Do the People of the United States Care Enough to Stop Him?
Evidence Mounts That Bush Wants New Wars

http://counterpunch.org/

By BILL CHRISTISON
Former CIA analyst

In this his time of troubles, Bush seems to be moving deliberately and
rapidly toward new wars of aggression in an unforgivable gamble to
overcome his troubles. His speech on Veterans' Day, November 11, 2005
at the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania leads to this conclusion
more clearly than any of his previous speeches and activities. The new
wars would be the start of a world war initiated by Bush and radical
Christianity against what he calls radical Islam, but in truth the
wars would be waged against all Islam.

To repeat, despite Bush's arguments to the contrary, the "clash of
civilizations" would consist of wars started by us. The killing of
innocent people in these wars is likely to be massive, and the wars
could at any time turn nuclear. If the people and the politicians of
America allow these wars to take place, the stain on the morality of
Americans will last for generations.

Let's note some of the statements Bush made in this speech of November
11. Many are not new, and some were foreshadowed in a speech by Bush a
month ago, but their volume and intensity in the Veterans' Day speech
are noteworthy.

"Some call this evil Islamic radicalism; others, militant
Jihadism; and still others, Islamo-fascism . . . These extremists
distort the idea of jihad into a call for terrorist murder against
Christians and Hindus and Jews -- and against Muslims, themselves, who
do not share their radical vision."

" . . . these extremists want to end American and Western
influence in the broader Middle East, because we stand for democracy
and peace, and stand in the way of their ambitions."

" . . . these militants believe that controlling one country will
rally the Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow all moderate
governments in the region, and establish a radical Islamic empire that
spans from Spain to Indonesia."

" . . . the terrorists would be able to advance their stated
agenda: to develop weapons of mass destruction; to destroy Israel; to
intimidate Europe; to assault the American people; and to blackmail
our government into isolation."

"The influence of Islamic radicalism is also magnified by helpers
and enablers. They've been sheltered by authoritarian regimes --
allies of convenience like Iran and Syria -- that share the goal of
hurting America and modern Muslim governments, and use terrorist
propaganda to blame their own failures on the West, on America, and on
the Jews."

"The government of Syria must do what the international community
has demanded . . . The government of Syria must stop exporting
violence and start importing democracy."

"Over the years these extremists have used a litany of excuses for
violence: the Israeli presence on the West Bank, the U.S. military
presence in Saudi Arabia, the defeat of the Taliban, or the Crusades
of a thousand years ago. In fact, we're not facing a set of grievances
that can be soothed and addressed. We're facing a radical ideology
with inalterable objectives: to enslave whole nations and intimidate
the world. No act of ours invited the rage of killers -- and no
concession, bribe, or act of appeasement would change or limit their
plans for murder."

"The murderous ideology of the Islamic radicals is the great
challenge of our new century. Yet in many ways, this fight resembles
the struggle against communism in the last century. Like the ideology
of communism, Islamic radicalism is elitist, led by a self-appointed
vanguard that presumes to speak for the Muslim masses."

"Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy teaches that
innocent individuals can be sacrificed to serve a political vision.
And this explains their cold-blooded contempt for human life."

"These militants are not just the enemies of America or the
enemies of Iraq, they are the enemies of Islam and they are the
enemies of humanity. And we have seen this kind of shameless cruelty
before -- in the heartless zealotry that led to the gulags, the
Cultural Revolution, and the killing fields."

"Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy is dismissive of
free peoples -- claiming that men and women who live in liberty are
weak and decadent."

"And Islamic radicalism, like the ideology of communism, contains
inherent contradictions that doom it to failure. By fearing freedom .
. . this ideology undermines the very qualities that make human
progress possible . . . And whatever lies ahead in the war against
this ideology, the outcome is not in doubt . . . Because free peoples
believe in the future, free peoples will own the future."

" . . . we're determined to deny radical groups the support and
sanctuary of outlaw regimes. State sponsors like Syria and Iran have a
long history of collaboration with terrorists, and they deserve no
patience from the victims of terror. The United States makes no
distinction between those who commit acts of terror and those who
support and harbor them, because they're equally guilty of murder."

"We don't know . . . the sacrifices that might lie ahead. We do
know, however, that the defense of freedom is worth our sacrifice, we
do know the love of freedom is the mightiest force of history, and we
do know the cause of freedom will once again prevail."

We cannot be sure how much of this is bluff by Bush -- to what extent
he hopes or believes that Muslim nations will surrender to him without
a fight. The prudent assumption is that not much of it is bluff, and
that Bush, the radical Christians, the Christian Zionists, the
nation's military-industrial conglomerates, and their Israeli allies
-- all of whom today call the tune in U.S. foreign policy -- are
willing and in some cases actually wish to involve the United States
in further wars.

The people and the politicians of this country should rise from their
apathy and shout, "No." The time is past for useless analysis and
discussion. We Americans, accounting for no more than five percent of
the human inhabitants of this globe, should decide here and now
whether we are going to be moral or immoral in our future
relationships with the rest of the world.

--
Bill Christison was a senior official of the CIA. He served as a
National Intelligence Officer and as Director of the CIA's Office of
Regional and Political Analysis. He can be reached at
christison@counterpunch.org.

It sounds like Congress is finally using reason, because measures just passed that Bush must give a daily planning and progress report regarding the Iraq War.:clapping: