For once I find myself on the same side of an issue as Fareed Zakaria:
Because the ideas at stake are potentially seductive only to Muslims, the ideological war today is really a struggle within Islam. It’s a cultural war that has to be waged by Muslims. If outsiders such as the United States want to play a role, they should listen to and support Muslims fighting the good fight. One such person is the king of Jordan, Abdullah II, whom I interviewed this week in Amman.
If you don’t believe me or Mr. Zakaria, perhaps Abdullah may convince you:
“It’s not a Western fight,†the king said to me. “This is a fight inside of Islam where everybody comes together against these outlaws.†He wants international support and involvement, of course, but is wary of Western troops. Jordan is on the front line of this battle, but other countries, from Iraq to Egypt, are finally joining in, and not just on the battlefield. This week, the head of Cairo’s Al-Azhar University, Sunni Islam’s most prestigious academy, denounced “extremist violent groups†that have “corrupt interpretations†of Islam.
The administration’s moves have been almost the diametric opposite of the correct ones. Instead of putting U. S. troops in harm’s way and conducting only marginally effective bombing runs while doing its best to convince American Muslims that they’re simply innocent bystanders to the conflict they should be treading a much more delicate, narrower line by letting the Muslim countries of the Middle East take point in the fight and encouraging Muslims all over the world including the United States to recognize that DAESH threatens everything they have and everything they want.
That’s a very difficult job and I’m glad I don’t have it.
He wants international support and involvement, of course, but is wary of Western troops.
In other words, he wants free money and free arms & material, which could be put to any use whatsoever. That’s hardly a surprise. I’ve like a free M1A1 Abrams tank, and the money to run it, to combat the pit bull problem in my neighborhood. Can I have one, Mr. President, please?
… encouraging Muslims all over the world including the United States to recognize that DAESH threatens everything they have and everything they want.
That’s assuming a lot that is not at all evident.
It’s only going to take one American “Jihadi John” and one atrocity at his hands for things to start becoming very uncomfortable for American Muslims. Nearly every day you read about some kid getting apprehended on their way to join DAESH. How many aren’t being apprehended?
The most important thing the President can do is to fend off the efforts to get us more involved and re-invade again.
Steve
I’m not concerned about Americans going and fighting for or against Daesh – I’m concerned about where they go should they survive.
My concern is that they could be a tool in any number of ways for our getting more actively involved in combat.