by Matthew Lynch

Created on: March 12, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

The United States is currently engaged in a costly war against terror and with President Bush's recent pledge to send over 20,000 new troops to the region, countless other Muslin nations will be brought into the conflict, officially. It is no secret that the countries of Syria and Iran have been clandestinely supplying the insurgents in Iraq with weapons and sanctioning their citizens repeated incursions across the Iraq border in order to aid their Muslim comrades in a Jihad against the United States.

On December 25, 2006, six senior Iranian military officials were arrested by U. S. Troops during a visit to Baghdad and President Bush warned Syria and Iran not to interfere. He finally released the detainee's on December 30th, but his actions had already done their damage.

In turn these countries have rejected Bush's new plan, because he blames them for Iraq's current civil war. Many Republicans and Democrats believe this strategy is counterproductive, suggesting that instead of condemning these countries, we should reach out to them diplomatically and elicit their help in creating a stable Iraq.

Of course, Bush plans to ostracize Iran and Syria for their insolence. Also, in a show of blatant intimidation, he plans to station another aircraft carrier and additional Patriot missiles, which will only add fuel to the flames. With already 140,000 troops in Iraq and plans to send 20,000 more it would be nave to think that his war is all about terrorism and Iraq's freedom. It is a preemptive measure meant to protect the United States from a perceived threat, Islam and to control the regions oil deposits.

Since America politicizes itself as a Christian nation, the religion of Islam has always been viewed as a security risk. Christians take umbrage at the fact that Muhammad and his teachings attempt to refute a large percentage of our Holy Bible, and refers to us as infidels and vice versa. Although the overwhelming majority of Muslims are peaceful; bigoted Americans will continue to equate Islam with terrorism and evil.

We have added fuel to the fire by continuing to occupy a Muslim country under false pretenses. Add to this, the cult like obedience of Jihadists and there inevitably will be an explosion. Iran and Syria respect the military superiority of the U. S. and definitely do not want their region to be engulfed in World War III, but they will not just roll over and die. Iran's nuclear weapons program is proof of that. When the U. N. threatened to place sanctions on their country; they still refused to back down. If Iran fully develops a nuclear arsenal and the United States continues to bully them around, there is no telling what will happen.

The Bottom Line: When will our country realize that violence only begets violence? It has been the present government that has created the problem and continues to exacerbate it by routinely making the worst possible decisions. My fellow Americans, it is up to us to diffuse the catastrophe that is Iraq and move our nation from a police state back into the burgeoning Democracy that it was on its way to becoming.

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