Obama: Better man to fight terrorism

Obama is a better man for the war on terrorism, for a very simple reason. It is not just bombs that deter terrorists, but also improvement in the condition of the lives of people in Middle East and better view of the Western world. Terrorists feed off two twin problems: Bad living conditions and ill will toward the West. And it is by addressing the two, convincingly and effectively, that the spell of jihadism can be broken over the people of Middle East.

The Australian army has figured this out, and is doing the right thing in Afghanistan. Not only are they involved, as all armies on the ground, in the military operations against Taliban, but they also are building schools for children and training adults in skills such as carpentry. In this they are tackling the two root problems. They are giving people a chance at a better future, and they are building goodwill in the people toward the West. That makes them a lot less likely to believe or join entities such as the Taliban.

Whereas Republican policies are completely blind to this obvious dynamic. They just want to come in, bang up the place, and declare victory. Then they want to claim that the hatred that Middle East has toward America is because of its freedoms. That is false. While the jihadists do in fact hate everything that is not Sharia, the people support them because of the blindness, arrogance, greed, irresponsibility and stupidity of Republican policies in the region.

The Reagan administration encouraged Islamism in Middle East as part of its war against Communism. What made them believe that Islamists would be more partial to USA than the Communists? Either it was a huge oversight, or we are seeing something sinister. And why would McCain, who has similar ideas on these matters as did Reagan, solve the problem instead of adding to it?

Another misconceived policy was in regards to Afghanistan. America armed and trained mujahedeen against USSR. When USSR withdrew, American policymakers forgot that Afghanistan existed. It was not long before these same people turned their guns away from USSR, which no longer was on the map, to USA, which was. The people felt used and betrayed. This gave a fertile ground for jihadists, whose tactic has been to feed off any sentiment against the West or any part of the West and use it to turn people into terrorists.

Indeed the terrorists have done this: Infiltrate any constituency that has a problem with West or with Israel or with government. Goal? Turn them all into Sharia thugs. Republican policies do not begin to address this problem, as they are focused solely on military action. But to truly end terrorism, it is necessary to also remove the true infrastructure for supporting terrorism: Ill will toward the West, and bad living conditions, of people in Middle East.

To succeed over the long term, any anti-terrorist action requires that people in Middle East be given good view of the West as well as a chance at a better existence. And while nobody is advocating that the war against Al Quaeda and Taliban be brought to a halt, in order to create and win the peace it is requisite to apply approach similar to one that is being taken by Australian forces in the region. It is necessary to win the war; it is also necessary to win the peace. And that can only come from action that benefits people on the ground as effectively as it combats the militants in the hills.