An unfinished war, but it shouldn't become an endless one
As these words were written, Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar Mohammed were still at large. However, the Taliban and Al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan have been soundly thrashed. That gives the long-suffering Afghan people a chance to pick up the pieces and rebuild their shattered nation, and US and allied combat forces reason to contemplate their return home.
Al Qaeda is an international network. Though it no longer dominates a nation-state, its Egyptian and Algerian affiliates are well entrenched underground movements and it has cells in dozens of other countries. A US victory in the battle for Afghanistan does not mean the end of the war against Al Qaeda.
War is a political process. Its successful conclusion in Afghanistan does not mean that the carpet bombing of Tora Bora must move on to Iraq, Somalia or some other country. Nor should it mean the beginning of Cold War II, with Americans once again playing the role of the world's self-appointed cops.
Though the loss of Afghanistan has been a stunning blow, Al Qaeda's biggest political defeat came on September 11. Decent Muslims --- the great majority of Muslims --- were as sickened as anybody else by the criminal acts of that day. When the World Trade Center came down, so did Osama bin Laden's chance to moblilize support in the Islamic world.
The next phase of the war against Al Qaeda will continue in many countries with further arrests and prosecutions. There must be continued vigilance against new attacks. Further military actions, probably on a much smaller scale than in Afghanistan, may be required.
The next phase of the war against Al Qaeda should also include a peace offensive, in which former bin Laden allies are given a chance to put down their arms and resume normal lives, and grievances that led young men to follow the call to jihad are resolved. India's abuses against Muslims in Kashmir should be ended, and Russia's iron grip on the Chechens relaxed. The corrupt Saudi monarchy and the dictatorships in Egypt and Algeria should be urged into peace processes with their Islamic oppositions by the knowledge that the West won't guarantee their tenure in power. The United States should normalize relations with Iran, and become as intolerant of Israeli fanatics as it is of their Palestinian mirror images.
Though there are a few bigots and arms merchants who have vested interests in promoting a generation of warfare between the Western powers and the Muslim world, all the rest of us stand to gain the most from a quick consolidation of the political victory that has been won over Osama bin Laden and his followers.
Bear in mind...
Call on God, but row away from the rocks.
Indian Proverb
For rarely are sons similar to their fathers: most are worse, and a few are better than their fathers.
Homer
Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.
Lady Bird Johnson
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