The Middle East, united under the banner of Islam after Muhammed, was once the home of the great empire of the caliphs. Culture, knowledge, and trade once flowed through the region - focused in grand, ornate centers like Bagdhad, Damascus, and Istanbul. But after diminished power and opulence, the Allied victors of the World Wars divided the region into mandates, arbitrarily creating new nations and oblivious to the deeper ethnic and religious divisions ripening there.
Now the Middle East is much like a giant cauldron, filled with the ingredients of civil war, extremism, opposition, nuclear standoff, and poverty. These ingredients are just waiting for a catalyst, something to spark a reaction of epic proportions that will culminate in more bloodshed. That catalyst has been the United States, though not entirely by the poor decisions the United States has made.
Extremist leaders of underdeveloped nations in the Middle East have been long put at odds with America over our support of Israel, our Western tradition, and our demands for inexpensive, but vast, quantities of petroleum. There is much disparity between the essence of Western culture and traditional Muslim culture that does not facilitate a strong relationship between the two.
When Iraq invaded tiny Kuwait, the world responded. bin Laden's mujahadeen had just finished battling the incursion of the Soviets (backed by US aid, no less) and were looking for a new target for their continuing battle to protect the Islamic homeland and the Islamic religion from Western influence or control. However, when Saudi Arabia chose to allow the Coalition forces to stage operations from the nation instead of bin Laden's holy warriors, bin Laden immediately placed himself opposite the United States and declared a jihad against America. He believed that American military prescence in Saudi Arabia tarnished the holy soil of Saudi Arabia, which houses Mecca and Medina, the holiest Islamic cities.
The tragedy of September 11 served its purpose for al Qaeda - it propagated fear throughout the country. It had the proportional opposite effect on the extreme Islamic traditional front and anti-American support burgeoned.
Afghanistan was not a mistake and international support confirms this. However, the military presence in Afghanistan helped al Qaeda recruitment as America was depicted as an evil oppressor.
Iraq showed the world, especially the Middle East, that Bush America is committed to military action in the region. Iraq's situation was unique, its central location allowed for an influx of insurgents and an open battlefield between the West and the hard core Islamists.
America's military expeditions struck deep into the core of the Islamic world and has upset the balance of Sunni and Shia power in Iraq. The tumult there and America's continued prescence is seeping into adjacent countries and will indubitably continue to escalate.
The unrest is apparent in the region. In Pakistan, US strikes within the border have set off
protests across Pakistan and
Iranian opposition and nuclear development. Where this will culminate will probably be Iran.
What America needs to do is use the international community, use the diplomatic capabilites we have, and stop the warmongering escapades into the Middle East when diplomatic efforts are far more effective. Such was the case with Iraq. If international diplomacy and economic sanctions fail to convince Iran to comply with international inspectors, then the threat of Iranian nuclear weapons becomes real. If such circumstances exist, then it is imperative that international support be sought and acquired for military action.
