It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Iraq might turn into a second Somalia within a year if the situation is allowed to keep descending the way it’s doing now. The Islamic Sharia courts are ruling now in Somalia while in Iraq they function undercover and it’s still in our hands to stop them from extending their influence and from becoming the rule instead of the exception they are today.
This post has become a WSJ editorial.
Omar continues:
Let’s call the battle for middle east, and I think politicians do not need anyone to explain to them what this part of the world means�the outcome of war in Iraq does not affect Iraq alone, a victory means disrupting the ring of terror and extremism the enemies are trying to establish while failure would be equal to allowing them to establish that huge ring, or should I say that gigantic octopus of terrorists and terror-supporting regimes that would extend from Afghanistan in the east to Libya in the west and from Iraq in the north to Sudan and Somalia in the south. And instead of creating islands of democracy and liberty, connecting them and extend from there to change the world to the better, the enemies would engulf those islands and add them to their multi-jointed entity of terror.
Not too long ago we were cheered by the purple fingers, the Libyans, the Syrians moving out of Lebanon, even the interesting if tentative local elections in Saudi Arabia. Of course, the problem is in part raised expectations. Some were always against it – anything bad is what they expected. But others feel the current problems as worse because of their expectations, their pleasure in those moments of what appeared a loosening of the old ways.
But if in no other way Iraq is Vietnam, Omar fears, our leaving is likely to lead to the tragedy of a desert equivalent to boat people. On a more personal note, I have few fears that in my lifetime Sharia law will dictate my life; such threats, however, are a good deal closer to Omar. And I suspect some dream that it will control my children’s lives. That particular version of world peace is not one I want for Omar nor for them.
Ginny, don’t be so worried. You live in Texas. You’ll be annexed by Mexico and forced to speak Spanish long before Arabs ever get a shot at taking over and subjecting you to Sharia.
Being subject to Mexican law doesn’t thrill me, either. My solace in that is that I suspect immigrants on our southern border have little desire to enforce Mexican law in their new land.