From the Newshour segment, Failed States, August 21, 2006:
"The danger in a failed state, as Afghanistan was briefly, is it throws up a radical movement that provides a safe haven for terrorism which then directly threatens the United States."
"Ralph Peters is a retired Army lieutenant colonel. His new book, "Never Quit the Fight," assesses U.S. strategic challenges in the Middle East."
From the New York Times, August 23, 2006:
"Interviews with ordinary Afghans and with foreign diplomats and Afghan officials make it clear that the expanding Taliban insurgency in the south represents the most serious challence to his [Karzai] presidency . . . corruption is so widespread, the government apparently so lethargic and the divide between rich and poor so gaping that Mr. Karzai is losing public support . . . ."
The American Colossus asked, "And the question facing this country is: Do we, one, understand the threat to the America? In other words, do we understand that a -- failed states in the Middle East are a direct threat to our county's security?" Indeed, do we, and is there a plan?
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Also by Ralph Peters in the NewsHour discussion:
"a real government has to exercise a monopoly on violence, on power"
Yes, as you have said, not all force is bad. And yes, our Colossus, as Peters shows here, willfully oversimplifies. And our Colossus currently only speaks one language: force. Iran expresses a readiness to negotiate, and our response is predictable. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee says, Iran "will not be satisfied until it poses a threat to the entire world."
The Iranian Body Politic: We need to talk.
The American Colossus: You are psychotic.
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