Missing The Exit

To effectively win the war on terror, and to measure the progress, there has to be a clearer definition and understanding of this phenomena. One good definition could be: Terrorism is an indiscriminately criminal act, which uses violence to promote a cause. The policies, could be much more effective if the root could be understood as well. And it would be very helpful to distinguish between what part is cause and which part is the effect. Current policies try to win the war of minds, launching an Americanized TV News station in Arabic, sending marines out to the streets of Baghdad delivering candies to children, etc. These measures will have little or no effect at all. Closing and freezing bank accounts certainly makes a dent, but it clearly does not deal a big blow. The madrassas and the radical Islam being taught all over the world will not be eradicated with discussions or any other acts of kindness. The Islamist extreme machine and its global education are not the cause, they are too an effect. The true cause is the role terrorism plays inside every country that ignore, permits or encourages it in any way.

So now that the path is much clearer, having Iraq out of the list of Countries that support terrorism is certainly a victory, regardless of the use of weapons of mass destruction, or its link to Al-Queda. Iraq supported terrorism, and in a very public and openly maner, there was check sent to the West Bank or Gaza for every time a Terrorist operation was comited against Israel, just to name one example. But in order to have a real threat, a country must comply with two conditions, it has to have a leadership that supports terrorism and it must have the means to do damage. Iraq was siting on a big pool of oil, which represented the means.

Who's next? Today the biggest threat the world faces is Iran, it supports terrorism big time, and it has the means also with large reserves of oil and gas, and it is striving to go nuclear. Syria and Saudi Arabia are following close behind.

There is a very big challenge ahead and that is, how to topple a government the most cost effective way. This is the area that has to get all our attention. And that’s why there must be a "in and out" plan, we can’t afford to miss the exit.