Center for a New American Security

Pakistani 1: "Western countries are trying to destroy Islam. They fear us more than the Chinese. We are the only people who have a system that challenges theirs. They know their system has failed, so they are trying to destroy us before everyone becomes Muslim. They have always hated us. They want to keep us poor. Our rulers have been bought by them. Our rulers sold us for big houses in London and New York. Now Western soldiers and contractors roam around our country looking for ways to steal from us and control us. We are paying the price. If we don't fight, they will rob us and leave us to die in the gutter."

Pakistani 2: "Peace is a good thing. You are a Muslim, right? We are all about peace. We love it. Fighting is not the answer. Peace is the answer. Just take it easy, be good and everything will sort itself out."

Presenting your ideas as part of a bigger picture is much more persuasive than just chucking them randomly out there. The ideology of Islamist extremism has a very effective big-picture story. On the other side, the narrative is a bit.... well,.. lacking. That's not to say the ideas aren't soundly based or the approach isn't right, it just means that there's no bigger picture that captures the imagination, presents the prospect of things being different or generally inspires to action.

Quilliam Foundation director Maajid Nawaz has an editorial in the Pakistani daily Dawn newspaper that tackles the extremist narrative in Pakistan. Maajid, who used to be a high-level member of UK Islamist outfit Hizb ut Tahrir, very neatly illustrates the point that actions by Western government's inadvertently feed the view of the world painted by extremists.

"I remember trying to convince people that the UN is against Islam, and I remember being laughed at. That is...until Srebrenica. I remember trying to convince people that Yasser Arafat and the PLO would ‘betray' the Muslims of Palestine because they were not ‘Islamic'. I remember being laughed at. That is...until Oslo. I remember arguing that Muslims would never be tolerated in Europe, and Bosnia would spread everywhere. I remember being laughed at. That is...until Chechnya.

"I remember arguing that western freedoms are tools for colonialism. I remember being laughed at. That is...until the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. I remember arguing that human rights are used to keep us weak whilst our ‘enemy' grows strong. I remember being laughed at. That is...until Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. People eventually stopped laughing."

So, not only is there a failure to provide another attractive, alternative vision, the actions that emanate from Western capitals seem to boost the vision promoted by extremists. It makes me wonder whether extremist PR people only need to work part time. Couple of hours a day, maybe? I bet the holiday entitlement is pretty generous. They probably just go do some training on uploading videos to the net, then it's feet-up time again.

But despite the popularity of the extremist world view, "...it does not take much to pick holes in this simplistic, pseudo-intellectual and paranoid perspective," says Maajid.

So, maybe it's time we started.

Hello all. The landlord asked me to enter real subtle-like. So I am doing my best to comply. Bear with my reticence. ~ Denominator

Now look, I’ve served in the 1^st Cav. I’ve even served in the 3^rd Brigade (highlighted in this story). I wear my Stetson at the least provocation, and defy anyone who contends that the huge frackin’ patch doesn’t matter. That being said, I must cede that my old Division does have the ability to produce moronic decisions upon occasion. In this case, they are going all Old School on the media. But it’s not like that darned liberal-dolschtoss-out-to-getcha media. No, in this case the 1^st Cav has taken the all-American decision to ban a reporter from the flippin’ STARS AND STRIPES.

You go there boys. Point that M-249 straight at your leather personnel carriers and pop off a full box?

Let me check something here…You do know that the Stars and Stripes is, according to the Department of Defense is, well, I’ll let them point it out: “Stars and Stripes is a daily newspaper published for the U.S. military, DoD civilians, contractors, and their families." But perhaps you missed that next line that Congress authorized. You remember Congress, right?  "Unique among the many military publications, Stars and Stripes operates as a First Amendment newspaper, free of control and censorship. We have published continuously in Europe since 1942, and since 1945 in the Pacific. Today, our readers number well over 350,000.” In other words, still theirs, look at it this way, “Stars and Stripes is a Department of Defense-authorized daily newspaper distributed overseas for the U.S. military community.” What part of that did you not understandimipate?

You banned a reporter from the Stars and Stripes for Anti-American reporting? Seriously? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Clue for you: You, the officers who did this, just are not that important. As both Bill Cosby and my own old man told me, upon misbehavior, “I brought you into this world, I’ll take you right back out. Doesn’t matter to me. I’ll make a ‘nuther one jest like ya.” The Army is like that. What were you thinking? You just set yourselves up for the biggest kneecapping since the Sopranos went off the air.

What really blows my mind is that I know for a fact that Major General Dan Bolger knows better than this. I’ve read his writing for 15 years, and watched the man go out on patrols, as a G.O. mind you. He understands. (See update: 3rd Bde/1CD is under 25ID) He understands that:  A. The Press is not the enemy. B. You cannot control the press. C. Trying to control the press only results in bad press, which damages the war effort. D.  Giving the press access always results in better stories. So right now you who made this decision are betting on one thing: That Bolger will automatically support you, despite the fact that you just made one of the most egregiously misguided “decisions” in the whole eight years of this war. Nice one. Buy yourselves a round at the O-Club when you get back to Hood.

Personally, I’m thinking, you Battalion and Brigade Public Affairs officers responsible for this are using some of the prohibited local products in your decision making on this count, and you’ve been supported by the probable fact that the Division PAO did not fully inform the Division Commander of the lowdown. Now that it’s out there in the open, I fully expect that Bolger will quietly, in his subtle way, come to you and casually explain things. Cause, like, he’s a real subtle guy. (Mooted by update)

And I model for Men’s Health.

UPDATE: An alert reader who saw this before suggested, and I checked, and the fact is that once again the 3rd Brigade, 1st CAV is under the control of 25 ID/MND-N. That takes Bolger out of the equation. 25 ID is commanded by MG Robert L. Caslen.