Taking a Step Back

Where are we in the War on Terror? The start, the middle or approaching the end? The future will determine the answers, but by taking a step back and examining the entire scope, I think we would be somewhere near the early middle.

The recent election in Iraq, added to the election in Afghanistan and to a much lesser degree Palestine, we are seeing an upsurge in democracy not seen since the early nineties in South and Central America.

At the risk of sounding as though I'm gloating; told you so. Bush had a grand vision of nation building--a vision incidentally that developed post-9/11--where the countries of the mid-east would eventually move toward democracy or in some cases a quasi-democracy.

Some called it a fools errand and others ignominiously said that it wouldn't work because the Arab world was just not smart enough for democracy. It appears they were both wrong at this juncture. The Iraqi's did vote with the potential of great personal harm hanging over them. Does this mean success? Perhaps a short-term type of success, but one that can be built upon to forge a full-fledged democracy, but a success just the same.

Where does this fit into the timeline of the War on Terror? It is a great leap toward the end of the WoT. The Ayatollahs in Iran and the world's remaining Baathist dictator in Syria must be sensing the heat. The Iranians that have been crossing the border to stir up trouble will return to Iran and tell of what is happening. The Internet will be a major force that isn't easily suppressed. Perhaps an uprising in one or both or these nations will spur the Saudi's to take note and perhaps the Saudi citizens will fight against that kleptocratic regime.

The War on Terror will continue well past GWB's second term, but the seeds have been sown and a viable crop has been reaped. Not a sustainable crop as yet, but a harvest none the less.