Stop Poking the Hornet's Nest

This is what Homeland Security advisor Frances Fragos Townsend says:

"The fact is, we were harassing them in Afghanistan, we're harassing them in Iraq, we're harassing them in other ways, non-militarily, around the world. And the answer is, every time you poke the hornet's nest, they are bound to come back and push back on you. That doesn't suggest to me that we shouldn't be doing it." [emphasis mine]

Well, it definitely suggests to me that we shouldn't be doing it.

Terror networks such as Al Qaeda are depicted as wanting to take over the world and impose Shari'a law. But that goal is obviously impossible through terrorism. It is far more likely that Al Qaeda gets recruits not because they are Islamic fundamentalists, but because they are motivated by solidarity with fellow Arabs and/or Muslims, and desire to expel Western troops from their lands.

If their tactics are unjust, their cause is not.

What have we ever gained by taking sides and sending aid and troops to Middle Eastern countries? If we wanted cheap oil, all we had to do is maintain neutrality in their squabbles and engage in peaceful commerce. There was no point in poking the hornet's nest. And there is no point now.