WHY NO 9/11 REPEAT: THE REAL REASON

There is one and only one way to avoid an
endless war with the Muslim world: we must
quickly join hands with the Muslim majority,
who want peace and an end to violence. Time
is of the essence here. Every day we destroy
more lives and property in Iraq, and the
Israelis do the same in the West Bank (with
our help), we are losing more "hearts and minds"
in the Muslim world (MW).

We urgently need to understand those hearts
and minds, and their primary concerns, if we
want to work with them rather than against
them. To help us understand, two bright
young Muslim Americans (both born in
Iran) have written brilliantly about the current
ferment and struggle going on in Islam. Both
authors are fluent in the languages and
cultures of the Middle East (M.E.) Both are
experts on Muslim history and doctrines,
and able to write clearly and interestingly
about these subjects, as well as what is going
on in Islam at the present time.

The Shia Revival, by Vali Nasr, is as fresh
and contemporary as tomorrow's newspaper.
It focuses on the history and status of that
sectarian struggle, as well as it's present and
future implications particularly for the M. E.
His insights are powerful and essential if we
are to find a workable path forward. He is
increasingly recognized as a top expert, and
was a consultant for the Iraq Study Group.

Also emerging as a popular authority on
world-wide Islam, and rightly so, is Reza
Aslan, a professor of world religions, and
author of No god but God. Like The Shia
Revival, this is a "must read" for anyone who
wants to know what's happening today, in the
MW, and why. It is fascinating reading. It's
subtitle: "The Origins, Evolution and Future
of Islam," give an idea of the scope and
importance of this truly monumental work.
And it's easy reading! I have studied (and
taught) Islam for 40+ years, and this is the
best explanation of what's going on in it that
I have seen.

In it, Aslan tells why 9/11 happened, and why
it hasn't happened again: "It is mainly as a
means to galvanize other Muslims to the
jihadist cause that most of these attacks against
the West should be understood. The attacks
of September 11, 2001, for example, were by bin
Laden's own admission specifically designed to
goad the United States into an exaggerated
retaliation against the Islamic world so as to
mobilize Muslims to, in the words of Geo. Bush,
"choose sides."

Why haven't we had a second 9/11? Is it because
our borders are secure? No, they are tighter now
than they were then, but lots of people, drugs and
booty are still coming through. Are we inspecting
all the checked baggage going on our planes? No,
hardly any of it, in fact. Shipping containers
entering our ports? We are inspecting less than
5%!

Is it because we are "fighting them there so we won't
have to fight them here?" No, the Iraqi insurgency
is just that: an Iraqi response to our invasion and
occupation of their country. Wouldn't we be doing
the same thing if we were invaded and occupied by,
say, the Chinese? Most Iraqis believe that we are
there for oil and intend to stay. It's irrelevant why
they believe that. They wouldn't be fighting us if
they didn't. Less than 10% of the forces fighting us
there are al Qaeda. Al Qaeda in Iraq is hated by
most Iraqis and tolerated at all only because they are
helping against us. They will be gone quickly from
Iraq when we are. There is no chance in the world
they will have a secure base there in the future.
They are Sunnis, remember? The Shia majority
will be in control, and they hate al Qaeda more
fiercely than we do. And with more reason.

The real reason there hasn't been another 9/11 is
because the first one accomplished its purpose.
It got us going on a stupid, criminal, horribly
destructive rampage that is bleeding us
unmercifully, and alienating more and more of
the MW the longer it goes on. Bin Laden loves it!
We are playing his tune, following his script, and
losing the battle against terrorism as long as we
continue this fiasco.

More on this debacle later.

jgoodwin004@centurytel.net