What could have been a bombshell story this past week seems to have been snowed under by all the newsprint given over to Mr. Cheney's "accident". The entire rationale for the on-going carnage in Iraq was seriously called into question on Tuesday ... and despite this very large tree falling in the forest, it apparently made no sound. I've seen virtually no coverage of this story at all, despite the fact that the people pointing the finger are not Quakers or members of Greenpeace or even of the Democratic Party, but rather spokesmen for the United States Army. Please to read on ...
"The current [U.S.] military strategy [in Iraq] is only helping radical Muslims, according to a West Point critique of U.S. terrorism policy," begins a story by John Diamond that was published in USA TODAY on Tuesday, and re-printed in the Detroit Free Press on Wednesday. Quoting directly from the report by the Combatting Terrorism Center at the U.S. military academy. Mr. Diamond writes, "Direct engagement with the United States has been good for the jihad movement." The report goes on to say that the U.S. needs to emphasize indirect action -- propaganda and the use of allies in the Middle East -- more skillfully and extensively.
The report also declares that military action "rallies the locals behind the [jihad] movement, drains the United States of resources, and puts pressure" on U.S.-backed regimes. And what is the report's title? "Stealing Al Qaeda's Playbook."
In other words, here is the U.S. Army -- again, not some "peace outfit" -- declaring that the "war in Iraq" is a failure when it comes to dealing with the threat of terrorism. And not only a failure, it is actually contributing to the success of the terrorism movement.
This report effectively cuts the legs out from under George W. Bush's repeated claims that "the war in Iraq is a central front of the War on Terror." Actually, Mr. President, your war is doing more harm than good. And all of those "brave young men and women" who are dying and losing limbs in Iraq? Painful as it is to confront it, the truth is that they are not "sacrificing for freedom" but instead losing their lives and legs and sanity in the service of an operation that is helping to fuel the very menace they are supposedly fighting.
Again, this to me is a blockbuster story. And yet, where was it this past week? I saw no mention of it in the Washington Post, which is my daily read. I saw no mention of it here on DK, nor on any of the other blogs I frequent. Did I miss it? Or was it conveniently covered up by L'Affaire Cheney?
In any event, I would certainly like this report to enjoy greater coverage. Your help is appreciated.
Update: In response to several helpful suggestions, here's a link to the story in the Detroit Free Press:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060215/NEWS07/602150355