The war in Iraq costs $8 billion/mo, not the $1 billion I posted 8/26. Sorry.

If you're interested in historical background, by which I mean the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, read the book Charlie Wilson's War. The book details how an alcoholic senator serving on the powerful Intelligence committee managed to get millions in U.S. money for a covert campaign in Afghanistan to help the, then called, Freedom Fighters (later warlords) defeat the Russians.

The U.S. bought arms on the black market that were not U.S. made in order to conceal our participation. They taught the "FFs" to use sophisticated technology (rocket launchers, IEDs). See where I'm going with this? The CIA advised the Afghanistans and one analyst described the conflict as "a football game where no one knew who was on which team." The U.S. was aided in its efforts by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Israel (yes) and others. But read the book. It's fascinating. It also makes you wonder why we ever got involved in Iraq, knowing what we knew about jihadists. That ten would take the place of each we killed ought not to have come as a surprise. The Arabs did not credit the U.S. for helping them when the Soviets withdrew. No. It was Allah's will. Soon after this costly, in terms of money and men, was the Soviet Union collapsed. If one superpower could be brought down, why not another? was asked by another CIA analyst.

Interesting reading also: House of Bush/House of Saud (self explanatory). Could it be advice to Baby Bush from his good Saudi prince pal that got us into Iraq? Read the book First Son, a bio of Baby Bush that lays out what a flyweight Dubya has always been intellectually: while at Yale Georgie couldn't wait to get back to West Texas (not Crawford, where he moved shortly before becoming President (how it pains me to type that) because his fellow Yalies (of whom Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury) was one) felt guilty about their privileged lives. His complaint: "They think everyone should have what we have." That quote does give credence to Molly Ivins's quip that Dubya was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple. Great observation.

Here is my take on the "terrorists." Men who are smart enough to know that America's help comes with a huge price. The U.S. corporations will set up businesses in the Middle East and the home boys, and eventually girls?, will become hourly wage slaves just like those of us here in America. Do we really want to export the opportunity to work all your life then have your pension withdrawn, or stolen by CEOs. Maybe the terrorists aren't so much full of hate as full of knowledge of how America operates: we call the shots. By we I mean our govt.

Well, I'm all ranted out. I have read a few good books: Intuition by Allegra Goodman, Jennifer Vandever's The Bronte Project, Cormac MacCarthy's (McCarthy's?) No Country For Old Men, an interesting mystery Kill Me by _____? White (Frank, maybe), the new political thriller from Vince Flynn Consent To Kill.

We need to change tactics.

War in the Middle East is not working. I say Middle East, because we may be in Iran and/or Syria next. Take the billion a month we're spending destroying cities and use it to improve conditions for the people affected. We'll still need the military unfortunately. But perhaps we can slow terrorist recruitment by helping the Arab people.

Too simplistic? What do you think?