Tuesday, June 26, 2007

War of Shadows

[posted by Callimachus]

Stories like this won't get as much ink as ones that feature dead Americans, but they're devastating:

A stealthy suicide bomber slipped into a busy Baghdad hotel Monday and blew himself up in the midst of a gathering of U.S.-allied tribal sheiks — a blow to efforts to forge a front against the extremists of al-Qaida in Iraq. Four of the tribal chiefs were among the 13 victims, police said.

I don't think I have to tell you the name of the organization that likely pulled this one off. (If you shouted "CIA/Mossad!" you're on the wrong blog).

Al Qaida understands perfectly something we Americans still don't get -- our political leaders and wanna-be leaders least of all: Prestige. Prestige is a curious word, but the roots of it mean "to bind in advance." Prestige is the shadow cast by your power. Right now, America has enormous power with a short shadow. Al Qaida knows how to make its shadow as long as the world.