A defeatist historian
From Patrick Beeley Sir: Correlli Barnett's article on the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq ('Why alQa'cda is winning', 13/20 December) continues the theme of defeatist gloom that pervades so much of his writing. It's easy to describe the mess that the world is in from the historian's chair, less easy to sort it out.
Mr Barnett thinks that he has a clear understanding of what al-Qa'eda's objectives were in launching the attacks on 9/11 and is further sure that subsequent events in Iraq are following the script laid down by Osama bin Laden. I wonder what his sources are for this view. On the contrary. I suspect that Osama bin Laden had no idea of the force of the response that he would meet, a misconception that he could easily have acquired from a reading of Mr Barnett or his kind.
And now he tries to tell us that al-Qa'eda holds the initiative because there were more bombing attacks in the years 2002 and 2003 than in the previous eight years. Wake up. Mr Barnett, and smell the coffee. The security situation in Iraq is not good but its not worsening, Saddam Hussein is caught, Osama bin Laden is living as a refugee in some Afghan cave, his key lieutenants dead, captured or likewise on the run. Sure, the US and Britain are 'entangled in Afghanistan and Iraq and it may well be a while before they can leave. So what? Should they have done nothing? Bosnia and Kosovo are better places for the interventions that took place, even if they require the continued presence of large international garrisons.
And which 'soldiers from Muslim countries' does Mr Barnett envisage stepping into the breach once he has sent the coalition (no inverted commas, Mr Barnett, it really exists) home? The Turks have been declared persona non grata. The loyalties of the Saudis and Pakistanis would be suspect at best. Maybe the Kuwaitis could repeat their 30 minutes of glory in 1990. Or perhaps in Mr Barnett's dreamworld we would have the Iranians patrolling the streets of Baghdad.
I could go on but perhaps my best advice for Mr Barnett would be to recommend him to read two other articles in your fine Christmas edition. Firstly, Mark Steyn's excellent dose of common sense a few pages forward. And then the Cardinal Archbishop's timely reminder on the nature of Hell. Mr Barnett seems to think that because a terrorist campaign is rational it is not evil. I beg to differ.
Patrick Beek"?
Kithira, Greece
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