Reflections on the Middle East

Good writing over at Iraq the Model today. Mohammed is trying to explain what is driving other Arab countries to destabilize America's presence in Iraq. These paragraphs are absolutely key:

But I do believe that dictatorships are the main reason [behind this conflict over Iraq]; the Arab regimes didn't accept Israel as a neighbor, of course not because they care about the Palestinians and their interests as everyone knows how Palestinians are treated in Arab countries and how many thousands on them were killed in Jordan and Lebanon and perhaps Arabs killed more Palestinians than the Israelis did.
Obviously, Arab regimes and leaders didn't like Israel because it's a democratic state and its presence in the region can threaten their thrones.

The objectives of our mission cannot be accomplished without changing the Syrian and Iranian regimes in any possible way because the battle in Iraq will not stop until guns are heard in Syria and Iran.
These two regimes are looking for half-solutions that prolong their stay for several more years and of course they've learned from Saddam who managed to stay in power for 12 years after 1991 by making full use of half-solutions.

Read the whole thing.

A few words: Liberals like to squawk at "neo-conservatives" for even beginning to suggest that we expand the military conflict in the Gulf region. But what about an Iraqi that is suggesting it? How can you possibly accuse him of having vested political interest in Bush's "oil-driven" agenda? You can't.