Sounds like a good idea to me. The quixotic Wilsonian democracy projects and hearts-and-minds initiatives were doomed from the start. But if Western analysts think that once we do withdraw, that the jihad against the U.S. will end, they’re in for a rude awakening. “Brotherhood: U.S. troops should now quit Iraq, Afghan,” from Reuters, May 2:
CAIRO (Reuters) — Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood said on Monday that U.S. soldiers should be withdrawn from Afghanistan and Iraq after the killing of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11 attacks that led to two U.S.-led wars.
Al Qaeda leader was killed in a firefight with U.S. forces in Pakistan on Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama said.
“With Bin Laden’s death, one of the reasons for which violence has been practiced in the world has been removed,” Essam al-Erian, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s governing body, told Reuters.
“It is time for Obama to pull out of Afghanistan and Iraq and end the occupation of U.S. and Western forces around the world that have for so long harmed Muslim countries,” he said….
“The revolutions taking place across the Middle East are proof that democracy has a home in the Middle East and we do not need foreign occupation any more,” Erian said.
Any more? You mean, you needed it up to now?
He said there could be a violent reaction to Bin Laden’s death in areas of the world where al Qaeda had a foothold.
“Afghanistan, Pakistan, Morocco and Algeria might react violently as the influence of al Qaeda is pervasive there.”
He said Islam should not be equated with terrorism or the kind of violence espoused by Bin Laden.
“It is time for the world to understand that violence and Islam are not related and that relating them has been an intentional mistake by the media,” Erian added.
No, it has been an intentional “mistake” by people like Osama bin Laden. And I expect that Erian knows that full well.