At the World Trade Center bombing conspiracy trial in NYC 1993. I’m being questioned by defense attorney Roger Stavis.I learned a lot about Islamist terrorism from that trial and Roger Stavis.
I suppose first question many would have is why do we care about what happens in the middle East. Certainly, polls indicate very few think we should become involved in any Middle East conflict, or actually in any foreign war. Looking at our experience in Vietnam, Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan, there is ample reason to ask that question. In Vietnam we went to save the people from communism but the people were not that interested. We went to Iraq to stop a nuclear build up and give democracy a chance. We found no nuclear weapons and obviously the people are not ready for democracy. In Lebanon, we ejected one terrorist organization -the PLO only to help GIVE BIRTH to another -HEZBOLLAH. In Afghanistan we went to eliminate a world -wide terrorist organization ISIS and handed it over to another terrorist organization-the Taliban. So its hard to tell John Q citizen that this time will be different. Were we wrong to intervene? Can we avoid intervention and retreat to fortress America? To be transparent I agreed with all these decisions to intervene, and given the same circumstances I would agree to do it again.
taking down the flag in. Afghanistan. Another debacle wrought by US political and military leadership incompetence.
So what are our interests? Generally we can point out the importance of the strategic shipping lanes, the Bab el Mandeb, The straits of Hormuz, the Turkish straits, and the Suez canal. Secondly the importance of oil to our security has become more important- not less. The inexplicable anti fossil fuel edicts of the Obama/Biden administration have made this a critical issue. This has been compounded by the depletion of our national petroleum reserve, depleted for short term political convenience, and limit our natural gas production. If we need foreign oil and natural gas as we now do, as well as many strategic minerals, what happens if the shipping lanes are disrupted for whatever reason?
The EV auto industry is in trouble despite Biden government attempts to censor sources depicting the manifold problems with hybrid and EVs. We could be foreign oil independent but Biden regime restrictions other issues results in the US still importing 50% of our oil needs.
The Bad El Mandeb, the Hormuz straits, the Gulf of Aqaba and the Suez Canal are world strategic choke points,. In the wrong hands the controllers of those choke points can strangle world commerce especially in oil transport.
Secondly one cannot disregard the great geopolitical thinkers of the past. The political-military importance of the Persian Gulf /Indian Ocean area and contiguous lands have been emphasized by American naval strategist AT Mahan, then Halford Mackinder, and others. The encompassment of the middle east in the “world island” theorized by Mackinder was taken to heart by Hitler, Stalin and by Western Sovietologists such as George Kennan and famous pundits like James Reston and Hanson Baldwin. Fortress America is simply an unworkable concept. Keep in mind that both Wilson and Roosevelt were elected on a promise to keep us out of war
the world Island. “he who controls the world Island controls the world.
Thirdly . We have a responsibility as a world power-at least we were one- to stabilize regions that are cauldrons of religious. sectarian and ideological conflict. History tells us that even if we wish to retreat into our shell our enemies will not allow it. They will come after us. 9/11 has proven that. Our porous borders are a critical component of this problem and out of control immigration should be a critical concern. The story of the Harkies underlines the issue. These are the native Algerians who served with the French forces from 1954 to 1962. They actually fought against the Algerian revolutionaries in the bloody Algerian war for independence. Their lives and those of their families were in dire jeopardy when the French evacuated Algeria and the FLN took over. These Algerian loyalists to France were allowed to emigrate to France. The grandsons of these Algerians have now established Islamist no go zones in France. They have not assimilated nor integrated into the French culture. The melting pot concept has not worked in Europe and it provides a warning for the US open borders.
Algeria soldiers . They fought for the French in WWII (better than the French themselves,) and also in Indochina. They fou get their own people in the Algerian war of independence. following the French evacuation of Algeria they emigrated to France. Their grand sons now control the inner cities of France,as Islam most enclaves.
Some might say, especially academics, that if we give no cause for enmity- like abandoning Israel- our problem would disappear. Not so. The cultural gap is immense. Their world view differs from that of the Western civilization. It is not better or inferior, simply incompatible. in the Western sense of the word. Too many of our so- called Middle East “experts” disregard the religious and cultural impulse of the driving ideological force in the Middle East- Islamism. They tend to either think and see the Middle Eastern culture through the lens of our culture or in a sort of paternal approbation. The Islamists do not recognize the regional borders. It is a world -wide force of a new style imperialism. The values of our western civilization do not apply. Do you think the leaders of the Gaza terrorists doing the butchery of 7 OCT were not aware of what would happen to their civilians? Of course, they were, and it was not a consideration. In fact, their culture, borne of centuries of despotism, invasions, ethnic wars, and foreign domination, have a hard edge (we say inhumane) which allows them to use captives as human bartering objects. Our present enemies are calculating, very intelligent, industrious, and not to be underrated-which unfortunately we almost always do.
