(London Times) - Gen. Wesley Clark Effective power so clearly displayed always shocks and stuns. Many Gulf states will hustle to praise their liberation from a sense of insecurity they were previously loath even to express. Egypt and Saudi Arabia will move slightly but perceptibly towards Western standards of human rights. Al Qaeda, Hizballah, and others will strive to mobilize their recruiting to offset the Arab defeat in Baghdad. The operation in Iraq will also serve as a launching pad for further diplomatic overtures, pressures, and even military actions against others in the region who have supported terrorism and garnered weapons of mass destruction. Don' look for stability as a Western goal. Governments in Syria and Iran will be put on notice - indeed, may have been already - that they are "next" if they fail to comply with Washington's concerns. Whatever the brief prewar announcement about the "road map," this issue is far from settled in Washington, and is unlikely to achieve any real momentum until the threats to Israel's northern borders are resolved. And that is an added pressure to lean on Bashir Assad and the ayatollahs in Iran. Remember, this was all about weapons of mass destruction. They haven't yet been found. It was to continue the struggle against terror, bring democracy to Iraq, and create positive change in the Middle East. None of that is begun, much less completed. So don't demobilize yet. There's a lot yet to be done, and not only by the diplomats.
2003-04-10 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive