Iraq: Flypaper for al-Qaeda?

Controversy reigns over the existence of al-Qaeda in Iraq prior to the war. While opinions differ widely over the numbers of terrorists resident in Saddamland between the wars, there is growing agreement on some sort of presence for rest, for training, for sanctuary.

Today, all spectators, certainly including those actually in the field fighting, agree that whatever the history, there are "foreign fighters" in Iraq now, specifically including large numbers of "terrorists" and substantial numbers of al-Qaeda, killing Iraquis, Americans and coalition forces.

Even Hillary Clinton sees a “remaining military as well as political mission” as necessary to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq after her proposed unilateral withdrawal from that country.

Nancy Pelosi in the House and Harry Reid in the Senate crafted their surrender bills in terms of leaving a remainder of American forces behind the retreat, specifically in order to fight al-Qaeda.

In fact, a number of the Blame America First crowd have claimed that the fighting in Iraq has actually attracted al-Qaeda fighters to Iraq in order to fight the U. S. Army, Marines and Air Force.

If so, I say "Brilliant!"

We should each and all hope and pray that truly substantial numbers of al-Qaeda fighters are attracted to the killing fields of Iraq. How much simpler it will make the difficult, complex, expensive and stressful Global War on Islamonazi Terror if the enemy will continue to cooperate by congregating targets in one place.

I have far greater respect for the imagination and foresight of the Bush administration than most of its domestic enemies. Even that respect, though, strains at the thought that the Flypaper Strategy was deliberate.

Come to think of it, though, Karen Hughes was assigned a Middle East portfolio a few years ago.

She's smart enough to have thought of it.