The Muslin Brotherhood is by far the most dangerous Islamist organization in existence. The infiltrate county and city governments , school boards as well as national left wing organizations.
That brings us to the fourth reason.
The fourth reason is arguable but when Harry Truman recognized Israel against the advice of the DOS. DOD, AND THE CIA he created a moral obligation for its survival. Every administration has reaffirmed that basic obligation, some reluctantly I’m sure, but nevertheless we- throughout the world, – and especially the Middle East are identified with the creation and survival of Israel. In the world, rightly or wrongly, our support of Israel has become a barometer of our national will and strength, as well as our moral compass. We cannot walk away or diminish our support without severe domestic psychological effects or a sensing of weakness by allies as well as en FIFTHLY we are in the midst of a war which has revealed deep fissures culturally and ideologically.
Israel cam aboputlargely as a result of big power requirements and rivalries plus p[olitical developments that had little to s do with Israel but the primary point is that Israel came about because of the energy and desire of Jews realizing that they had to return to their ancient home as no one else would accept them. In light of current events that reality is clearer than ever.
There is an existential war between Western Civilization and our enemies who resent and envy its power. We are seen as an integral part of the Western civilization and even if we fold our tents and retire behind our porous borders we represent the most powerful center of the Western world. Our enemies view democracy and Western society as effete, soft, and cowardly. This widespread westernophobia is pervasive in the third world, Russia, China and underdeveloped regions. Moreover, this inchoate anti-Western impulse has infiltrated our Western universities and society. The war in Gaza is an example of the eternal cultural clash. Samuel Huntington in the Clash of Civilizations wrote that the wars of this era will not be between differing ideologies but cultural civilizations.. We can see that in the Christian Armenia and Islamist Azerbaijani war, also in the war in the Ukraine in which the Western civilization of Western Ukraine is in cultural conflict with the historical anti-Western Russian civilization. Cultural wars terminate only when one side is obliterated or reduced to slavery, otherwise peace consists of only truces and temporary cease fire agreements.
Islamic State of Iraq and Syrian on the move. They over reached and are now in decline.
Bin Laden leader of the Al Qaeda.
So, who are our enemies? There are two primary ones in the Middle East. First is the totalitarian ideology called Islamism. To avoid the usual accusations of the Left that somehow that makes me an islamophobe, let me explain. Islam is a religion. Islamism is an ideology. It has the imprint of fascism, Marxism, and only the external trappings of Islam. Islamism like fascism promotes Jew hatred. Like Communism it is totalitarian. The inhabitants of the Middle East , and Islam the religion, are not our eternal enemies. I lived a number of years among Arabs in the Persian Gulf, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. My wife and I sponsored two Iraqi young women with whom I had worked in Iraq. They lived with us. They have become great American citizens, and are both registered republicans, but their religion and cultural imprint are indelible. Incidentally they have done very well- acquiring masters of arts in mass communication …. and both now working for American analytical firms.
Iranians minorities. None are happy to be ruled by the Persians.
Living among Muslim Arabs I liked them very much and I found there was much to admire in Islam. I admired the simplicity of the basic tenets, Their devotion to family, and unswerving adherence to their faith, and the way they accept their fate in life. But Islam also carries within its doctrine certain elements amenable to radicalism. Much depends on how one interprets the Qu’ran and saying and actions of the Prophet Mohammed. It should be pointed out that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world juxtaposed to the seeming dying Christianity of Europe. Some of you may recall the case of the so called the “green beret terrorist”, Ali Mohamed at Ft Bragg in the nineties. I worked with him as an instructor. He exemplified the basic world view of Islamism, that the world is divided into two spheres. i.e. the house of peace (That is the – Muslim world) vs the house of war (that is the non-Islamic world). The world will never be peaceful until the House of war (non -Muslim world) ) is absorbed by the House of peace (Islamic world)). It is a Perpetual war with periods of truce agreed to only to allow the Muslims to gather their strength. His view of Islam – and my association with him- to make a long story short -resulted in my appearance as a witness at the world trade center bombing conspiracy trial in 1995.
Ali Mohamed as he appeared in a video made at my class in Ft Bragg.
The point is that Ali Mohamed’s view of the world conflict is the basic, and I believe the correct assessment, of the war in Gaza. The two -state solution so avidly sought by the Biden administration is a chimera. BTW Ali now resides in a federal prison, convicted of taking part in the deadly bombings of the American embassies in Africa in 1998.
