Losing the war

Opponents of the U.S. occupation of Iraq have argued for some time that it is hurting the effort to combat terrorism, not helping it. By creating a crucible of conflict in the heart of the Middle East and by enraging young men throughout the region, it has served as a ready recruiting and training service for al Qaeda and the cause of Islamist jihad.

The Bush administration has pooh-poohed that notion as misguided and naïve, but it will have a harder time doing so now. That’s because its own intelligence agencies have determined that it is correct.

On Sunday (Sept. 24), the New York Times reported that America’s 16 intelligence agencies had prepared a stark assessment that the invasion and occupation of Iraq have worsened the terrorist threat, not lessened it. Instead of stemming the growth of terrorism, they helped fuel its spread around the globe as more and more young Islamist jihadis, fired up by anti-American rage, joined terrorist cells.

This devastating assessment comes as conditions on the ground in Iraq continue to worsen. More Iraqis are dying each month than Americans who died on 9/11. The supposed “national unity” government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is unable or unwilling to rein in the sectarian militias and death squads that are committing most of the murders.

Meanwhile, unemployment is rampant, the electricity is off most of the time, and other services are sporadic, at best. Worst of all, people live in terrible fear. It is unsafe just to step out of the house. Violence is everywhere—suicide bombers and death squads, kidnappers and other thugs rule the streets.

It is time for another assessment—a reassessment, if you will. Clearly the current approach is not working. We need to acknowledge this fact and engage in a national discussion of what to do and where to go from here. There are no easy answers, but facing the truth is at least a beginning.