#Kenya #Syria #Somalia

    With the what can best be described as a coup d'etat in Egypt ousting the Muslim Brotherhood from power, the viability of promoting a false facade of democracy in the Middle East is dwindling. There is simply no way that our negotiators can tell the more forgivable elements of varying Islamists that by working in the political process they can create the changes they want. It was a tragic error to allow the Muslim Brotherhood, or for that matter, any other democratically elected Islamists as in Tunisia or Hamas in Gaza, without first creating constitutions that protect minority groups and provide for adequate governmental institutions as a matter of law. The truth is, the poorer portions of the Middle East lack the preconditions for democracy to work and so America has been forced to shift its strategy from spreading democracy to establishing the pre-conditions of democracy for future generations. America needs to stay out of high risk/low payoff war zones, by instead improving its technical and intelligence support for acceptable regional partners that are competent, capable and willing to address America's security and economic priorities. This is the realist truth, that as Americans, we must accept. From the words of Bin Laden, he dragged us into Afghanistan because it was, “the Graveyard of Empires,” and our intercepts have shown an adoption of a low-cost bleeding strategy aimed at weakening the America's economy. For Syria, Yemen, Somalia, make no humanitarian delusions, there are good people suffering that as humans we would like to help, but as a country at war that is trying to survive in an anarchic international game of self interest, American military presence is not going to help, it is only going to distract resources and drain assets that are better used elsewhere while exposing our sons and daughters to unacceptable levels of harm at unaffordable costs for unclear advantageous ends.

     The appropriate strategy, therefore, is to bolster our support for the new Libyan government, for Nigeria, for the Egyptian Interim leadership, for the Saudis (albeit, with better tracking of the direction of their money and resources), for the Omanis, for the Jordanians, for the Quataris, for the Bahrainis, for the Kuwaitis, for the United Arab Emirates, for the Iraqis and for the Turkish so that those counties can secure and profitably manage their resources to begin investing in the development of the Middle East's problem children while continuing to elevate the technocracies and meritocracies of the future. Providing for the future posterity, defending prosperity and allowing for the development of the conditions that foster the allure of terror and radical islamist movements will require the occasional special forces operation, CIA intelligence cells, State Department Contracts, Military bases, clandestine actions and Corporate contracts when mutually beneficial.  All of these should continue to occur indefinitely, and America and the civilian populations of our allies need to find the resolve to continue and carry on in the face of an enemy determined to inflict wanton destruction on the competent and civilized. If clandestine actions and drones can help America win small battles that prevent large wars, than responsible leadership must continue using them to protect our population and the acceptable regional governments of our allies. America needs to be bold in its willingness to fight fire with fire, and respond to incidents of aggression not with retaliation of scale, but retaliation of magnitude, its not tooth for a tooth that will win, its tooth for your entire lower jaw that intimidate and defeat these types of enemies. This is the culture of the Middle East, and our aggressive response is what will earn the masses respect and fidelity.

   In Kenya, with the mall shoot-out, we're seeing a tragic shift in the tactics of our enemy that has increasingly moved away from suicide bombings to planned military style attacks with machine guns. This is alarming, as the tactic is much more effective in wreaking havoc, more difficult to combat and dreadfully challenging to defend against. The affected populaces need to show resolve as security measures are improved and the fight must be taking to our enemy. Our enemy must learn that attacks on civilian populations will only undermine a group's base of support and inspire massive retaliation that devastates and decays the enemies war-fighting capabilities.  I am a peace loving person, but these actions push us beyond compassion and guide our hands towards the previously unfathomable. I pray for peace, but caution that it is war we must prepare for.