Dangerous Dumbasses

Andrew Sullivan wrote a lengthy retort the other day to a post that the National Review's Andy McCarthy made on the new National Intelligence Estimate report.

Mr. McCarthy replied back, basically restating the same things Sullivan already debunked. But he also said this... that the reason al-Qaeda is so strong "is that it has been aided and abetted by Iran for at least fifteen years."

Really, Andy? Sunni/Saudi-bred al Qaeda has been "aided and abetted" by the Shia-aligned Iranians?! The same Iranians who helped in the war against the Taliban and bin Laden in 2001? Do these people really think we haven't grasped the huge difference and animosity between Shia and Sunni by now?

I'm reminded of King Neocon Bill Kristol's 2003 quote that, "There's a certain amount of pop psychology in America that the Shia can't get along with the Sunni and the Shia in Iraq just want to establish some kind of Islamic fundamentalist regime. There's almost no evidence of that at all." He still believes that, by the way.

Look, it's no surprise why people like McCarthy are trying to link Iran and al Qaeda. After all, they did it (and are still doing it) with Saddam. It's great propaganda... Americans know al Qaeda are the bad guys, so try and link as many other baddies with them as possible to create the image of The Ultimate Evil. It's the same reason they're repeating the pre-Iraq war visage of mushroom clouds in regards to Iran. It's scary stuff.

If that doesn't work, we can always fall back on blaming Iran for losing the Iraq war for us.

In Sullivan's original post, he concluded "And we are being asked to follow the same leadership that did this to us into a new and unpredictable war with Iran. Are they kidding?" No, sadly, they're quite serious.