What is the biggest threat to the national security of the United States?
There are several nominees for the position. In the post-9/11 world, it used
to be incontestable that the prize goes to al-Qaeda. No more. That the former
head of the CIA, David Petraeus, could openly call for an
alliance with the heirs of Osama bin Laden is proof positive, in my view,
that the baton has been passed to other entrants.
Okay, then, what about ISIS, a.k.a. the “Islamic State”? Surely these head-choppers,
whose brutal crimes make al-Qaeda look “moderate,” qualify for the prize? Well,
not exactly, at least in the estimation of our wise rulers, since a) US-supported
Syrian rebels of an Islamist bent have regularly defected
to the Islamic State’s ranks, demonstrating that the line between friend
and foe is blurry at best, and b) Russia’s entry into the fight against the
self-proclaimed “Caliphate,” far from being welcomed by Washington, has elicited
denunciations from US government
officials and politicians of all stripes, on the grounds that they’re poaching
on our territory, as well as making no distinction between alleged“moderates”
and the Islamic State.
If ISIS were indeed the main danger to US national security, then wouldn’t
we welcome the Russian initiative?