From John Robb’s weblog:

On Point.’ Anonymous (the CIA agent who wrote “Imperial Hubris”) speaks.’ Major points he made:

• Al Qaeda isn’t a terrorist organization.’ If it was, we would have destroyed it several times over by now (NOTE:’ this supports my term Global Guerrillas).
• Al Qaeda and its ilk represent a national security threat to the US.’ This is war and it is going to last a long time.
• The tempo of attacks and activity within al Qaeda and other’Islamic extremist organizations’is increasing.
• We are losing the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.’ Fallujah was an important defeat.
• Polls in the Islamic world indicate that our policies are opposed by 80-90% of the people (not our way of life).’ This is the basis of al Qaeda’s support.
• The policies opposed:’ Our military presence in Saudi Arabia.’ Our support for appostate regimes in the Islamic world (Egypt and Saudi Arabia).’ Our unqualified support for Israel.’ Pressure to maintain low oil prices.’ Support for regimes that surppress muslims (India and China).
• These’policies cannot be debated within the US political system.
• Democracy can’t be exported.
• The solution’is to revise our policies to meet the needs of the Islamic world because it is in our interest — or — if we can’t do that, we should be ruthless in our use of military power.
• Our military posture is defensive.’ It should be aggressive.’ Our generals have become bureaucrats.’ To win this militarily, it is going to require a high body count.
• No single official will be faulted in the 9/11 report (and therefore nobody will be fired), despite substantial failures.
• No basis for optimism.

npointradio.org/shows/2004/07/20040721_b_main.asp”>audio is very interesting. Two points additional points I found interesting.

• Our countries organizational blindness
• The sense of duty and professionalism of a civil servant.
• “We” are precieved of occupying the three top holly sites of Islam.
• Our policies that the Muslim world see as offensive are not under discussion here – at all.
• Totally lost the battle for hearts and minds.

But most disturbing is his general read of the situation. That given our deep structural inability to reframe the situation we will play the only card in our hand. Military power. Which is going to kill a hell of a lot more people on both sides. That, of course, will polarize things yet more.