The 5-Year Anniversary of 9/12

The memorials have been staged, the wreaths laid, the remembrances made. Today, September 12, is the fifth-year anniversary of the start of our present course. Five years ago we were united. Today, we are sharply divided about why we've done what we've done and what we should do going forward.

But let's boil it down to that which we can agree.

• Al Qaida is a menace that must be contained. By most reports, we've done a pretty good job at this. We've worked together with world powers to disrupt or disable their financing, communication, and logistics.
  
  Unfortunately, by taking the peace pressure off Israel, invading Iraq, and by using some poorly chosen rhetoric ("Crusade," anyone?), this administration has driven recruitment for Al Qaida. If we're serious about de-fanging this serpent, we're going to have to stop making them look like the good guys to young Muslim men.


• Afghanistan and Iraq must be stabilized. These are the Pottery Barn rules that Colin Powell warned the President about: You break it, you buy it. We've broken it and we have to fix it. In Afghanistan, it's a matter of troops on the ground--numbers we lost when we invaded Iraq. In Iraq, fixing it might start with our leaving. Our mistakes have made us radioactive in the region, and so it's unlikely that we can be a physical part of the solution. I think we need to recognize the new power that we've handed over to Iran with this occupation and get them busy working on a solution. Congratulations, Iran. You're the new sheriff in town. Good luck.


• We must find peace between Israel and the Palestinians. This will take a lot of the air out of the jihad. To do this, though, we must stop painting Hamas with the terrorist brush. I know, I know, they kill civilians, but so do we and so does Israel. One side does it as asymmetrical warfare and the other side as collateral damage, but the distinction is lost on grieving families. At some point we're going to have to stop using past deaths as a justification for future deaths. Besides, the Palestinians elected them as their leaders, which proves that our current course is a failure.
  
  We need to use our influence with Israel to get them back to the roadmap and out of settlements. We need to solicit the world's help in creating a stable Palestinian state. We need to work with Hamas and help them move from terrorism to politics.

The Bottom line is that we need to get back to what this country does best by providing a platform--an operating system--for global business. The world depends on us to provide a safe and stable dollar, defend shipping lanes, and support fair and free trade. We need to get the world back on our side. They are, after all, our customers.