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Last update - 09:56 10/10/2007
Islam is the enemy
By Amir Oren

Lamb, cucumber and tomato salad, yogurt, baklava. That is what President George W. Bush ate in the White House, or at least read on the menu last Friday at the Iftar meal to break the Ramadan fast, in the company of dozens of guests. In recent years continents have shifted from their positions, Europe has sunk and the Middle East has officially become central to American policy. Israel's expectation that it will concede to the Palestinians, in the avuncular-practical guise of Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayad, stems from Bush's feeling that the long and exhausting war against terror and nuclear proliferation, which is liable to continue for decades, justifies a demand from members of the alliance of moderates to sacrifice a little for the sake of the major goal.

Bush is not ignoring internal politics, the voices of a minority that can be influential in close races, especially if it is canvassed. But in foreign affairs and defense, Islam is not just one topic among many, it's the main topic. Toward the end of his presidency, Bush is confronting one active enemy with many faces: extremist Islam. Sunni or Shi'ite, Iranian or Iraqi, Lebanese or Palestinian, everyone who is plotting against the Americans belongs to one extremist wing or another of the Islamic religion.

This picture will become even clearer if Bush succeeds in his efforts to promote reconciliation between the two Koreas. In the service of these efforts Bush pressured the Israeli government to play down North Korea's connections with its newfound nuclear surrogate, Syria. This reconciliation will also have a vital by-product. Since the end of the Cold War, America's center of gravity in Europe has moved from the west and north to the east and south, gaining a quick jump to new fronts. Germany has lost its importance and many American bases there have been closed. Its Asian parallel is South Korea. The tens of thousands of American soldiers who have been serving as a holding force there since the end of the war there 54 years ago, as living proof of Washington's commitment to defend Seoul from Pyongyang, are now very much lacking in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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While Russia and China are considered competitors and in the future perhaps rivals again - but not enemies - eliminating North Korea from active membership in the "axis of evil" will grant the Middle East almost exclusive attention in Washington. In essence, the division of the world according to Bush into good guys versus bad guys is worded as "moderate Muslims versus extremist Muslims," with the former group needing assistance to keep the latter in check.

Last week an important player joined the Washington arena, Admiral Michael Mullen, the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) at the Pentagon. Without the support of the senior officer and main military adviser to the president and secretary of defense, the administration will find it difficult to market withdrawal from Iraq and an attack on Iran. Mullen will serve in his position under the next president as well. His appointment was confirmed in the Senate without difficulty because his views are acceptable to the Democrats. He now represents the consistent nature of American policy even more than the politicians who appointed him.

Already in his first document, "CJCS Guidance for 2007-2008," Mullen emphasizes the importance of the Middle East, which is crying out for stability. Among other things, he mentions the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as directly affecting the security of the United States.

