Where the Fighting Isn't

"Our bill calls for the redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq so that we can focus more fully on the real war on terror, which is in Afghanistan."

-- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, March 8

No surprise that Pelosi doesn't have a grip on where the actual fight is. Not that I expect an honest assessment from the Dems, after all, they are in power now. No need for honest assessments or debate. How exactly did the congress get better with the change of party in control?

Krauthammer puts up this :

Thought experiment: Bring in a completely neutral observer -- a Martian -- and point out to him that the United States is involved in two hot wars against radical Islamic insurgents. One is in Afghanistan, a geographically marginal backwater with no resources and no industrial or technological infrastructure. The other is in Iraq, one of the three principal Arab states, with untold oil wealth, an educated population, an advanced military and technological infrastructure that, though suffering decay in the later years of Saddam Hussein's rule, could easily be revived if it falls into the right (i.e., wrong) hands. Add to that the fact that its strategic location would give its rulers inordinate influence over the entire Persian Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Gulf states. Then ask your Martian: Which is the more important battle? He would not even understand why you are asking the question.

Al-Qaeda has provided the answer many times. Osama bin Laden, the one whose presence in Afghanistan (or some cave on the border) presumably makes it the central front in the war on terror, has been explicit that "the most . . . serious issue today for the whole world is this Third World War that is raging in Iraq." Al-Qaeda's No. 2, Ayman Zawahiri, has declared that Iraq "is now the place for the greatest battle of Islam in this era."

And it's not just what al-Qaeda says, it's what al-Qaeda does. Where are they funneling the worldwide recruits for jihad? Where do all the deranged suicidists who want to die for Allah gravitate? It's no longer Afghanistan but Iraq. That's because they recognize the greater prize.

I don't see much evidence that would support the notion of Afghanistan as the first front on the war on terror. I'm not discounting it as a necessary battle front, it's just not the most important front. Those most loudly crying for the US to leave Iraq ignore the lessons from the Russian withdrawal from Afghanistan. Large volumes of Jihadi were left with nothing to do. Some stayed to fight in the Afghan civil war, and many went home to consider the next fight. Many of those went on to start the fight against the west. Bin Laden and Al Zawahiri are perfect examples of the latter. Don't be confused by the notion that because they formed bases in Afghanistan that they were the focus of the fight. If the US withdrawals and leaves an unstable Iraq, a very similar situation will likely occur there. The flavor of the Jihadis may vary, but their targets will not.

And we have Ms. Pelosi out helping the US cause by traveling to Syria. I'm not sure her intent, but the stated purpose is to help Israel and Syria talk.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will tell Syrian leaders when she visits Damascus this week on a trip criticized by the Bush administration that Israel will only engage in peace talks if Syria stops supporting Palestinian militants, Israel said Sunday.

The message came during Pelosi’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during the Israel part of her Mideast tour.

“Pelosi is conveying that Israel is willing to talk if they (Syria) would openly take steps to stop supporting terrorism,” Olmert’s spokeswoman Miri Eisin said. “But at this point the Syrian government, by openly backing terror all around the Middle East, is not a partner for negotiations.”

There are also three Repubs over there. No doubt they are as much of a waste of time as Pelosi, just not as well advertised.

Three Republican congressmen — Frank Wolf, Joe Pitts and Robert Aderholt — were in Syria on Sunday, where they met with Assad. They said they believed there was an opportunity for dialogue with the Syrian leadership.

And let's not forget the first Muslim representative:

Ellison visited Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third-holiest site, on Sunday. He said he was here to learn and did not consider himself qualified to mediate in the conflict. The lawmaker said Saturday that his presence — as a Muslim — on the trip sends a message to Israelis and Palestinians that “people can come together.”

"Come together" is so quaint. Not that there is any difference between Ellison's election to the US congress and the conflict that has existed for more than 50 years between the Palestinians and the Israelis. If this is a token of what can be, its extremely lame.

Can't get anything of any substance done in the congress, they might as well get nothing of any substance done pretending to be a world leader.