Al-Qaeda Praying for Obama

Al-Qaeda Praying for Obama?

Senator Barack Hussein Obama reiterated that U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Iraq by March 2008 if he were elected president of the United States. As I mentioned in the Iraq Conundrum write-up, this is the earnest hope of Islamic extremists who are fond of showing Arab television viewers U.S. troops leaving Beirut in 1983, Mogadishu in 1993 and Vietnam in 1975. Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard said on Sunday, February 11^th: “If I were running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008, and pray, as many times as possible, for a victory not only for Obama, but also for the Democrats.”

My question for Senator Obama is: Would you also refuse to intervene in Darfur where Sudanese Arab militias are slaughtering African Muslims? Or would you send American troops there even when European and African countries are unwilling to commit their forces to stop the genocide?

The point is: it is easy to announce a troop withdrawal policy and exploit the current public sentiment than to have a vision of American role in the unfolding global environment. What is your vision of the unfolding world situation Mr. Obama? Do you see the Sunni-Shia conflict subsiding? That seems unlikely and the sectarian conflict is likely to engulf not only Iraq but the whole Middle East if U.S. troops are withdrawn abruptly. Here is what a Sunni cleric Abdul Rahman al-Barak, who is close to Saudi royal family said about Shias: “infidels, apostates and hypocrites.”

Lately, the pacifist drumbeat is being presented as well though out views of trained soldiers. Consider the February 10^th article in the Washington Post, Victory Is Not an Option, by retired army lieutenant general William E. Odom. There are so many questionable statements in it but one of the four myths, number 4 to be exact, underscored by Mr. Odom is outrageous and implies we should ask soldiers if they want to stay and fight and should withdraw if an increasing number of soldiers are unhappy with the war. Although the biographical blurb with the article does not mention it, Mr. Odom wrote “U.S. Should “Cut and Run” From Iraq” in October 4, 2005 Democracy Now!’ issue. He was of course part of the Carter team that gave us the Iran disaster.

Senator Obama is a good man but he is not ready to lead America and the world.