Just another example of how out of touch America's leadership can be when it comes to affairs in the Middle East.  I recall former president Bush standing up there after "9/11", all puffed up and angry, saying how we would take out Osama Bin Laden and crush al-Qaeda.  Then he took it upon himself to start two wars.  Most praised him for his "high resolve".  Boy, how far off-track can someone in leadership go?  And many people familiar with Middle East affairs were speaking out and writing about what a huge mistake this would be.  But our compliant national media stuck those things on the back pages and ramped up the anger.

 So here we are 11 years later with this news on this snowy 2nd Sunday in February: 

 Regarding the mess in Syrian, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri who took over in May 2011after Osama Bin Laden's death, has declared his support for the opposition.  He has said:  "The Syrian government is a cancerous regime that suffocated the free people of Syria."

 Further, he called upon Muslims to offer whatever help they could to the Syrian opposition.  He also said that the Syrian opposition cannot rely on the west and Arab countries for support.

 It took us quite a few years to find Osama Bin Laden.  Al-Qaeda had a new leader all ready to take over.  And as for crushing al-Qaeda?  It's like trying to eliminate the voles from my yard, I get one or two and five more pop up on the other end of the yard!  They don't play by my rules!

 And I'm afraid that "our rules" mean nothing to al-Qaeda.  They are not a military might.  They are a movement, an almost invisible target, and are born out of radical religious beliefs building their terrorist groups by praying upon young people who are without hope, without money, without food, without a future, and without an education.

Bob McClellan

Polson