Killing Ourselves Globally - How to Avoid a Nuclear 9/11

We are killing ourselves globally. Mistakes made in our policies (going back to the closing days of "Charlie Wilson's War" in Afghanistan) are setting us up for a nuclear 9/11.

Since 9/11, our government has given the Musharraf government $10 billion dollars to fight Al Qaida, which has been using Pakistan's Northwest frontier as a base and staging area for attacks into Afghanistan - and now Pakistan with the death of Benazir Bhutto.

Our shortsighted policies aren't solving the root problem to radical Islam. The answer is in the closing minutes of "Charlie Wilson's War." Our leadership is continuing to make the same mistake.

The "War against Terror" will fail unless we solve the issue of the 30,000 Madrassa's in Pakistan that are used as schools for the next generation. They don't teach math, language, history or science. They teach hate. In Charlie Wilson's war we funded billions for weapons to shoot at Soviets, but when it was over Congress and the President had no interest in spending even $1 million for schools in Afghanistan.

So instead Osama bin Laden moved in, kicked girls out of school, killed professionals and anyone who didn't wear a beard and launched 9/11. Now, because of blunders in failing to get him at Tora Bora and getting diverted by Iraq, Osama has a bigger prize at his fingers: Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. The death of Benazir makes that possibility all too real.

With millions of recruits for Osama growing up because we are so shortsighted not to fund a "Marshall Plan for Schools" in Pakistan --real schools that teach both girls and boys about reading, writing, math, world events, science and other things.

Imagine if we had a free school system that taught only boys. And only taught one thing: reading only one book. In Pakistan's Madassa's students study the Koran (even if they can't actually read it) and nothing else. They are taught to hate everyone who is different. All they know about us is that our President supports Mr. Musharaff, whose poll ratings had him losing to Benazir Bhutto, a moderate woman Muslim leader. Osama can't stomach moderates or women in charge.

So our shortsighted policies adds up to millions of the next generation being taught hate in a country that already possesses 30 to 50 nuclear warheads -- some of which could eventually be used on a terrorist attack against Europe and the U.S.

Saddam and Iran only wanted nukes. They exist only in their dreams, but the real thing already exists in Pakistan.

The time bomb is ticking. Every day millions of young Pakistanis are being taught a "jihad of hate" against the West. Every day that we don't launch a massive effort to provide real schools to these kids, millions more of these children will be brainwashed by Bin Laden's associates to kill U.S./NATO soldiers in Afghanistan, and eventually civilians in America. The same problem even exists in places like England and France because they have isolated young Muslims who have nearly 50% unemployment - a breeding ground for future bombings like those in London's subway on 7-7.

Every day that we don't have a smart strategy to solve the root issues creating terrorism in key countries like nuclear Pakistan increases the risk to our security from a nuclear disaster for America.

If you don't believe me, go see "Charlie Wilson's War" and pay attention at the end. Then realize how that decision at the end led to Osama's rise and 9/11.

It's time that we got smart and had leadership with the expertise and a global strategy to avoid future 9/11's. If we pick another leader who continues failed policies--policies that favor funding arms over education -- we are in serious trouble.