pakistan don't act like allies and that the region is spinning out of control. I'd say that is true and we should learn something from it.
I heard an interview with a Syrian official yesterday. He was doing the full "Baghdad Bob" routine -- the Syrian government hasn't killed anybody. Terrorists are killing children, not the government. Terrorists are killing journalists, not the government. The Syrian government was absolutely, positively 100% innocent of everything.
The NPR reporter was clearly not buying a bit of it. To say she was skeptical would be a gross understatement. Fine. I'm just as skeptical.
Turn that around: find some Middle Eastern spokesman who will say that Americans are torturing and killing people. Would the reporter believe it? Oh, you bet!
We need to learn that the Middle East does not value Truth and they are not going to deal with us in good faith on any issue.
I see two options: Leave the region entirely, or else go Medieval and beat them into Unconditional Surrender on all fronts.
This whole "partnership" thing really isn't working. Not for Bush. Not for Obama.
Been that way for a long time too. The Sunni Assad is killing in Homs are the descendants of the Sunni who moved in at the wrap up of WWI and drove out the Christians who'd lived there 1900 years ~ many of the survivors ended up as refugees in the United State.
Obviously none of the Sunni living there today had a thing to do with WWI but I guarantee they have the same negative attitude toward Christians that their grandfathers did.
Not that I'm encouraging anyone to kill them, but gee whiz guys, if NPR likes 'em, that's enough reason for that right there!