Re-evaluation of GWOT

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

An important WaPo piece discusses a possible shift in the administration’s terrorism policies.  Apparently, the Global War On Terrorism thing just isn’t working, as we find ourselves “drifting” and lacking a sense of what to do next.

Digby takes his scissors to the possible policy change.  Here’s WaPo:

Much of the discussion has focused on how to deal with the rise of a new generation of terrorists, schooled in Iraq over the past couple years. Top government officials are increasingly turning their attention to anticipate what one called “the bleed out” of hundreds or thousands of Iraq-trained jihadists back to their home countries throughout the Middle East and Western Europe. “It’s a new piece of a new equation,” a former senior Bush administration official said. “If you don’t know who they are in Iraq, how are you going to locate them in Istanbul or London?"

And Digby comments:

Who would have ever dreamed this could happen? Oh, that’s right. Those of us who were against the invasion. In fact, it was the central practical argument that I and most others I know set forth at the time. It was always obvious that invading Iraq was going to foment terrorism, not quell it. Anybody with a sixth grade education could see that. Well, except for some Republicans who went to Andover, Yale and Harvard, that is.

Yup.