The War We Cannot Escape

With a rejuvinated al Qaeda expanding by opening fronts in Pakistan and Somalia, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross writes today at NRO, now is the worst imaginable time for the U.S. to retreat from the enemy in Iraq - the one front on which we are (1) engaged and (2) beating the crap out of them.

He is not optimistic about the direction the war is heading:

As al Qaeda gains bases in which to operate in Pakistan and beyond, the terrorist group is more likely to be able to carry out another catastrophic act of terror like 9/11. The 9/11 Commission noted that a critical element in devising a catastrophic terrorist attack is a sanctuary that provides “time, space, and ability to perform competent planning and staff work.” Al Qaeda now has that in Pakistan, and may gain it elsewhere....

With an overstretched U.S. military and flagging public support for pursuit of the global war on terror, the West is likely to continue to lose ground in the short term.

And, if they pull off another 9/11 or worse, perhaps the war itself. Having Iraq handed to them on a silver platter would be the cherry atop the sundae.

As the cliche goes, read the whole thing.