On understanding the Afghan military partnership

This was contributed by a former colleague. He knows more about the intelligence business than the whole blooming Agency combined.

Now a French trained Afghan has killed four French trainers.

To some of my acquaintances who believe that Islamists are for the most part peaceful and so on, I make the following comment. I lived in three Arab countries, and traveled in a number of others, and dealt with locals on a regular basis, but never came to the point where I felt I could really trust one of them completely. So, I posit the following to these people.

Let us assume that you live next door to a devout Afghan Muslim family. For some years you and your family have had good relations and you are in social situations essentially comfortable together. One day a Mullah comes to the male in the Arab family and says something like this.

"Your American neighbor has a close relative fighting in Afghanistan who with his military unit was responsible for blowing up a Mosque in your village outside of Khandahar. Some of your relatives were killed. It has been decreed that in retaliation you must kill your next door neighbor--even if you should later be killed by the infidels you will be a martyr."

Now here is the problem. Which will win out, your friendship with the Arab in which case he will not act against you, or he will, because of his total devotion to Islam, follow the instructions of the cleric and comply with the instructions passed to him. (I for one would not want to deal with this option.) Of course, one can introduce factors that would tend to obviate this dilemma in some way. But in its essence it is still out there.

I have never given up my strong sense of cynicism about Arabs and how, when, and where they place their loyalty. As you know, Brits said you can't buy an Arab but only rent him. Certainly in our Stations it was an attitude that was easy to adopt and act on.

We had a friend in Baghdad, an elderly but wealthy Arab who had the Carrier Air Conditioner distributorship for several Arab countries. He felt he was too old to continue to manage it and so gave the business to his son to manage. The son did so for a brief while and then disposed of it, making a lot of money. He promptly went to Beirut to live in a big penthouse, and became a playboy. Don't know the end of this since we were evacuated at the time of the 6 Day War, but such intra-family betrayals are not, I believe, unusual.

I never felt they trusted each other, and now, with factions arising in the mobs of the Arab Spring, it is easy to see that unity and loyalty does not rate high among them. Well, I guess we, you, I and others of us have fought our battles, will become victims, of the wisdom of our contemporary leaders who see good in all those things, people, and places we question.

And thus ends my colleague's offering. Are all Muslims this devious? No, not the modern ones. But a Muslim who believes in guiding his life according to Sharia,....

Obama, the ideologue, does it again

What is all this nonsense about Egypt and democracy? Egypt is a Muslim country. No Muslim, worthy of the name, accepts democracy. Read the Qur'an. Do you find anything there that even remotely reminds you of democracy?

The only organized "political party" in Egypt worthy of the name is the Muslim Brotherhood. These people are the fathers of Hamas and many other Islamist groups. As is oft quoted, "Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope." Can there be any doubt but that the Muslim Brotherhood exemplifies the most noble among the Islamists?

And it is this group that will receive the leadership of Egypt once Mubarak either decides to leave or is pushed from his position of leadership. No, Mubarak was not the most democratic of rulers either in the Middle east or elsewhere. But he was our friend. He espoused our policies vis-a-vis Islamic extremism. And he signed a peace accord with Israel.

It is amazing, the lack of understanding of the Arab persona that exists within our government. Has no one ever heard of the importance the Arab attaches to loyalty? Has no one in our government ever heard of the importance the Arab attaches to honor? Clearly, no one. Mubarak supported U.S. and other Western governments' policies in the Middle East. And how has our government treated him? They told him he should step down NOW. Is that the manner of a friend? Is that the way in which one demonstrates loyalty? Surely, there could have been innumerable ways to indicate to Mubarak that it was time to go. And all of these ways could have been communicated secretly so as to preserve his honor. But no, Obama had to demonstrate visibly his disdain for "Strong Men" and others who failed to demonstrate HIS concept of democracy. Mr. Obama, not every country, not every culture holds "democracy" in such high repute as we Americans. Once again, read the Qur'an. You will see that democratic ideals do not exist within its parameters.

Mubarak said he would step down in September, prior to the national elections scheduled for that month. No, his son would not succeed him. Mubarak had sent him out of the country, knowing he was not of the same mettle as he. That should have ended it right there. "Thank you, Mr. President, for your understanding of the sensitivity of the current political scene." something like that would have done it, in conjunction with the message carried to Mubarak our former ambassador. But no, our president and his press secretary had to enunciate most clearly that the U.S. wanted him gone NOW.

Watch your TV screens this evening. Observe the fighting taking place in Tahrir Square between the anti-Mubarak demonstrators and the sudden appearance of the pro-Mubarak elements. Who are these pro-Mubarak elements? they are secret police, regular police, presidential special action forces and the like. Where did they come from, all of a sudden? In my opinion, they were launched by Mubarak in response to what he perceives, to be Obama's treachery, his disloyalty.

Time will tell whether can weather the storm or not. Many observers claim the Muslim Brotherhood is far from well organized, they stand not the chance of a snowball in the Valley of the Kings. Time will tell. Note that upon the heels of the departing head of state in Tunisia, a formerly exiled Islamist returned to the country and within 48 hours, the first Synagogue was set on fire.