Our Media 5th Column

Bret Stephens of the Jerusalem Post pens a fine column, describing why it's so important for the West that we win in Iraq, and calling into question the motives of those who oppose us. In effect, they are waging guerilla warfare against the President, and don't care if they cause the country great harm in the process. Argue against Bush if you like, vote against him if you like, but the Democratic party is being fundamentally irresponsible by opposing this war, and, by extension, confrontation with North Korea and Iran. Even if you don't like our having gone to war, getting out now is hardly the answer. As Victor Davis Hanson has pointed out countless times, the alternative to reforming the Middle East is suffering more September 11ths. We simply have no choice.

At the same time, in the same paper, Amir Taheri suggests that Al Qaeda may refocus on its strategic base, targeting vulnerable Arab governments rather than the US directly. Of course, this justifies the war as the only way of pre-empting their success.