Friday, December 22, 2006

Osama's a gloating

I'm surprized they contained themselves for this long. Today ABC news is running a report that al Qaeda No. 2 man, Ayman al Zawahri released a tape in which he reminds Democrats that they are in power only because Al Qaeda got them elected.

I remember when folks thought Ann Coulter was a bit shrill for suggesting that the Democrats were tools of the terrorists......

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Osama's defeat - triangulation

There's a brilliant bit of triangulation in the works, but most Americans can't see it. Ignorance of Islam and a mindless MSM, I suspect.

Islam is unified in core theology, but fractured organizationally into the two major divisions Sunni and Shiite, much the same as Protestant and Catholic in Christendom. Sharia law (Islamic legal system) has evolved slowly largely in response to Islam's decline in the face of Western civilization's gains. In general, the more "westernized" the application of Sharia law, the more prosperous the people in the 20th century. The Islamic world is seriously divided into the "haves" and "have nots".

The 1700's saw the birth of a fundamentalist movement known as Wahhabism, strong in Saudia Arabia, Quatar and W.Iraq. Appart from oil, Wahhabism would likely vanish.Wahhabism does not use Sharia law, as developed by Sunni and Shia legalists, but instead relys on interpeting the words of Mohammed directly for guidance. Wahhabists view Sunnis and Shia's as heretics. Wahhabists don't watch TV or listen to the radio - very isolated from ideas. Osama is a Wahhabist. Kind of like the Amish but without a penchant for slitting throats.

So we have two groups with bad blood who make up 99% of those involved. Then we have a 3rd group convinced the other two groups are going to hell, propped up by oil, that has provided the religious justification for hyper-violent organizations like Al-Qaeda.

Along comes Bush the younger who topples the dictatorship and forms a democratically elected republic in its place. A new model for the region offering an attractive alternative. A clear distinction between the opportunity of the "haves" versus the intellectual retreat of the "have nots". Bloody brilliant I would say.

Iraqi Muslims don't have to starting eating bacon or listening to Madonna to enjoy a 21st century democracy. But at some point they must realize that fighting over the Sunni, Shia and Wahhabist issues will just leave them dead and "have nots". Bacon and Madonna will continue. And a little girl will ask "Why don't we vacation in Afganistan Daddy?".

Monday, November 13, 2006

Osama's worry - economics

Some very smart people have noted that war is fundamentally about economics. Here are the Gross Domestic Products, in US dollars, of some select countries:


US = $13 trillion
China = $2.2 trillion
Russia = $1.6 trillion
Iran = $560 billion
Saudi Arabia = $330 billion
Egypt = $316 billion
Israel = $130 billion
Syria = $60 billion
Jordan = $26 billion
Lebanon = $18 billion

1% of US GDP = 130 billion

CBO estimates of Iraq war cost todate = $342 billion.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

think: Osama been leading?

No Al-Qaeda attacks in the US since 911. Why? Is it because Al-Qaeda is being decimated by the US? Or is Osama leading us to believe we're on the right course?

Friday, November 10, 2006

Osama's been thinking

Al Qaeda has won a strategic victory by securing the one weapon proven to work against the American military - public opion.
Using the tools (MSM), Al Qaeda fed the American public violence at the proper beat rate to prevent anyone from getting positive news. We know that Iraq is the size of California. We know Irag has 26 million people. We know Baghdad is 5.7 million. Yet our collective OCD prevents us from seeing anything beyond the suburbs of Baghdad.
Keeping up the beat rate for another 2 years will be hard for Al Qaeda, but learning from Vietnam it is their only hope of chasing America away.