The Laughing Wolf

The War: A Look Behind

To understand the present and the choices that will shape the future, one must first look to the past. Those who do not understand the past, are doomed to repeat it in far more than summer school. Given our current situation, the need to understand the past is more than mere imperative.

Despite a certain temptation, I will not take this as far back as I should. The history of religion and philosophy plays a far greater role today than many would give it. What I will commend to the reader is that one study well the Middle East from the time of Alexander to the present, though some of what shapes us today predates even that. For purposes of this series, I will simply state that one should study not merely the founding of Christianity and Islam, but the schisms from whence they came.

One of the few things that I liked about The Passion of the Christ was the fact that it at least obliquely pointed out the extremely fractured situation of the time. This was not merely the kingdoms, but the many different sects of religion and religious belief – even within well established religions. That fracture, that zealotry, is the foundation for what is happening today. Ignore it at your peril.

Nor am I going to spend a great deal of time on the foundation of the modern Arab state and the countries that now form the Middle East. That too is fascinating, and bears strongly on modern events. The many lies told, on both sides, and the lack of faith in dealings remains fresh upon the psyche of many in power. Nevermind that the events occurred a hundred or even a thousand years ago, the culture of the region keeps such things forever green in the fields of the mind.

No, for today I am going to go back to the 70s, and start there. Israel had been formed through blood and fire, and this had not gone over well. The fact remained that the so-called modern Arab states had staked all on preventing this, and failed. They tried hard to remove it by force of arms, and failed. This had an effect completely out of proportion to reality, for it involved psychology and the psychology of religion.

To many, it was clear that normal force of arms would not prevail, so they decided to adopt time honored methods used in the region against occupiers: they decided on passive and not-so-passive resistance. You block as much as you can passively, and when opportunities arise, you use force to kill and destroy. The official cooperation that exists with local “leaders” masks the reality of the operations. That same prelate who screams and tears his beard to the Macedoneans/Romans/British/etc. over an incident oft was involved with planning and executing the outrage. They were most especially involved with reaping the rewards of same. There is not a clan, tribe, race, or culture in the region that has not done this to greater or lesser extent.

Yet, this time, there was a crucial difference: Israel. This was no longer a patience, and the invader will eventually go away in disgust thing. It was, instead, a we-must-destroy thing. This presented certain opportunities to the Soviet Union and its philosophical adherents. Given that the U.S. had backed Israel, this immediately and forever made them an enemy to the modern Arab states and all who followed most of the major sects (and quite a few minor) of Islam. The religious and other fallacies can be debated ad infinitum, but the fact will remain that this is in practice a very true statement.

It did not help things that this occurred during an upsurge in fundamentalism in religion. This was not limited to any one religion and was instead a global event. It was, however, particularly true to and in Islam. Like most religions, Islam was having a crisis with the modern world. The fact is that things now are not as they were 2,000 years ago. While this does not/should not have any bearing on the core beliefs of any religion, it has a heck of a lot to do with the secondary beliefs and outward manifestations. Those outward signs and behaviors were no longer relevant in the modern world.

Simply as a quick example, look at the ritual of washing of feet. In a day with no paved roads, no sewage systems, and simple wooden sandals, this was much more than mere ritual. It was necessary, it was proper, and it was right for the day. In a day with modern transportation, footware, and sewage, it is no longer a necessity. Yet, it is an ancient custom called forth in several religious works, which in turn leads to many questions. Should it still be practiced? How should it be practiced? Why?

The reality is much more complex, but this is a good example of things facing a number of beliefs that sprang from the Middle East. Changes in society, advances in scientific knowledge, and other factors of modern life challenge not religion, but the outward practices of same. In all religions, there are those who hold that as things were, they must forever be. These fundamentalists can be quite extreme, and a unique combination of forces made them even more so in terms of Islam and the Middle East.

The regimes that were opposed to Israel quickly realized the power of such fundamentalism and embraced it, as a means of retaining and expanding power. This was aided and abetted by the Soviet Union and others, who saw it was a way to fight the U.S. and U.S. interests by proxy, and obtain defacto control over a region of critical importance to them. This was more than warm water ports, it was oil. Everyone wanted and needed it, and it became the basis of most policy in the region. Net result was that several regimes became actual or de facto military regimes with Soviet help and supply. Most of those turned towards more fundamental religion as a means of appeasing and controlling the masses.

