take your interval

So, the Iraq war has been going on for over 5 years now. It’s cost more than we expected:

It’s lasted longer than we anticipated:

And the lack of a connection between Al Queda and Hussein has been admitted:

As President Bush states in the last video, though, Iraq is still a part of the ‘War on Terror,’ so it must be helping out there, right? Sorry to disappoint. According to the Government Accountability Office, nearly seven years after 9/11 and the US’s invasion of Afghanistan, the border between that country and Pakistan is still a safe haven for Al Queda and it seems anyone else who needs a good place to hide/wage war from:

The United States has not met its national security goals to destroy terrorist threats and close the safe haven in Pakistan’s FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas]. Since 2002, the United States relied principally on the Pakistan military to address U.S. national security goals…GAO found broad agreement, as documented in the National Intelligence Estimate, State, and embassy documents, as well as Defense officials in Pakistan, that al Qaeda had regenerated its ability to attack the United States and had succeeded in establishing a safe haven in Pakistan’s FATA. No comprehensive plan for meeting U.S. national security goals in the FATA has been developed…Neither the National Security Council (NSC), NCTC, nor other executive branch departments have developed a comprehensive plan that includes all elements of national power–diplomatic, military, intelligence, development assistance, economic, and law enforcement support–called for by the various national security strategies and Congress. As a result, since 2002, the U.S. embassy in Pakistan has had no Washington-supported, comprehensive plan to combat terrorism and close the terrorist safe haven in the FATA.

Read the rest here.

While the abstract does point out some positives, like the death/capture of hundreds of Al Queda operatives; it also tempers that with the 1,400 Pakistani special forces that lost their lives in the process. There’s also the glaring concern that we’ve given Pakistan nearly $11 billion to fight for us in
the ‘War on Terror’ since 2002, and are no better off in terms of security against Al Queda than we were on September 11, 2001. Is it just me, or does that seem like kind of a big deal?

Back to Iraq, where there’s a war still raging, costing a shade under $4,000 per second and whose 80,000 or more civilian deaths will lead to untold recruitment opportunities for Al Queda and like-minded Islamo-fascists. Yeah, that Iraq. Turns out, there are big plans for the future of downtown Baghdad, and they center around Marriott, literally. The hotel giant has apparently sealed a deal to build a luxury hotel in a city that has no reliable power or sewer system. I’m sure the Iraqi people, who aren’t currently welcome in the Green Zone where it’s going to be built are thrilled to hear the news, although, I’m not sure how the message will get delivered. There are also plans to build an amusement park, starting with a skateboard park this summer.

Now this is all great news for investors, and the influx of capital into Baghdad will certainly raise the standard of living for certain segments of the population, but am I the only one wondering what effect a skyline and economy shaped by Western corporate interests is going to have on the Iraqi people and the Muslim world, in general? In terms of Al Queda’s grievances, excessive Western influence was pretty high on the list. I’m not suggesting we should give into whatever demands they come up with, but in terms of the ‘War on Terror,’ this seems about an effective a tactic as, well, invading Iraq. Who am I to question the President or the Pentagon, though? They’ve done such a great job so far, right?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 at 6:24 pm and is filed under Business, Government, Military, World.