US 'needs terror policy debate'

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

US ‘needs terror policy debate’

The official argues that invading Iraq made the US no safer
A senior US intelligence official has told the BBC that the American-led war in Iraq was “a gift of epic proportions to Osama Bin Laden”.
The official, identified as Anonymous, is preparing to publish a new book which says that the US is losing the battle against the al-Qaeda network.

He told the BBC’s Newsnight programme that the US needed to have a debate about its policies in the Middle East.

He said the military option alone was “a bloody and unsuccessful tool”.

The official’s book, Imperial Hubris, to be published in August, rejects the Bush administration’s assertions that al-Qaeda is in retreat and that the war in Iraq has made the US safer.

The author, described as a senior official with 20 years’ experience of national security and terrorism issues, told BBC television that Osama Bin Laden’s followers were “a spreading movement, powered by religion and also grounded in opposition to American policies”.

“Unless there’s a debate in our country about changing those five or six policies Bin Laden is focused on, we will certainly bleed… in the foreseeable future, certainly decades ahead,” he said in the Newsnight interview.

The official said Washington’s support for tyrannical regimes, its unqualified support for Israel and its presence in Iraq and Saudi Arabia were all policies that should be debated.

I don’t want to discuss if the war on Iraq has helped people like Bin Laden or not, nor do I want to discuss how it is going these days. What I do want to discuss are core policy issues that ‘extremists’ take up in their recruitment scheme. Lets debate some of the key issues:

  1. US support for Israel; is it balanced, too much one sided? Should US stay the status Quo or not?

  2. US support of dictators in Muslim countries while trying to go on with the ‘Democracy’ mantra else where? Is it a double standard in US policy? Yes/ No?

  3. US military bases out of Muslim countries, namely Saudi Arabia & nighbours.

  4. Exporting culture, especially America’s pop-culture along with other core values; The official policy is to export as much as possible but is it the best way to go forward?

2

There needs to be Palestinian leadership that recognizes Israel’s right to exist and one that condemns and acts against those seeking to destroy Israel. Once this happens the U.S. can sit the two sides down and come up with a peace agreement.

The U.S. needs oil and those dictatorships provide it, the U.S. is calling for reforms and should continue to do so.

Bases are a necessary as the U.S.'s addiction for oil needs to be protected until the U.S. is weaned off it.

Culture is exported on a demand basis and the U.S. should continue to 'sell' it. Multi-cultures within a country create an understanding between groups and can bring them together. A place like NYC is the ultimate example, you see American culture intertwined in varying degrees with almost every culture in the world.

3

So, in all the above your answer is to hold the status Quo in all policies listed?

4

Those were very general questions and very general brief answers. The current foreign policy needs reevaluated and fixed. The U.S. has alienated it's allies and has helped it enemies as this article states.

5

A very John Kerry answer, I must say.

6

I think its a fairly obvious answer. By playing hardball with the world community the Bush admin. alienated it's allies and given it's enemies a powerful recruitment tool. It has drained resources and has taken them away from the 'war of terror'. The U.S. needs to mend fences and reengage in the fight against terror.