The conclusion to be drawn from an analysis of the words of Bush, Mullen and others in the American leadership is that Israeli policy will be persuasive only if it is based on a compromise - far-reaching and involving a significant withdrawal - with moderate forces in the region. Extremists who oppose such a compromise should be presented in their religious rather than national context: confrontation with the ayatollahs, Hezbollah and Hamas, not with Iranians, Lebanese and Palestinians. A refusal to give in to the former, who are trying to destroy Israel, will be accepted with understanding.
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  1.   I AGREE WITH THAT, ISLAMIST EXTREMEISTS ARE THE ENEMY 10:13  |  Robert 10/10/07
  2.   Zionism is the enemy, not the Jews 10:14  |  John 10/10/07
  3.   to # 2 - NO RIGHTS AT ALL 10:26  |  Indrajaya 10/10/07
  4.   #2 john the legal expert expounds total ignorance 10:26  |  victor hardman 10/10/07
  5.   sure it is, but to win you have to fight the people 10:27  |  joe 10/10/07
  6.   A distinction ,many seem unwilling to make 10:40  |  Mr. T 10/10/07
  7.   Yes, a withdrawal and a compromise are in order 10:40  |  Natallie Durson 10/10/07
  8.   A SLAP IN THE MUSLIM FACE 10:42  |  indrajaya 10/10/07
  9.   #3 Indrahaha,are you really SO STUPID? 10:43  |  Hastaroth 10/10/07
  10.   Extremism = Islam = Arab culture = Arab mindset = 6th century 10:58  |  SLAVO 10/10/07
  11.   #7 natallie makes hilarious and and absurd accusations 11:01  |  victor hardman 10/10/07
  12.   You will regret inviting Islam to be your enemy 11:06  |  Massoud 10/10/07
  13.   Spot-on, which brings us to the flip side of the coin, Israel 11:07  |  Ivar 10/10/07
  14.   Indry? 11:29  |  Indrajaya 10/10/07
  15.   HOW ABOUT JEWISH EXTREMISM?? 11:32  |  TrippleJump 10/10/07
  16.   If you CHOOSE Islam to be your enemy, live with your choice! 11:34  |  T.N. Adam 10/10/07
  17.   HAARETZ INCITING HATRED WITH PROVOCATIVE TITLE 11:37  |  Rami 10/10/07
  18.   The title of the article inappropriate 11:46  |  Haim 10/10/07
  19.   america wakes up...? 11:47  |  ravi 10/10/07
  20.   Indra of Indon 11:49  |  Infidel Too 10/10/07
  21.   11... victor.... educate yourself .... youre blind.. 11:54  |  ravi 10/10/07
  22.   "Radical Islam Is the Enemy Moderate Islam Is the Solution" 11:55  |  Jane 10/10/07
  23.   ISLAM is the curse of mankind 11:56  |  Selina Vasquez 10/10/07
  24.   #12 Massoud 11:58  |  Billy Joe 10/10/07
  25.   ALL FAITHS HAVE EXTREMIST VIOLENT GROUPS 12:00  |  Ingrid 10/10/07
  26.   Islam is the curse.../Selina Vasquez? 12:14  |  Anne 10/10/07
  27.   Robert : Hamas is extremist 12:21  |  Jasmine Murphy 10/10/07
  28.   to Infidel too 12:28  |  Indrajaya 10/10/07
  29.   Selena Vasquez: you are a curse upon yourself 12:28  |  Khalid 10/10/07
  30.   Who is Extremist??? 12:29  |  Dagma 10/10/07
  31.   ISLAMIST EXTREMEISTS ARE THE ENEMY 12:29  |  iletzter 10/10/07
  32.   the real enemy is Zionism 12:30  |  Khalid 10/10/07
  33.   Both are the enemy 12:31  |  SystemF 10/10/07
  34.   Islam = Fascism 12:36  |  Selina Vasquez 10/10/07
  35.   Khalid: Islamist Propaganda! 12:41  |  Selina Vasquez 10/10/07
  36.   The Real Enemy ....... 12:43  |  Dolly 10/10/07
  37.   Islam is not the enemy 12:47  |  Edith 10/10/07
  38.   You can`t fight an idea or a tactic 12:49  |  David Johnson 10/10/07
  39.   But the most lethal enemy.......? 12:50  |  SystemF 10/10/07
  40.   # 8 Indy 12:53  |  Lynn 10/10/07
  41.   # 28 Indrajaya 12:55  |  Edith 10/10/07
  42.   # 25 Ingrid ......true enough 12:58  |  Lynn 10/10/07
  43.   Peace Between Israel and Palestinians Necessary 13:01  |  Jane 10/10/07
  44.   #23: The modern face of antisemitism 13:02  |  Edith 10/10/07
  45.   Jane #43 13:13  |  SystemF 10/10/07
  46.   Selina Vasquez 13:17  |  Anne 10/10/07
  47.   #2 John of Netherlands. I Totally agree with that... 13:19  |  Becky 10/10/07
  48.   Indrajaya 13:20  |  Abdul Bodowi 10/10/07
  49.   SystemF#39 13:25  |  Billy Joe 10/10/07
  50.   Post to System F is for David Johnson 13:27  |  Billy Joe 10/10/07
  51.   YES I AGREE AND THE PALS SHOULD STAND UP TO THEM 13:30  |  Nicole 10/10/07
  52.   SystemF-I Suggest You Look at It Differently 13:34  |  Jane 10/10/07
  53.   TO INDERAJAYA 13:37  |  Nicole 10/10/07
  54.   Mr Amir Oren , you are right Sir, IT IS THE EXTREMIST that R ... 13:47  |  Hamza 10/10/07
  55.   Khalid proves the point...radical, rabid, uneducated, unenlighten 13:55  |  The Equalizer 10/10/07
  56.   3#Indrajaya. Please NOT in Uganda but in New Mexico Yes. 14:02  |  IDI Amin Baba. 10/10/07
  57.   Abdul Bodowi 14:12  |  Indrajaya 10/10/07
  58.   # 43 Jane 14:14  |  Lynn 10/10/07
  59.   Jane #52 - Naive lefty 14:14  |  SystemF 10/10/07
  60.   to Khalid 14:19  |  Rodrigo 10/10/07
  61.   #7 Natallie Durson 14:19  |  Daybreak 10/10/07
  62.   #Abdul BODOWI?Singapore??you are wrong 14:26  |  Sheik Uzay 10/10/07
  63.   # 17 Rami 14:28  |  Lynn 10/10/07
  64.   Re #7 Natallie`s thought process..... 14:30  |  Esther 10/10/07
  65.   #19 ravi uses SLEDGEHAMMER to hit a NAIL - and misses! 14:42  |  CK Tan 10/10/07
  66.   Esther 14:52  |  Natallie Durson 10/10/07
  67.   I`m No Lefty 14:53  |  Jane 10/10/07
  68.   Super satan and the victims!!! 14:54  |  Sohel Saheen 10/10/07
  69.   TRIPLE JUMP COMPARES AN ISLAMIC MAMMOTH TO A JEWISH ANT 14:54  |  paul harris 10/10/07
  70.   I KINDLY ASK HAARETZ TO CHANGE INCITEFUL TITLE 14:59  |  Amir 10/10/07
  71.   #62 sheik uzay SHRIEKS lies with a poker face 15:01  |  CK Tan 10/10/07
  72.   to SHEIK UZAI 15:13  |  Igor 10/10/07
  73.   Enemies are not born enemies, they are MADE TO BE SO ! 15:17  |  Marcus 10/10/07
  74.   to Lynn, you will be Muslim too. 15:18  |  Indrajaya 10/10/07
  75.   Provocative titles 15:21  |  Edith 10/10/07
  76.   Idi Amim, OK NOT UGANDA 15:21  |  Indrajaya 10/10/07
  77.   Respectability through Moderation 15:31  |  Truth Magnified 10/10/07
  78.   victor hardman 3 15:35  |  realism 10/10/07
  79.   Abdul Bodowi Singapore 15:40  |  Noble Words 10/10/07
  80.   CK TAN YOU ARE AN INFIDEL 15:40  |  Indrajaya 10/10/07
  81.   Extremist Islam/Arab Nationalism, (SAME CONCEPT) 15:41  |  Drew 10/10/07
  82.   ravi on america waking up...... 15:41  |