Excuse Me for a Political Moment

Kevin Drum, formerly, of Calpundit now of Washington Monthly's Political Animal writes a brief but reasoned analysis of Richard Clarke's book in his blog today. There's been so much chaos surrounding the politics last week that it's refreshing to read something considered on what Clarke is actually saying. One can then agree or disagree. Here's what I think is the money quote within quote:

"Here's how Clarke describes what he learned when the intelligence community first discovered the existence of al-Qaeda in 1996:

The ingredients al Qaeda dreamed of for propagating its movement were a Christian government attacking a weaker Muslim region, allowing the new terrorist group to rally jihadists from many countries to come to the aid of the religious brethren. After the success of the jihad, the Muslim region would become a radical Islamic state, a breeding ground for more terrorists, a part of the eventual network of Islamic states that would make up the great new Caliphate, or Muslim empire.

From his point of view, then, Bush's post-9/11 obsession with attacking states was simply playing into al-Qaeda's hands. "It was as if Usama bin Laden, hidden in some high mountain redoubt, were engaging in long-range mind control of George Bush, chanting 'invade Iraq, you must invade Iraq.'""