This is contrasted with other countries who tried to carry both worlds. They wanted to be modern and progressive, and make the most of the world. The fact is, however, that they were easy to paint as weak, decadent, and lacking in faith. Add to that severe repression, as in the case with Iran, and you have the potential for disaster. A disaster that came with a fundamentalist revolution, and a massive change in Middle Eastern politics and religion. Suddenly, there was a state that existed according to very fundamental religious doctrine, and that state was a beacon to others of like mind. It also served as a staging ground for exporting revolution against unbelievers, and did so quite effectively.

This was a threat to other states, so some balance was needed. Most of this was accomplished through Iraq, with a blind eye turned by its neighbors onto many of its practices in the name of expediency. This did stop some of the direct pressure, but it still allowed and encouraged the spread of a particular school of Islamic fundamentalism. Most states turned a blind eye to this, fearing the consequences of opposing it.

Add to this mix a Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and resultant guerrilla war, and the ultimate creation of yet another hard-line fundamentalist state, and you get a lot of very nervous countries. You also get a person named bin Laden.

Now here we have a person who is an extreme fundamentalist, bright, and at a unique place in history. He has the chance to help fight one of the evil oppressors of his land, an oppressor who has not only invaded a country of the faith, but also has prevented other Arab nations from destroying Israel. He is well aware that most Arab countries would rather just let things lie in regards Israel, but that public and religious opinion limit this option. Seemingly a born organizer, he begins organizing not only the resistance in Afghanistan, but like-minded groups around the world. Groups that are primarily Islamic, but also all those opposed to Israel and any who would support her – such as the United States.

The fact is that Al Queda has always been an umbrella organization. There really is no vast network of this organization: it is a vast network of individual cells and organizations that have agreed to work together. In this respect, it is much like the hydra of myth, for with the loss of the head many new heads will spring forth. They have been there all along, but have simply chosen to subordinate themselves to bin Laden in return for plans, intelligence, financing, etc.

Bin Laden and his organization are extremely pragmatic. They accept aid from the U.S. and other “enemies” to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. They accept aid from Iraq, even though they are technically an enemy, though that is kept quiet to avoid problems with Iran and others. Iran is an ally, but they do not have the oil and other revenues that Iraq can provide. They even accept money and aid from fellow travelers in Saudi Arabia, though they despise the government. What matters is not the short term, but the long term. Using the base provided by fundamentalist rulers in Iran and Afghanistan, they want to take their war to the world.

Well, not specifically the world. Right now, there is one major obstacle to plans to convert the modern Middle East into an Islamic theocracy and destroy Israel: The United States of America. America is the enemy on so many levels it can’t be counted. It supports Israel. It exerts considerable power in the Middle East. It is a decadent culture that produces entertainment and other products that are an anathema to their version of the faithful. It stands as a beacon of all that is against them. Clearly, this power must be destroyed, because while they are not yet ready to take their war to the full world, the full world is indeed their goal. First the Middle East, then Asia, then Africa, the Europe, then the rest. But first, the United States must be driven from the Middle East and reduced as a power, so that it cannot stop what is to come.

Thus begins a series of small-scale attacks against the U.S., and a general increase in Middle Eastern terrorism – particularly against Israel. The more that situation can be compounded, the better. It keeps the world focused elsewhere and it almost guarantees condemnation of Israel no matter what. All the better if Israel can be pushed into doing foolish things. The Gulf War shows that direct force of arms will not work for now, but it also sets the stage for exporting the way of ages in the Middle East.

Saddam is an infidel and enemy to them, but he is a useful fool. He helps support these efforts openly and clandestinely, and indeed gleefully takes center stage in his support of murder and terror in Israel. This helps mask what is to come by keeping people focused on him. So, we get the towers, the embassies, and even the first attempts on the World Trade Center. Rather than being treated as the acts of war that they are, they are relegated to law enforcement which has no power outside of the United States.

Then came 9-11, and a strategic miscalculation. Yet, that is for tomorrow, when we look at that which lies beneath.

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