IRAQ: DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN

It would appear that the conventional wisdom has come around considerably here in the U.S. and recognizes the disastrous legacy that will be G.W. Bush (Bush II). Last year, my nephew Ryan graduated from Cornell and like others had received some of my annual epistles. For whatever reason, he was interested in any of my old writings concerning the Middle East. In going through old computer files, I found a letter in DOS Wordperfect that I wrote to none other than Henry Kissenger in 1993 after he spoke at a lecture. In the Q&A, I disagreed with his criticism of G. H, W. Bush (Bush II) among other things and he was dismissive, but I respectfully followed up with a letter. Not to worry, current versions of Wordperfect for windows translate the old DOS version. The following is an excerpt from that 4/93 letter:

Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of listening to your lecture on various international topics at the Peninsula Speakers series here in San Mateo. I was able to ask one question, that concerning your opinion of the “premature ending” of the Gulf military action. I believe it will be good and necessary to leave Hussein in power. The alternative will lead to grave unanticipated consequences. It was good to reminisce about the Buskashi match we attended with you in Kabul in 1974.

There is a natural enmity between the Persians and the Arabs that goes back to a time before Islam. The Persians are a more cohesive geopolitical entity with a proud political and religious philosophical tradition before Islam. It would be another bonehead travesty to confuse them with the Arabs and Arab countries more or less thrown together by the declining British Raj. There is no dismissing the effect of the British Raj, good and bad, all over the world, but it always cost plenty when not associated with lengthy in-depth occupation until the recipient culture had developed a viable middle class – and it never worked in a country mired in a western religious political system. All cultural descendants of the British have a well-intentioned penchant for imposing an evolved cultural ethos on others. Add to this a dose of evangelical proselytism and you get the Iraq debacle.