From Across the Pond
It appears that not everyone agrees that fighting terrorism in Iraq keeps us from havingto fight terrorism in the homeland. The theory that the conflict in Iraq acts as flypaper, drawing terrorists from around the world to Baghdad where they can be immediately dispatched to the great Islamic hereafter really didn't make much sense to me. After July 7, it apparently doesn't make much sense to Londoners either.
The BBC has an online article summarizing a think tank report.
The Chatham House and Economic and Social Research Council paper says the Iraq war has boosted al-Qaeda.
UK involvement in operations against Osama Bin Laden's network has also raised the attack risk, it adds.
The full report (which can be found in PDF format here) suggests that Britain's engagement in the Iraq War provides a kind of context for the Muslim backlash leading to the rise in attacks in various places in the world.
More damning, however, is the conclusion in the report that Britain has allowed the US to take the lead in the war on terror, thereby inhibiting Britain's own efforts at anti-terrorism:
It said the Iraq invasion, in which the UK had been "pillion" passenger, had damaged the counter-terrorism campaign.
Instead it had boosted support, training and fund-raising for al-Qaeda.
The current British government has naturally taken the position that linking the London bombings to British involvement in Iraq is incorrect, but it is hard to dispute the conclusions of this report:
But the report said: "There is no doubt that the situation over Iraq has imposed particular difficulties for the UK, and for the wider coalition against terrorism."
Particular difficulties, indeed. What is especially disheartening is that those particular difficulties involve a war that was started on the premise that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (none of which have ever been found), a war started once the facts were 'fixed' (as noted in the Downing Street Memos) by the Bush administration. Thousands of US, British and other coalition partners, Iraqis, Spanish, and now Londoners are dead or maimed because of lies. And there doesn't appear to be an end in sight.
The BBC has an online article summarizing a think tank report.
The Chatham House and Economic and Social Research Council paper says the Iraq war has boosted al-Qaeda.
UK involvement in operations against Osama Bin Laden's network has also raised the attack risk, it adds.
The full report (which can be found in PDF format here) suggests that Britain's engagement in the Iraq War provides a kind of context for the Muslim backlash leading to the rise in attacks in various places in the world.
More damning, however, is the conclusion in the report that Britain has allowed the US to take the lead in the war on terror, thereby inhibiting Britain's own efforts at anti-terrorism:
It said the Iraq invasion, in which the UK had been "pillion" passenger, had damaged the counter-terrorism campaign.
Instead it had boosted support, training and fund-raising for al-Qaeda.
The current British government has naturally taken the position that linking the London bombings to British involvement in Iraq is incorrect, but it is hard to dispute the conclusions of this report:
But the report said: "There is no doubt that the situation over Iraq has imposed particular difficulties for the UK, and for the wider coalition against terrorism."
Particular difficulties, indeed. What is especially disheartening is that those particular difficulties involve a war that was started on the premise that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (none of which have ever been found), a war started once the facts were 'fixed' (as noted in the Downing Street Memos) by the Bush administration. Thousands of US, British and other coalition partners, Iraqis, Spanish, and now Londoners are dead or maimed because of lies. And there doesn't appear to be an end in sight.
posted by Diane at 4:26 AM
1 Comments:
Thanks for the link! I like your blog as well.
I also have a legal blog using the same template as your blog. I think I actually prefer it.
The other blog is called "The Privacy Law Site," can be found at www.privacy-law.blogpost.com.
See you around the blogosphere...
Culture of Truth
www.cultureoftruth.blogspot.com
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