We pointed out in our recent SOFREP e-book (No Easy OP) analysis of the book No Easy Day, motive and incentive is the leash that often tugs people and organizations towards certain action. Why else would Mark Owen (Pseudonym) dismiss his confidentiality agreement, and cast in stone his persona non grata status from the SEAL community to rush his controversial book to market?

Motive in the Middle East

Iran has long been a state sponsor of terror. Who in the Middle East stands to lose the most if the western sponsored Arab Spring nudges, albeit slowly, Islamic states in the direction of democracy?  Iran is in the sights of Israel and it is likely they will soon feel the heel of an Israeli airstrike regardless of whether Washington approves or not. Weapons grade nuclear material in Iran is not an option Israel wants on the table, period.

Smoke and Mirrors

An obscure movie and 9-11 are great cover fire for well planned and coordinated attacks around the globe sponsored by Iran.  Most media picked up that it was more than an angry mob in Benghazi. After all, angry mobs don’t come trained and equipped with well-aimed mortar fire, the same that killed our SOF brothers as they fought like heroes until their last breath.

Some are not happy that the seeds of democracy have produced the likes of the Muslim Brothers, free choice sometimes produces undesirable results and that’s the beautiful thing about democracy.

Some Lessons Are Learned The Hard Way

Progressive culture is not a meal served all at once, it takes decades for centuries of culture to adapt to new ways thinking. The U.S. is learning this the hard way in Afghanistan like the Soviets.

So what do we do in the Middle East? It’s a good question and surely the U.S. must stay involved in some capacity.  We can’t ignore the world’s energy centre. However, it’s going to be a messy business and as we mentioned before, the Middle East is becoming a human chessboard.  Playing white is America and its coalition and we’re being out flanked by a more committed Iran, Russia and China.

Time to Focus on Our Own Issues

All of this and we have serious issues of our own to tend with back home.  We need to lean on our allies for more support, they can’t draft on us forever, and it’s common courtesy for someone else to take the lead and let us draft and recover ourselves.

Our economic engine warning light has been glaring red for too long and other warning lights have popped up along the way. But it appears that we keep driving around trying to solve the world’s problems hoping the warning lights will shut off. This doesn’t work.  Our country continues to deteriorate and experience fundamental breakdowns that can’t be ignored for much longer, we are ignoring all the warning signs. Any mechanic will tell you that ignoring warning lights is a losing strategy.  Eventually our U.S. engine will fail and career politicians will be forced into action and other strategies other than making decisions soley based on their political survival.  Let’s hope this doesn’t happen because it will not be a pleasant experience for anyone, especially Washington.