The second great threat is the imperialistic and xenophobic country of Iran. Its theocratic rulers are afflicted with megalomania created by Living in a bubble of unreality. If one studies Iran you would have to be amazed at the clout they now have- not only in the Middle East- but world -wide. despite their many weaknesses. Only about 50% of the people of Iran are Persian. The rest are many minorities, most of whom chaff under Iranian rule, the Turkoman, Kurds, Azeris, Arabs, Baluch, and many other smaller tribes have all, at one time or other, rebelled against the Central Iranian government. They have also had several uprisings inspired by youthful desire for a more tolerate, less theocratic Iranian rule . Economically they are kept afloat by oil production and not much else. They can barely feed their population because their farmers are afflicted by a decade long drought and an increasing migration to the urban centers, where most live in dilapidated shantytowns on the outskirts of cities. That was already happening when I visited there in the late sixties.
The Shi’s are as defined by King Abdullah of Jordan who -likwe many sunni leaders- fear the Shi’a power.
The Obama regime amateur hour foreign service officials and Obama’s sympathy for islamic movements applauded the brief Muslim brotherhood take over of Egypt ( al Morsi) and supplicated the Iranian mullahs to make nice withe US in return for a lot of cash. A disastrous policy as is now obvious..
So how did Iran get to this point of domination In the Middle East? First of all they adroitly used their Shi’a heritage and identification to link their aims and objectives to the Shi’a communities in the Middle East, in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria. The Shi’a have always been second class citizens in Sunni Muslim dominated Arab countries. I experienced that first hand in Lebanon and Iraq. Living In Lebanon in the sixties and seventies I experienced the way the Sunni and Christian Lebanese viewed the Shi’a- mostly as country bumkins. In the eighties the Shi’a arose, and with the demise of Saddam and other authoritarian rulers in the Middle East, they took power by force of arms with extensive Iranian assistance.
The truly weird fascination of the Obama /Biden regime trying to become partners with Iran is simply inexplicable. In pursuit of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreement (the nuc deal that Trump scuttled ) – actually a treaty not legally sanctioned by the senate- the Obama regime paid billions in cash- we really do not know how much. – But more critical to today’s conflicts- they allowed the Iranians to believe that in exchange for a nuclear weapons curtailment -a mostly unenforceable agreement- they had a free hand in their unconventional subversive activities throughout the world.
On the border of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina there is a near self governing entity of Lebanese Shi’a immigrants who control drug plantations, finance arms deals, and support Iran and Hezbollah.
A must read for those who wish to understand the Persian mentality
Nations fight and conduct their relations according to their culture, a culture derived from geography, history, and many often-immutable factors. The Iranians have a very distinct way of war as do all nations including us ( well described by Russel Weigley). One could sum up their way of war as one conducted by guile, deception and evasion. They conquer by the word and the pen- not by the sword. They are not a martial people. Throughout history, opponents of the Persians like Herodotus, the Byzantine emperor Maurice, the Arab conqueror Caliph Umar and a number of long time British residents of Iran, like Lord Curzon, described Persian national character in terms like xenophobia, vanity, feeling of superiority, dissembling, enigmatic, along with supremely patriotic, highly intelligent, intuitive, imaginative, and subtle. They have a system of social etiquette, called taroff, so subtle and obscure that it is near impenetrable to the Western Mind. A book of fiction written by a British resident of Iran, entitled The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan is often pointed out as the most descriptive book on Persian culture ever written. In one passage a Turkish negotiator with the Iranians is quoted as saying,
“You never had any dealings with them (Persians) and therefore you permit yourself to t be lulled into security by their flattering expressions and their winning and amiable manners. But I have lived long with them and learned the value of what they say. Their weapons are not what you and I are accustomed to meet in the bold encounter and open attack. Instead of sword and spear, theirs are treachery, deceit, and falsehood.”
Put that against the quote of Willian Burns our CIA director, who along with John Kerry conducted negotiations with the Iranians to fashion the JPCOA. In his book, Back Channel he wrote, “The JCPOA was a solid agreement in many ways better for us than the Iranians…..” In this book he effusively praises John Kerry (our jet setting climate czar)–which at the very least puts question marks around his judgment.
William Burns, CIA director, and big admirer of the American Traitor John Kerry ( from his actions to vilify the American soldier in Vietnam). Was with Kerry in negotiating the Nuc deal with Iran.
In conclusion we cannot simply morph into a giant Switzerland cozy behind two oceans, retiring to our country to live in peace and comfort, debating the merits of the Taylor Swift phenomena .. Our enemies will not let us. They believe in a world in which Peace is an aberration, war is the norm. Peace is the period in which you prepare for the next conflict. We have to understand and prepare or become the “pitiful helpless giant” Richard Nixon spoke about.
