A Short-Lived Pax Americana?

The U.S. invasion of Iraq was supposed to stop the "terrorists" dead in their tracks, or at least slow 'em down. After a trip through the Middle East, it became obvious to me that the Iraq war is having an effect opposite to what Team Bush intended. "Ali Ahmed," an Arab diplomat who prefers to remain anonymous says, "The Bush administration looks quite powerful on the surface, but so did the Romans near the end of their empire."

While the United States continues to flex its diplomatic muscle around the Middle East, local folks are mostly unimpressed. Arabs see the U.S. military facing daily guerrilla attacks and increased Iraqi calls for its withdrawal. What initially appeared to be a massive victory for the U.S. empire is instead becoming a revelation of its weaknesses.

"Arabs are biding their time in the face of US belligerency," the Arab diplomat told me. "The U.S. will be bogged down in Iraq for a long time. We can wait."