where the war against Al-Qaeda failed

"Decision Points" is the name of the Bush's memoirs that had recently been published. i can only imagine how happy John Stewart and Mr. Colbert are!but this article is not about the book. the book and Bush's recent interviews had triggered this article.

so recently I had the chance to have a glance at the past. the time that i was in shock watching the twin towers collapse. the day that i happily watched the fall of Saddam and his empire, when people brought down his statue in Baghdad, thinking what a great day for people and democracy! few years on, i am not sure about the extent of my naivety.

it all got me to think about War on Terror, the militant and actually a review of my own first hand experience of Iran-Iraq war and the extremism.

i believe that US and Allies, leading by Bush Administration, failed right at the start! maybe even before that. have in mind that i am talking about failure in winning the war rather than losing it!

it is said the first step to rehab is admitting. it's a known fact that USA had helped Afghan Militants through Pakistani Government of Zia Ul-Hagh to fight back then USSR invasion (see Operation Cyclone). it's also argued that USA (CIA) had helped Osama Bin-Laden during Russian invasion of Afghnistan (CIA-Osama bin Laden controversy), which seems to hold no waters as two parties plus Osama's right hand man Aymen Zawahiri deny the allegations. yet the fact remains that most of the tactics currently used by militants in Afghanistan and Iraq, like car bombs and road side bombs had been taught to Afghan Militants back then by CIA operatives.


so, by not admitting the truth, they failed to face the truth and the enemy. they got involved in a war in the wrong place. it's like fighting the plant of the Jack and the Beanstalk from the very top! it only grows and grows. where, if one wants to take the stake down, logic says to cut the root!

then US & Allies continued to fail when they branded the hostilities the "Islamic Militancy" or "Islamic Extremism"! branding it Islamic, they were no longer fighting with a group of militant. they expanded the war to a global scale where not only the armed forces had been involved in, but also normal people got involved. muslim communities, whether as migrants in other countries or within muslim countries start feeling the intensity of the social tensions and increased discrimination.

what US & Allies failed to understand (or if they did understand they failed to influence their plan with the understanding accordingly) was that they were not fighting a group of individuals but an ideology. an ideology that is not specific to Islam, but is a bahvioural attribute of human characteristics. the attribute, which is applied to a group or a person rather than a self-assigned label.
 
Such groups as Al Qaeda that have the perception of the Ultimate Truth. a concept that some will die for. those "Some" that are now being killed in the lines of fire. they die not to ever realise the ones who convinced them about the "Ultimate Truth" and the necessity of sacrifice for the "Ultimate Truth" are now sitting somewhere and having a dinner, whether a fancy fine dine or as simple as bread and dates.

Oscar Wilde once said: “A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.”

no argue that fighting Taliban and Al-Qaeda or removing Saddam from thrown was necessary. but losing time and declaring victory immediately was neither wise nor it is now justifiable. the war had to be continued at the schools and the economic institutions to provide people with a better life. the basic rights, like potable water and electricity, a minimum wage. in today's world, whether we like it or not, freedom without money isn't worth much. as a result, what happens is the youth who are hopeless with no prospect of a better future would easily be absorbed to a world of promises of Gardens of Eden. with a bit of cash, who cares if there would be an Eden? well, what do they have to lose? they have nothing anyways! a fantasy might serve them better!

this is where US and in general the super powers who had an interest in the whole affair, failed. in their lackluster efforts and plans, people like Osama Bin Ladan and many others saw an opportunity and they cleverly seized the opportunity to promote their agenda.

the extremism is not and Islam specific phenomenon. anyone from any belief or back ground can be an extremist. what if instead of "War against Islamic Militancy" it was labeled "War against extremism" of any kind? Buddhism extremism, Islamic extremism, Christian extremism, Jewish extremism, Racial extremism, Atheist extremism, etc.

 obviously, those who imagined they had plotted a master plan, lacked vision and simply failed to manage the situation. it is likely that they also had an "Ultimate Truth", which they see far superior to the ones of Osama Bin Laden! the "Ultimate Truth" for which they will torture, kidnap and kill. above all, ignore the Law and bend the rules.

 let's hope this would be a lesson learned for those, who are in a position that make decision and hope that those who get to those position are more sane than their predecessors.

George Orwell once wrote: "at the time of the universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."


(this article might be editted in future)