Saturday, the New York Times broke an article detailing a National Intelligence Estimate from April. -á
Recall that a National Intelligence Estimate reports the combined opinion of the United States' intelligence agencies.
This particular report indicates that the United States' belligerent invasion of Iraq has not only created a vacuum for terrorists in the Middle East, it has also served to strengthen and inspire the growth of radical Islam throughout the world.
Contrast the professional opinion of the intelligence community with the upbeat assessment President Bush has presented in speeches over the past month: In opposition to Bush's declarations that we are fighting terrorism and will win, Iraq has weakened our strategic position in the global ideological battle with radical Islam.
Consider that, in a war, battles exist to serve a greater strategic purpose.
For example, the battle of Normandy in World War II existed to facilitate the invasion of France; the battle of Iwo Jima served to secure a long-range base for American bombers to attack the mainland of Japan. If we consider - flawed as the analogy is, as I've pointed out in the past - the war on terror as analogous to an actual war, we find that Iraq is supposed to accomplish the greater strategic goal of instilling liberal values in the Middle East, as a bulwark to radical Islam.
Unfortunately, as the intelligence agencies have stated, Iraq is not fulfilling that goal. Rather, it is running counter to the goal of furthering moderate Islam and introducing democratic values: since our invasion of Iraq is actually promoting radical Islam, it can hardly be said to mitigate the effects of that religion on the region.
Why, then, is our President vowing to stay the course? Why does he persist in claiming that we will - that we are - winning the struggle in Iraq?
There is no point in fighting a battle which retrogresses our progress in the greater ideological struggle. To continue to pursue such a course is the height of stupidity.
Let us further examine Bush's behavior in promoting the war in Iraq: He has claimed, contrary to the National Intelligence Estimate - which, presumably, he has known of for at least five months - that Iraq will advance the cause of the United States in the region. Given that his claims run contrary to the professional opinion of intelligence analysts, we may safely conclude that President Bush is either lying or is simply ignoring these conclusions.
Misdirections about prior hatred of the United States aside, Bush is either dishonest or possesses such an incredible amount of hubris that he will not deign to listen to his impartial advisors - or, he possesses a combination of both.
In either case, any claims he makes ought be approached with utmost suspicion, given that he has not only lied, or misled himself, but he also has, as a result of his pride, embroiled us in a conflict which is drawing resources with no return, as well as setting us back in the opinion of the world and alienating those we ought to be courting: the adherents of Islam.
Neal Coleman is a freshman mathematics major and writes 'The Bogeyman' for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
Write to Neal at necoleman@bsu.edu.
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